Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 674 · 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 triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a fort gateway (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a crane arm
2. 2.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
3. 3.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
5. 5.🔺 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?
6. 6.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) triangle (c) square (d) rectangle
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
8. 8.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) an igloo (c) a truss bridge side (d) an electric pylon
9. 9.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an igloo (b) an old stone bridge (c) an electric pylon (d) a truss bridge side
10. 10.🔺 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?
11. 11.🔺 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?
12. 12.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a round palace roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) an electric pylon
13. 13.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a lintel over a door (c) an electric pylon (d) an igloo
14. 14.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) take off a side
15. 15.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a bicycle frame (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
17. 17.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
18. 18.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
19. 19.🔺 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?
20. 20.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
21. 21.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a planetarium roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
22. 22.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
24. 24.🔺 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?
25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a shelf on two brackets
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
28. 28.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a round palace roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a curved stone doorway
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 beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) floating (b) stretched (tension) (c) squeezed (compression) (d) not affected
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
37. 37.🔺 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
38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) a planetarium roof
39. 39.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 8 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
40. 40.🔺 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?

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