Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology key terms

Wood formed with different properties and growth stresses to help support or redirect a leaning trunk or branch.

Glass that changes its optical properties, such as transparency, in response to a stimulus.

A step-shaped recess cut along the edge of a piece of material.

A cell that can have its chemical energy store restored by supplying electrical energy from a suitable charger.

Repeated back-and-forth movement along a straight line.

Repeated back-and-forth movement along a straight line.

Wood recovered from an earlier use so that it can be used again rather than discarded.

The proportion of a material made from recovered material rather than entirely new raw material.

Processing waste material into material that can be used to make new products.

The loss of a job because an employer no longer needs that role.

A switch with contacts operated by a nearby magnetic field.

A fixed line used to guide measurement, positioning or alignment, such as a centre line or grain line.

A fixed location used as the starting point for measurements or to align components, such as a notch on a textile pattern.

An accepted market price used as a starting point when agreeing the price of a particular material or product.

A surface used as a consistent basis for positioning or measuring material and components.

Processing a material to remove impurities and increase its purity.

Reshaping existing material into a new form, for example by bending or pressing metal sheet.

A manufactured fibre made by processing naturally occurring cellulose into a new fibre. In textile classification, this group commonly includes viscose, lyocell and chemically modified cellulose acetate.

A manufactured fibre made by processing natural cellulose and forming it into new fibres, such as Lyocell™.

A printed reference mark used to check or align the positions of colours, printing and cutting operations.

A flat, straight-sided shape whose sides are all equal and whose interior angles are all equal.

A length of timber with a consistent, simple cross-sectional shape, commonly square or rectangular.

Strengthening a material or part of a product so that it better resists forces, distortion or damage.

An electrically operated switch whose energised coil creates a magnetic field that moves an armature and changes the contacts in another circuit.

Working away from a shared workplace, such as from home, using digital connections to access work and communicate with colleagues.

An energy resource replenished naturally on a timescale that allows continued use, provided it is managed sustainably.

An energy resource replenished naturally on a timescale that allows continued use, provided it is managed sustainably where necessary.