Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 94 · 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.🔺 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?
2. 2.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) a roof truss (c) an old stone bridge (d) a curved stone doorway
3. 3.🔺 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?
4. 4.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a truss bridge side (b) a fort gateway (c) a lintel over a door (d) a round palace roof
5. 5.🔺 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?
6. 6.🔺 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?
7. 7.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.🔺 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
9. 9.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
10. 10.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a round palace roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) an electric pylon (d) an old stone bridge
11. 11.🔺 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
12. 12.🔺 A frame shaped like a hexagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 1 corner-to-corner brace. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
13. 13.🔺 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?
14. 14.🔺 Which strong shape does a bicycle frame use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) arch (d) triangle
15. 15.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a slab over a canal (b) a plank over a drain (c) a bicycle frame (d) an old stone bridge
16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a planetarium roof use? (a) dome (b) triangle (c) beam (d) arch
17. 17.🔺 How do engineers stop a square frame from wobbling? (a) make it bigger (b) take off a side (c) paint it (d) add a diagonal brace
18. 18.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a planetarium roof (c) a lintel over a door (d) a crane arm
19. 19.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an electric pylon (b) a fort gateway (c) a planetarium roof (d) an old stone bridge
20. 20.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it bends easily (b) it is hollow (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
21. 21.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
22. 22.🔺 A frame shaped like a pentagon is made of straws joined by loose pins, with 2 corner-to-corner braces. Is it rigid or wobbly? (a) rigid (b) wobbly
23. 23.🔺 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?
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 strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) dome (d) beam
26. 26.🔺 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?
27. 27.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an electric pylon (c) a slab over a canal (d) a truss bridge side
28. 28.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🔺 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?
30. 30.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a crane arm (b) a curved stone doorway (c) an old stone bridge (d) a planetarium roof
31. 31.🔺 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?
32. 32.🔺 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
33. 33.True or false: a lintel over a door uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
34. 34.🔺 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?
35. 35.🔺 Which strong shape does a truss bridge side use? (a) dome (b) arch (c) triangle (d) beam
36. 36.🔺 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?
37. 37.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 15 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?
39. 39.🔺 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?
40. 40.True or false: a lintel over a door uses an arch. (a) True (b) False

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