Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 641 · 40 questions

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.

1. 1.🔺 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?
2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) a truss bridge side (d) an old stone bridge
3. 3.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
4. 4.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) rectangle
5. 5.🔺 A flat frame has 11 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
6. 6.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) a roof truss (d) an old stone bridge
7. 7.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) floating
8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
9. 9.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it is hollow (c) it bends easily (d) it works in compression
10. 10.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
11. 11.🔺 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?
12. 12.🔺 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
13. 13.🔺 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
14. 14.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a bicycle frame (c) a plank over a drain (d) a fort gateway
15. 15.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 3 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
20. 20.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.🔺 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
22. 22.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a lintel over a door (c) an igloo (d) a roof truss
23. 23.🔺 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?
24. 24.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 1 triangle standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
25. 25.🔺 A flat frame has 9 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
26. 26.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an old stone bridge (c) a slab over a canal (d) an electric pylon
28. 28.True or false: a round palace roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an igloo (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a truss bridge side (d) a round palace roof
30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a plank over a drain (c) an igloo (d) a roof truss
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
35. 35.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome

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