Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 684 · 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 shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) hexagon (c) rectangle (d) triangle
2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a fort gateway (c) an electric pylon (d) a lintel over a door
3. 3.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
5. 5.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an igloo (b) a roof truss (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a curved stone doorway
6. 6.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🔺 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?
8. 8.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a fort gateway (b) a lintel over a door (c) a bicycle frame (d) a curved stone doorway
9. 9.🔺 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?
10. 10.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
11. 11.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) stretched (tension) (b) squeezed (compression) (c) floating (d) not affected
12. 12.🔺 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
13. 13.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
16. 16.🔺 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?
17. 17.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) an igloo (c) a crane arm (d) a lintel over a door
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
20. 20.🔺 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?
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
24. 24.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) paint it (c) take off a side (d) make it bigger
25. 25.🔺 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?
26. 26.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
27. 27.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a fort gateway (c) a crane arm (d) a planetarium roof
28. 28.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
30. 30.🔺 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?
31. 31.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a plank over a drain (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an old stone bridge (d) a truss bridge side
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) beam (d) triangle
35. 35.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
36. 36.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a plank over a drain (c) an electric pylon (d) a crane arm
37. 37.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an igloo (b) a planetarium roof (c) a bicycle frame (d) a round palace roof
38. 38.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a roof truss (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an old stone bridge
39. 39.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False

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