Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 676 · 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.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is very light (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a round palace roof (c) a crane arm (d) a roof truss
3. 3.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) a lintel over a door
4. 4.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
5. 5.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🔺 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?
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
9. 9.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a lintel over a door (d) an electric pylon
10. 10.🔺 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
11. 11.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 11 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 an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) a fort gateway (d) a crane arm
13. 13.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 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?
16. 16.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) rectangle
17. 17.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) squeezed (compression)
18. 18.🔺 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
19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
20. 20.🔺 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
21. 21.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) paint it (b) add a diagonal brace (c) make it bigger (d) take off a side
24. 24.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) a truss bridge side (d) a shelf on two brackets
25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a planetarium roof
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
30. 30.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an old stone bridge
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) wobbly (b) rigid
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) dome (d) triangle
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.🔺 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?
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: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a plank over a drain
40. 40.🔺 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?

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