Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 656 · 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 of these uses a dome? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a truss bridge side (c) a plank over a drain (d) a planetarium roof
2. 2.🔺 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?
3. 3.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a roof truss (d) an electric pylon
5. 5.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) triangle
6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
10. 10.🔺 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?
11. 11.🔺 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?
12. 12.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
14. 14.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 3 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
15. 15.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) an old stone bridge (c) a lintel over a door (d) a curved stone doorway
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) an old stone bridge (c) an igloo (d) a curved stone doorway
17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an electric pylon (d) a plank over a drain
18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
20. 20.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
21. 21.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
22. 22.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) paint it (c) make it bigger (d) add a diagonal brace
23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
24. 24.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an electric pylon (c) a crane arm (d) a shelf on two brackets
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
27. 27.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
28. 28.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a roof truss (d) a lintel over a door
29. 29.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
30. 30.True or false: an old stone bridge uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
32. 32.🔺 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
33. 33.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
34. 34.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an igloo
35. 35.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 10 triangles 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 a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
37. 37.🔺 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?
38. 38.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True

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