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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 700 · 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.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it is very light (c) it bends easily (d) it works in compression
  2. 2.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a round palace roof (c) a crane arm (d) a plank over a drain
  3. 3.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a fort gateway (d) a roof truss
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  8. 8.True or false: a truss bridge side uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  10. 10.🔺 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?
  11. 11.🔺 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
  12. 12.🔺 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?
  13. 13.True or false: a slab over a canal uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  14. 14.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
  16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an electric pylon (c) a bicycle frame (d) a planetarium roof
  17. 17.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  18. 18.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) an igloo
  20. 20.🔺 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
  21. 21.🔺 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
  22. 22.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  23. 23.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) hexagon (d) square
  24. 24.🔺 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?
  25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  27. 27.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  28. 28.True or false: a roof truss uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  31. 31.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) floating (c) not affected (d) stretched (tension)
  32. 32.True or false: a bicycle frame uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  34. 34.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  36. 36.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a crane arm (c) an old stone bridge (d) a truss bridge side
  37. 37.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a round palace roof (c) a curved stone doorway (d) a plank over a drain
  40. 40.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a roof truss (d) a shelf on two brackets

Answer key

  1. it works in compression
  2. a round palace roof
  3. False
  4. a fort gateway
  5. 13
  6. False
  7. triangle
  8. True
  9. arch
  10. 2
  11. rigid
  12. 5
  13. False
  14. False
  15. arch
  16. a planetarium roof
  17. wobbly
  18. True
  19. an electric pylon
  20. add a diagonal brace
  21. rigid
  22. arch
  23. triangle
  24. 6
  25. triangle
  26. dome
  27. dome
  28. True
  29. 4
  30. False
  31. squeezed (compression)
  32. False
  33. triangle
  34. rigid
  35. beam
  36. a lintel over a door
  37. False
  38. 23
  39. a curved stone doorway
  40. a roof truss

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