Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology key terms

Wood obtained from a tree and cut into usable pieces, rather than broken down and recombined to make a board.

Arranging component shapes closely together on stock material to reduce waste.

A flat arrangement of faces that can be folded to form a three-dimensional shape.

A size used to name or sell a material, which may differ from its actual measured dimensions.

The stated or target value of a component, such as the resistance printed on a resistor.

A metal that does not contain iron.

A resource that is unlikely to run out because it is abundant or can be replenished at least as quickly as it is used.

An element that typically conducts heat and electricity poorly and is brittle when solid.

An energy resource with a finite supply that is not replaced on a human timescale as it is used.

An energy resource with a finite supply that is not replaced on a human timescale.

A raw material or energy source that is not replaced on a human timescale, such as crude oil.

A fabric made by joining fibres directly together rather than weaving or knitting yarns.

Cutting a small recess or slot in paper or board to remove unwanted bulk or allow components to fit together.

An organisation that uses its income to carry out its purpose and reinvests any surplus to support that purpose, rather than distributing it as profit to owners.

A material used to release energy through nuclear reactions, usually to provide heat for electricity generation.

An internally threaded fastener that screws onto a matching external thread.

A method of representing an object in three dimensions with its front face drawn in its true shape and depth lines typically drawn at 45°.

The process of a product becoming no longer needed or wanted, even if it still functions.

A printing process in which ink adheres to image areas of a flat plate, transfers to a blanket cylinder and then transfers to the paper or board.

For a conductor at constant temperature, current is directly proportional to potential difference. The relationship is expressed as $V = IR$.

Manufacture of a single product to meet a particular client's requirements.

The extent to which a material prevents light passing through. High-opacity paper reduces the visibility of printing on the reverse.

Not see-through; an opaque paint hides the timber grain beneath it.

A grain structure with relatively large, visible pores, giving a coarse surface appearance.

A logical operation that is true when at least one of the conditions being combined is true.

The scale of a quantity described using powers of ten. A difference of one order of magnitude means a factor of ten.

Rock containing metal or metal compounds from which metal can be extracted.