Key terms & definitions

A material’s ability to withstand deterioration over time, including decay, weathering and insect attack.

A lightweight aluminium alloy containing copper, manganese and magnesium.

An aluminium-based alloy containing copper and magnesium that can be strengthened by age hardening.

The length of time covered by a sound recording, measured in seconds for sound file size calculations.

The length of time a physical activity lasts.

The length of time information remains in a memory store.

A ceremonial gathering used to display royal authority in India.

The name given to drought-stricken parts of the American Great Plains where exposed topsoil was blown away in severe dust storms during the 1930s.

People from Holland and neighbouring Dutch-speaking areas of the Low Countries; medieval territories did not have the same boundaries as the modern Netherlands.

The rebellion against Spanish rule in the Netherlands, beginning in 1566, in which Protestant resistance to Catholic persecution was an important factor.

An obligation to act in a particular way; it may be required by law or based on a moral responsibility.

An approach to ethics that judges actions by duties or moral principles, rather than only by their results.

A legal obligation to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm to others.

Two officials appointed to act together. In the trial of Horatius, their task was to judge the charge of treason.

A Hindu school of thought associated with Madhva which teaches dualism: the individual soul and God remain eternally distinct.

A Hindu philosophical tradition which teaches that individual souls and God remain distinct.

A body that orbits the Sun and is classed separately from the eight planets; Pluto is an example.

A period during which a follower remains stationary while its cam continues rotating.

The process of colouring textile fibres, yarns, fabric or garments using a suitable dye.

The constantly changing conditions in which businesses operate, requiring them to respond to new opportunities and threats.

The state reached by a reversible reaction in a closed system when the forward and reverse reactions occur at exactly the same rate.

A state in a closed system where the forward and reverse reactions continue at equal rates, so the amounts of reactants and products remain constant.

Magnetism that changes over time, rather than remaining fixed.

A market in which technology, consumer wants and the products or services offered change over time.

A microphone in which sound moves a coil through a magnetic field, inducing an electrical signal.

The way genres change and develop over time rather than remaining fixed.

The ability to exert force repeatedly through muscular contractions involving movement; closely related to muscular endurance.

Stretching that uses controlled movement to take muscles and joints through a range of movement.

The impression of movement, energy or action created by an artwork.

A generator that produces direct current, usually by using a split-ring commutator.