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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 640 · 40 questions
TalentJR

Engineer's tip (Triangles stay put): Triangles are rigid; trusses, towers and frames use them. A pin-jointed frame with n sides needs n − 3 corner-to-corner braces; a row of n triangles uses 2n + 1 straws. Arches squeeze (compression); beams span gaps; domes are arches turned round in a circle.

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  1. 1.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a roof truss (c) a truss bridge side (d) a lintel over a door
  2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a fort gateway (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a roof truss
  3. 3.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
  5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) paint it
  6. 6.🔺 A flat frame has 12 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an electric pylon (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
  9. 9.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a lintel over a door (c) a truss bridge side (d) a round palace roof
  11. 11.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔺 A flat frame has 6 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  15. 15.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a roof truss (b) a truss bridge side (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  16. 16.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an electric pylon (b) an old stone bridge (c) a roof truss (d) a truss bridge side
  18. 18.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  19. 19.🔺 A frame shaped like a square is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  20. 20.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a bicycle frame (d) an igloo
  22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a lintel over a door
  23. 23.🔺 A flat frame has 10 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  24. 24.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a lintel over a door (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
  25. 25.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  27. 27.🔺 A flat frame has 5 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  28. 28.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it bends easily (c) it is hollow (d) it is very light
  29. 29.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  30. 30.🔺 A flat frame has 4 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  32. 32.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a plank over a drain (c) an igloo (d) a bicycle frame
  33. 33.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 9 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  35. 35.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  38. 38.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 2 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  39. 39.🔺 A frame shaped like a triangle is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
  40. 40.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a roof truss (c) a slab over a canal (d) an old stone bridge

Answer key

  1. a curved stone doorway
  2. a roof truss
  3. False
  4. triangle
  5. add a diagonal brace
  6. 9
  7. a planetarium roof
  8. beam
  9. True
  10. a lintel over a door
  11. True
  12. True
  13. 3
  14. triangle
  15. a fort gateway
  16. 29
  17. an old stone bridge
  18. rigid
  19. wobbly
  20. False
  21. an igloo
  22. a crane arm
  23. 7
  24. an electric pylon
  25. False
  26. 27
  27. 2
  28. it works in compression
  29. True
  30. 1
  31. dome
  32. a plank over a drain
  33. False
  34. 19
  35. False
  36. arch
  37. dome
  38. 5
  39. rigid
  40. a slab over a canal

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