AQA GCSE Design and Technology key terms

The opening through which molten metal enters a mould cavity from a runner.

Drawing fabric together along threads to shorten an edge and form small, soft folds.

A measure used to specify material thickness, particularly for sheets or films. Check how the supplier expresses it.

A device that converts movement into electrical energy.

A long-term rise in the Earth’s average temperature, increased by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

A checking device that gives a pass/fail result by testing whether a component fits the GO limit but does not pass the NO-GO limit.

The direction in which the fibres run through a piece of wood.

A sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, just one atom thick.

Energy stored by an object because of its height in a gravitational field.

A gas that contributes to warming by absorbing heat radiation that would otherwise escape from Earth into space. Carbon dioxide is an example.

Paper printed with a pattern, such as squares, dots or an isometric grid, to guide drawings, graphs or layouts.

The number describing the fineness of an abrasive paper: lower numbers are coarser and higher numbers are finer.

Glass reinforced plastic: a composite of glass fibres and plastic resin, also commonly called fibreglass.

Grams per square metre: a measure of the mass of paper, board or fabric per unit area.

A manually powered tool controlled directly by the user, such as a saw, file, scissors or needle.

Feedback communicated through touch, such as a device vibrating to alert its user.

Resistance to scratching, cutting or indentation.

Timber obtained from broadleaved trees, many of which are deciduous. The category does not mean that the wood is physically hard.

Physical, psychological and social characteristics of people that affect how products should be designed.

Electricity generated by water flowing through turbines that drive generators, commonly using water held behind a dam.

An intermediate gear that changes the output direction without changing the overall ratio of a simple gear train.

Designing products so that as wide a range of people as possible can use them, rather than unnecessarily excluding people because of their abilities, age or beliefs.

A manufacturing process that forces molten thermoplastic under pressure into a closed mould, where it cools into a separate component.

Smooth card treated for inkjet printing so that printed ink dries quickly, commonly used for high-quality photographs.

The introduction of a new idea or an original improvement that adds value to a design.

A component that supplies an electronic system with information about environmental conditions or a user’s action.

Finding relevant information about a designer, company or product through research and examination.