Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 647 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an electric pylon (d) a truss bridge side
4. 4.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) make it bigger (c) add a diagonal brace (d) paint it
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
8. 8.🔺 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?
9. 9.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
10. 10.🔺 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?
11. 11.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a slab over a canal (c) a round palace roof (d) a plank over a drain
12. 12.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a lintel over a door (c) a plank over a drain (d) an igloo
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
16. 16.🔺 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
17. 17.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
18. 18.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 4 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a lintel over a door (c) an old stone bridge (d) a round palace roof
20. 20.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
21. 21.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
23. 23.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
24. 24.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 6 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
25. 25.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) square (c) hexagon (d) triangle
26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
27. 27.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
28. 28.🔺 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?
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.🔺 A flat frame has 7 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.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
33. 33.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) a crane arm (c) a roof truss (d) an old stone bridge
34. 34.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 7 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon 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.🔺 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?

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