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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 96 · 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.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a fort gateway (b) an old stone bridge (c) a crane arm (d) a slab over a canal
  2. 2.🔺 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
  3. 3.🔺 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?
  4. 4.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a fort gateway (b) a plank over a drain (c) a lintel over a door (d) a shelf on two brackets
  5. 5.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a roof truss (b) a round palace roof (c) an old stone bridge (d) a curved stone doorway
  8. 8.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a round palace roof (c) a plank over a drain (d) a curved stone doorway
  9. 9.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) triangle (b) rectangle (c) hexagon (d) square
  10. 10.True or false: a crane arm uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  11. 11.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) squeezed (compression) (b) not affected (c) stretched (tension) (d) floating
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) arch (b) beam (c) dome (d) triangle
  13. 13.🔺 Which strong shape does a round palace roof use? (a) arch (b) dome (c) triangle (d) beam
  14. 14.True or false: a planetarium roof uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  15. 15.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  16. 16.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) arch (d) triangle
  17. 17.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is hollow (b) it bends easily (c) it is very light (d) it works in compression
  18. 18.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a planetarium roof (b) an igloo (c) a bicycle frame (d) a fort gateway
  19. 19.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  20. 20.Which of these uses a dome? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) an igloo (c) a plank over a drain (d) a roof truss
  21. 21.True or false: a round palace roof uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: a plank over a drain uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  25. 25.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  26. 26.True or false: a crane arm uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  27. 27.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) False (b) True
  28. 28.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) dome (b) beam (c) triangle (d) arch
  29. 29.Which of these uses triangles? (a) an old stone bridge (b) a shelf on two brackets (c) a planetarium roof (d) a truss bridge side
  30. 30.🔺 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?
  31. 31.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a truss bridge side (c) an old stone bridge (d) a bicycle frame
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  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 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?
  38. 38.🔺 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?
  39. 39.🔺 Which strong shape does a roof truss use? (a) beam (b) dome (c) triangle (d) arch
  40. 40.🔺 One side of a straw bridge is a row of 13 triangles standing point-up and point-down in turn, each sharing a side with the next. How many straws does it use?

Answer key

  1. a crane arm
  2. rigid
  3. 11
  4. a fort gateway
  5. False
  6. 29
  7. a round palace roof
  8. a curved stone doorway
  9. triangle
  10. True
  11. squeezed (compression)
  12. dome
  13. dome
  14. False
  15. False
  16. beam
  17. it works in compression
  18. a bicycle frame
  19. False
  20. an igloo
  21. True
  22. False
  23. 5
  24. wobbly
  25. False
  26. False
  27. True
  28. triangle
  29. a truss bridge side
  30. 7
  31. arch
  32. beam
  33. 3
  34. an old stone bridge
  35. 13
  36. 6
  37. 2
  38. 23
  39. triangle
  40. 27

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