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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 695 · 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 plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  2. 2.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  3. 3.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  4. 4.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a bicycle frame (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a plank over a drain (c) a round palace roof (d) a crane arm
  7. 7.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) triangle (d) hexagon
  8. 8.🔺 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?
  9. 9.Which of these uses a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a slab over a canal (c) an old stone bridge (d) a fort gateway
  10. 10.True or false: a fort gateway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
  12. 12.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a round palace roof (b) a planetarium roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  14. 14.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a bicycle frame (c) a slab over a canal (d) a planetarium roof
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) beam (b) arch (c) triangle (d) dome
  17. 17.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it works in compression (b) it is very light (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
  18. 18.🔺 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?
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  20. 20.🔺 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
  21. 21.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a crane arm (b) an igloo (c) an electric pylon (d) a fort gateway
  22. 22.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  24. 24.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) add a diagonal brace (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) make it bigger
  26. 26.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) an electric pylon
  27. 27.🔺 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?
  28. 28.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  29. 29.🔺 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
  30. 30.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a roof truss (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
  31. 31.🔺 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
  32. 32.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  35. 35.True or false: an old stone bridge uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  38. 38.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  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. beam
  2. wobbly
  3. True
  4. a plank over a drain
  5. 11
  6. a crane arm
  7. triangle
  8. 13
  9. a slab over a canal
  10. False
  11. arch
  12. a bicycle frame
  13. dome
  14. False
  15. a planetarium roof
  16. arch
  17. it works in compression
  18. 7
  19. triangle
  20. rigid
  21. a fort gateway
  22. wobbly
  23. arch
  24. False
  25. add a diagonal brace
  26. an electric pylon
  27. 7
  28. True
  29. rigid
  30. a round palace roof
  31. wobbly
  32. False
  33. 3
  34. beam
  35. False
  36. True
  37. triangle
  38. False
  39. 5
  40. rigid

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