Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 84 · 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.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) take off a side (b) paint it (c) add a diagonal brace (d) make it bigger
2. 2.🔺 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
3. 3.True or false: an igloo uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a bicycle frame (c) a roof truss (d) a crane arm
5. 5.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it is hollow (d) it bends easily
6. 6.True or false: a roof truss uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a planetarium roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a fort gateway
8. 8.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
9. 9.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 10 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
10. 10.True or false: a crane arm uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
11. 11.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
12. 12.🔺 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?
13. 13.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a lintel over a door (c) a fort gateway (d) a bicycle frame
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
16. 16.Which of these uses a dome? (a) an electric pylon (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a planetarium roof (d) a curved stone doorway
17. 17.🔺 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?
18. 18.🔺 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?
19. 19.🔺 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
20. 20.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) not affected
21. 21.🔺 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?
22. 22.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses triangles. (a) False (b) True
23. 23.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a crane arm (b) an igloo (c) a round palace roof (d) a slab over a canal
24. 24.🔺 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
25. 25.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) arch (d) beam
26. 26.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a round palace roof (b) a crane arm (c) an old stone bridge (d) a plank over a drain
27. 27.🔺 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?
28. 28.True or false: a curved stone doorway uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
29. 29.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) square (b) rectangle (c) triangle (d) hexagon
30. 30.🔺 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) rigid (b) wobbly
31. 31.True or false: an electric pylon uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
32. 32.🔺 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?
33. 33.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) dome (d) arch
34. 34.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a roof truss (c) an igloo (d) a lintel over a door
35. 35.🔺 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?
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) beam (d) triangle
38. 38.🔺 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?
39. 39.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.True or false: a planetarium roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True

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