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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 645 · 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.🔺 A flat frame has 8 straight sides joined by loose pins at the corners. What is the least number of corner-to-corner braces needed to make it rigid?
  2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) an electric pylon (c) a slab over a canal (d) a plank over a drain
  3. 3.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  5. 5.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a round palace roof (d) an electric pylon
  6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a lintel over a door (c) a bicycle frame (d) an old stone bridge
  7. 7.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  10. 10.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 0 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  12. 12.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  13. 13.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) not affected
  14. 14.🔺 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?
  15. 15.🔺 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?
  16. 16.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 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
  19. 19.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  20. 20.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a planetarium roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a shelf on two brackets
  21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  22. 22.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  24. 24.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is very light (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
  25. 25.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a shelf on two brackets
  27. 27.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.🔺 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?
  29. 29.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  30. 30.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 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?
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  33. 33.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  35. 35.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a planetarium roof (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
  37. 37.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  38. 38.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  39. 39.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) triangle
  40. 40.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True

Answer key

  1. 5
  2. an igloo
  3. add a diagonal brace
  4. arch
  5. a shelf on two brackets
  6. a bicycle frame
  7. False
  8. arch
  9. triangle
  10. wobbly
  11. dome
  12. False
  13. squeezed (compression)
  14. 29
  15. 9
  16. True
  17. 19
  18. rigid
  19. rigid
  20. a crane arm
  21. triangle
  22. False
  23. True
  24. it works in compression
  25. 11
  26. a roof truss
  27. False
  28. 3
  29. 25
  30. False
  31. 7
  32. beam
  33. True
  34. True
  35. True
  36. an electric pylon
  37. False
  38. beam
  39. triangle
  40. True

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