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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 75 · 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.🔺 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 a beam? (a) an electric pylon (b) a crane arm (c) a lintel over a door (d) a roof truss
  3. 3.🔺 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?
  4. 4.🔺 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?
  5. 5.🔺 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?
  6. 6.🔺 Which strong shape does a plank over a drain use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  7. 7.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
  8. 8.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  9. 9.🔺 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?
  10. 10.🔺 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?
  11. 11.🔺 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?
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
  13. 13.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a fort gateway (d) a shelf on two brackets
  14. 14.True or false: a bicycle frame uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  16. 16.🔺 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
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.True or false: a fort gateway uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
  19. 19.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) hexagon (c) triangle (d) square
  20. 20.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a lintel over a door (d) a bicycle frame
  21. 21.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) a bicycle frame (c) a shelf on two brackets (d) a fort gateway
  23. 23.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
  24. 24.True or false: a round palace roof uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  25. 25.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a bicycle frame (d) a shelf on two brackets
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) arch (d) beam
  27. 27.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a plank over a drain (c) an old stone bridge (d) an electric pylon
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  29. 29.🔺 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?
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
  32. 32.🔺 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?
  33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  34. 34.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  35. 35.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  36. 36.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  37. 37.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a plank over a drain (c) a truss bridge side (d) a slab over a canal
  38. 38.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is very light (c) it is hollow (d) it works in compression
  39. 39.🔺 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?
  40. 40.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) an electric pylon (d) a round palace roof

Answer key

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

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