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Engineering Worksheet: Strong Shapes

Engineering lesson 17: Strong shapes: triangles, arches and beams · Set 97 · 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.True or false: an igloo uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  2. 2.Which of these uses a beam? (a) a round palace roof (b) a roof truss (c) a bicycle frame (d) a slab over a canal
  3. 3.🔺 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) wobbly (b) rigid
  4. 4.True or false: a roof truss uses a dome. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.🔺 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
  6. 6.🔺 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?
  7. 7.🔺 Which strong shape does a slab over a canal use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  8. 8.🔺 Which shape keeps its shape best when its corners are pinned? (a) rectangle (b) triangle (c) square (d) hexagon
  9. 9.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a bicycle frame (b) a slab over a canal (c) a lintel over a door (d) a fort gateway
  10. 10.🔺 A beam bends under a load. Its top side is … (a) not affected (b) stretched (tension) (c) floating (d) squeezed (compression)
  11. 11.🔺 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
  12. 12.🔺 Which strong shape does a shelf on two brackets use? (a) arch (b) triangle (c) dome (d) beam
  13. 13.🔺 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?
  14. 14.🔺 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
  15. 15.🔺 Which strong shape does a crane arm use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  16. 16.🔺 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?
  17. 17.🔺 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?
  18. 18.🔺 Which strong shape does an old stone bridge use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  19. 19.🔺 Which strong shape does a lintel over a door use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) dome (d) arch
  20. 20.Which of these uses triangles? (a) a lintel over a door (b) a curved stone doorway (c) a truss bridge side (d) a plank over a drain
  21. 21.True or false: a bicycle frame uses triangles. (a) True (b) False
  22. 22.True or false: a shelf on two brackets uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  23. 23.🔺 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?
  24. 24.🔺 Which strong shape does an igloo use? (a) triangle (b) dome (c) beam (d) arch
  25. 25.True or false: a truss bridge side uses an arch. (a) True (b) False
  26. 26.🔺 Which strong shape does an electric pylon use? (a) beam (b) triangle (c) arch (d) dome
  27. 27.🔺 Why can an arch carry heavy loads? (a) it is very light (b) it works in compression (c) it bends easily (d) it is hollow
  28. 28.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a planetarium roof (b) a bicycle frame (c) a crane arm (d) an old stone bridge
  29. 29.Which of these uses an arch? (a) a curved stone doorway (b) a bicycle frame (c) a truss bridge side (d) a lintel over a door
  30. 30.🔺 Which strong shape does a fort gateway use? (a) triangle (b) beam (c) arch (d) dome
  31. 31.🔺 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
  32. 32.🔺 Which strong shape does a curved stone doorway use? (a) triangle (b) arch (c) beam (d) dome
  33. 33.🔺 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?
  34. 34.🔺 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?
  35. 35.🔺 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?
  36. 36.True or false: a plank over a drain uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  37. 37.True or false: an old stone bridge uses an arch. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.True or false: a slab over a canal uses a beam. (a) True (b) False
  39. 39.True or false: a truss bridge side uses a dome. (a) False (b) True
  40. 40.🔺 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

Answer key

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

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