Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology key terms

An award of money for a specific purpose that normally does not have to be repaid, provided its conditions are met.

Small pieces of polymer used as feedstock for processes such as injection moulding and extrusion; also called pellets.

An approach to designing products that aims to reduce environmental impact throughout their life cycle while meeting users’ needs.

A gas, such as carbon dioxide, that absorbs outgoing heat radiation and contributes to warming the atmosphere.

A number indicating abrasive particle size: higher numbers indicate finer particles and a finer surface finish.

A channel cut into a material, for example to locate a panel in a cabinet.

Internal stress developed in a living tree through the maturation of new wood and the increasing weight of the tree.

Glass-reinforced plastic: a composite in which glass fibres reinforce a polymer resin, commonly thermosetting polyester resin.

Grams per square metre: the unit used to describe the mass of one square metre of paper or board.

A cutting device with a blade that cuts straight across paper or board.

A reinforcing piece attached across a joint; in frame modelling, a triangular card piece glued over the meeting timber strips.

The loss or damage of the natural environment in which organisms live, removing the food, shelter and other conditions they need.

The division of a continuous habitat into smaller, separated areas, for example by roads or cleared pipeline routes.

The way a textile feels when touched or handled, such as soft, stiff, smooth or rough.

A tool operated by the maker’s physical effort rather than a powered motor.

A treatment that increases a metal's resistance to indentation and wear.

A material’s ability to resist scratching, rubbing and denting.

Timber from a broad-leaved flowering tree. Many hardwood trees are deciduous, but the category does not mean that their wood is necessarily hard.

A material that can harm people or the environment under particular conditions of exposure, handling or disposal.

The ability of a material to transfer heat through itself by conduction.

Using controlled heat to stabilise a thermoplastic synthetic textile's shape or retain features such as pleats.

An insulating polymer sleeve that contracts when heated to fit closely around a wire, joint or component.

Special paper that temporarily carries a printed design before heat and pressure transfer the dye to a compatible material.

A folded fabric edge secured in place, usually by stitching.

Steel containing more carbon than mild steel, giving high hardness and wear resistance but greater brittleness.

A lightweight thermoforming polymer that is relatively tough, easily formed and commonly used for food packaging and models.

Workers with specialist knowledge and developed technical, analytical or problem-solving abilities.