Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 705 · 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) triangle (c) rectangle (d) hexagon
2. 2.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) add a diagonal brace (c) take off a side (d) paint it
3. 3.True or false: a roof truss uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
4. 4.🔺 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?
5. 5.🔺 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
6. 6.True or false: a lintel over a door uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
8. 8.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 2 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 strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
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.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
12. 12.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it is hollow (c) it bends easily (d) it works in compression
13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
14. 14.🔺 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?
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
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.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a bicycle frame (d) a slab over a canal
21. 21.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a round palace roof (c) an electric pylon (d) a curved stone doorway
22. 22.🔺 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?
23. 23.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
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.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a truss bridge side (b) an igloo (c) a lintel over a door (d) a fort gateway
26. 26.True or false: an electric pylon uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a planetarium roof (c) a roof truss (d) a fort gateway
28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) triangle (d) dome
29. 29.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a lintel over a door (c) a roof truss (d) a shelf on two brackets
30. 30.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
31. 31.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a roof truss (c) a bicycle frame (d) an igloo
32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
33. 33.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
34. 34.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 12 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.🔺 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?
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) rigid (b) wobbly
38. 38.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch

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