Bridge Design Competition Vocabulary UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Engineer A person who uses creativity and understanding of materials, tools, mathematics,
and science to design things that solve problems
Civil Engineer Someone who designs structures, such as buildings bridges, roads, and water
systems
Engineering Design Process The steps that engineers use to design something and solve a problem, to: "Ask",
"Imagine", "Plan", "Create", and "Improve"
Technology Any thing, system, or process that people create and use to solve a problem
Structure Something that is constructed, such as a building
Force An influence, such as a push or pull, that causes motion or a change in motion
Balance A state of equilibrium characterized by the cancellation of forces by equal
opposing forces
Equilibrium A state in which a structure or system is at rest or is in unaccelerated motion due
to all forces being balanced
Tension The act of stretching or state of being stretched
Compression The act or process of pressing down on or together, causing flattening or
condensing
Torsion The act of twisting or the state of being twisted
Stability The ability of a structure to keep its integrity (resist change or motion) when
forces act on it
Strength The ability to resist strain or stress. A strong structure is able to support weight
without distorting or collapsing
Test A way to measure the success of a solution or part of a solution to an engineering
problem
Failure When a structure changes its shape so much that it is not safe or useful any more
Bridge A structure built over a river, railroad, or other obstacle, that allows people to
travel across
Abutments The supports on the sides of a bridge
CORRECT Answers
Engineer A person who uses creativity and understanding of materials, tools, mathematics,
and science to design things that solve problems
Civil Engineer Someone who designs structures, such as buildings bridges, roads, and water
systems
Engineering Design Process The steps that engineers use to design something and solve a problem, to: "Ask",
"Imagine", "Plan", "Create", and "Improve"
Technology Any thing, system, or process that people create and use to solve a problem
Structure Something that is constructed, such as a building
Force An influence, such as a push or pull, that causes motion or a change in motion
Balance A state of equilibrium characterized by the cancellation of forces by equal
opposing forces
Equilibrium A state in which a structure or system is at rest or is in unaccelerated motion due
to all forces being balanced
Tension The act of stretching or state of being stretched
Compression The act or process of pressing down on or together, causing flattening or
condensing
Torsion The act of twisting or the state of being twisted
Stability The ability of a structure to keep its integrity (resist change or motion) when
forces act on it
Strength The ability to resist strain or stress. A strong structure is able to support weight
without distorting or collapsing
Test A way to measure the success of a solution or part of a solution to an engineering
problem
Failure When a structure changes its shape so much that it is not safe or useful any more
Bridge A structure built over a river, railroad, or other obstacle, that allows people to
travel across
Abutments The supports on the sides of a bridge
