Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

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

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