← Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams lesson New set →

Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 694 · 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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.🔺 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
  2. 2.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a crane arm (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
  3. 3.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  4. 4.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  5. 5.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a crane arm (c) a lintel over a door (d) an igloo
  6. 6.True or false: a fort gateway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  7. 7.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  8. 8.🔺 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
  9. 9.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a shelf on two brackets (b) a round palace roof (c) a curved stone doorway (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) wobbly (b) rigid
  11. 11.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) triangle (d) hexagon
  12. 12.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a bicycle frame (c) a curved stone doorway (d) an igloo
  13. 13.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) squeezed (compression) (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  14. 14.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it works in compression (d) it is very light
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 A flat frame has 5 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.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a crane arm (b) a round palace roof (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
  20. 20.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  21. 21.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  23. 23.🔺 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
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 14 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 shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  27. 27.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  29. 29.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  30. 30.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a truss bridge side (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a bicycle frame
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  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 5 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  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) wobbly (b) rigid
  38. 38.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: a fort gateway uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  40. 40.🔺 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

Answer key

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

Free engineering lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/engineering-for-kids