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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 677 · 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.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  4. 4.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  5. 5.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) hexagon (b) square (c) rectangle (d) triangle
  6. 6.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  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.🔺 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?
  9. 9.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is hollow (c) it bends easily (d) it is very light
  10. 10.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a slab over a canal (d) a crane arm
  11. 11.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  12. 12.True or false: a crane arm uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
  14. 14.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) beam (d) dome
  17. 17.🔺 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
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  19. 19.True or false: a slab over a canal uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  20. 20.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) an igloo
  21. 21.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a lintel over a door (d) a planetarium roof
  22. 22.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a bicycle frame (b) an electric pylon (c) a roof truss (d) an igloo
  23. 23.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) make it bigger (c) take off a side (d) paint it
  24. 24.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a fort gateway (b) a roof truss (c) a round palace roof (d) a curved stone doorway
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  26. 26.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.🔺 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
  28. 28.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  29. 29.🔺 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
  30. 30.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a crane arm (c) a fort gateway (d) a plank over a drain
  31. 31.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  32. 32.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) an old stone bridge (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.True or false: a plank over a drain uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  36. 36.🔺 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?
  37. 37.🔺 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?
  38. 38.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  40. 40.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) True (b) False

Answer key

  1. beam
  2. rigid
  3. triangle
  4. squeezed (compression)
  5. triangle
  6. False
  7. 1
  8. 17
  9. it works in compression
  10. a slab over a canal
  11. False
  12. False
  13. triangle
  14. True
  15. True
  16. triangle
  17. wobbly
  18. arch
  19. False
  20. a crane arm
  21. a planetarium roof
  22. an igloo
  23. add a diagonal brace
  24. a round palace roof
  25. dome
  26. False
  27. wobbly
  28. rigid
  29. wobbly
  30. a plank over a drain
  31. False
  32. an old stone bridge
  33. 7
  34. 3
  35. False
  36. 19
  37. 23
  38. True
  39. beam
  40. False

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