AQA GCSE Design and Technology key terms

A feature or measure used to judge how well a product fulfils its intended purpose.

Equipment worn to help protect a person from workplace hazards, such as safety goggles, visors and ear defenders.

A drawing method that represents depth by making distant objects appear smaller and showing receding parallel edges converging towards vanishing points.

A colouring substance that changes colour in response to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

A light-sensitive coating used to create a protective pattern over copper during PCB manufacture.

A device that converts energy from sunlight directly into electrical energy.

A characteristic of a material, such as density, absorbency or conductivity, that describes its physical behaviour.

An automated process in which a robotic machine selects electronic components and positions them at programmed locations on a printed circuit board.

A diagram identifying the physical pins of an electronic component and their functions.

A fabric-covered cord or folded fabric insert sewn into an edge or seam to provide decoration, strength and definition.

A point about which a part turns or swings.

A woven structure in which each weft yarn passes alternately over and under successive warp yarns, with adjacent rows reversing the pattern.

Deliberately designing a product to have a shorter useful or desirable life than it could otherwise have, encouraging its replacement.

Forming deliberate folds in fabric and securing them with stitching to create shape or fullness.

A layer in a layered material, or one of the strands combined to make a yarn. Its meaning depends on the material.

The release of harmful substances into the environment, causing damage to living organisms or their surroundings.

A material made of large molecules containing many repeating units. The plastics used in products are polymer-based materials.

The chemical joining of small molecules called monomers to form long-chain molecules called polymers.

Applying dry powder to a surface and heating it to form a tough protective coating.

The rate at which energy is transferred. Power is measured in watts (W); a megawatt (MW) is one million watts.

Personal protective equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards, such as eye protection or hearing protection.

First-hand information collected for the investigation, such as interview answers, observations, test results or measurements.

Research collected first-hand for a particular investigation, such as observations, interviews, measurements or product tests.

The original natural resource from which a material is obtained, such as trees, metal ore or crude oil.

A board carrying copper tracks that connect electronic components; PCB stands for printed circuit board.

An insulating board with conductive tracks and contact pads that connect and support electronic components.

Examination of an existing product's features, construction and performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.