Eduqas GCSE Design and Technology key terms

A shaped support or template used to establish or maintain a required shape or position during manufacture.

Coal, oil or natural gas: a finite fuel formed from ancient organic material.

An assembly of relatively narrow timber members, such as the sides of a picture frame.

The Forest Stewardship Council: an organisation whose certification requirements address responsible forest management and workers’ rights.

The pivot about which a lever turns.

How well a product performs its intended task.

A characteristic that helps a product perform its intended task, such as heat resistance, flexibility or electrical insulation.

A heat-activated bonding material used to attach one fabric layer to another.

The ratio of an amplifier’s output signal to its input signal. Voltage gain is $A_v = V_{\text{out}}/V_{\text{in}}$; current gain compares output current with input current.

Coating iron or steel with zinc to protect it against rust.

A toothed wheel that transmits rotary motion by meshing with another toothed component.

A device that converts mechanical movement into electrical energy.

A permeable textile used with soil, for example to support drainage and protect against erosion.

Increasing connections between countries through activities such as trade, production and communication.

The organisation of manufacturing across different countries rather than entirely within one country.

A shiny surface finish that reflects light strongly.

The direction of the fibres in wood, which affects its strength and stiffness.

A pattern marking indicating the direction in which a piece must be positioned relative to the fabric grain.

The mass of paper or card per unit area, measured in grams per square metre (gsm).

A way of interacting with a computer through visual elements such as icons, windows and menus.

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

A framework of horizontal and vertical guidelines used to position and align text and images in a design.

Glass Reinforced Plastic: a composite combining glass fibres with a plastic resin.

Grams per square metre: the mass in grams of one square metre of paper or board.

An outline medium used on silk to form a barrier that prevents silk paint spreading across the outline.

A timber joint in which half the thickness is removed from each mating piece so that they overlap with their faces flush.

Embroidery in which a person forms decorative stitches using a hand-held needle and thread.