Design and Technology A-Level
Design and Technology A-Level glossary
36 key terms for Design and Technology A-Level, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.
A
- Alloy
- A mixture of two or more metals, or a metal and a non-metal, created to improve performance characteristics (e.g., adding carbon to iron to make steel).Pearson Edexcel
B
- Biodegradability
- The ability of a material to be broken down naturally by microorganisms into harmless environmental elements.Pearson Edexcel
C
- CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
- The use of computer software to create, modify, analyse, or optimise a design.Pearson Edexcel
- Composite
- A material produced by combining two or more different materials to create a new material with enhanced, superior properties.Pearson Edexcel
- Composite Material
- A material produced from two or more constituent materials with notably different chemical or physical properties that, when merged, create a material with…Pearson Edexcel
- Compressive Strength
- The ability of a material to withstand pushing or squashing forces without being crushed.Pearson Edexcel
- Conductivity
- The ability of a material to allow heat (thermal) or electricity (electrical) to pass through it.Pearson Edexcel
- Control Measure
- An action taken to eliminate a hazard or reduce the risk to an acceptable level.Pearson Edexcel
- COSHH
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.Pearson Edexcel
D
- Ductility
- The ability of a solid material to deform under tensile stress; often characterized by the material's ability to be stretched into a wire.Pearson Edexcel
- Durability
- The ability of a material to withstand wear, decay, weathering, and corrosive environments over time.Pearson Edexcel
E
- Elasticity
- The ability of a material to deform under force and return to its original shape when the force is removed.Pearson Edexcel
F
- Ferrous Metal
- A metal that contains iron as its primary constituent.Pearson Edexcel
G
- Gantt Chart
- A visual bar chart showing a project schedule, tracking tasks against time.Pearson Edexcel
H
- Hardness
- The ability of a material to resist scratching, wear and tear, and indentation.Pearson Edexcel
- Hazard
- Anything that has the potential to cause harm or damage.Pearson Edexcel
- Hierarchy of Control
- A step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks, ranked from most effective to least effective.Pearson Edexcel
L
- Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
- A systematic analysis of the environmental impact of a product during its entire life, from raw material extraction to disposal.Pearson Edexcel
M
- Malleability
- The ability of a material to be permanently deformed in all directions without cracking, allowing it to be pressed or hammered into thin sheets.Pearson Edexcel
- Modularity
- A design approach that subdivides a system into smaller parts called modules, which can be independently created, modified, replaced, or exchanged.Pearson Edexcel
P
- Performance Characteristics
- The specific physical and mechanical properties of a material that determine its behaviour under various conditions and its suitability for specific…Pearson Edexcel
- Planned Obsolescence
- A policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete after a certain period of time.Pearson Edexcel
- Plasticity
- The ability of a material to be permanently deformed and retain its new shape without breaking.Pearson Edexcel
- PPE
- Personal Protective Equipment.Pearson Edexcel
- Primary Research
- Information collected firsthand by the designer specifically for the current project.Pearson Edexcel
Q
- Quality Assurance (QA)
- Proactive procedures and systems put in place before and during production to prevent defects.Pearson Edexcel
- Quality Control (QC)
- Reactive checks and inspections carried out during or after production to ensure standards are met.Pearson Edexcel
R
- Risk
- The likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, combined with the severity of the outcome.Pearson Edexcel
S
- Secondary Research
- Information that already exists and was collected by someone else.Pearson Edexcel
- Smart Material
- A material that changes its physical properties in response to an external stimulus (e.g., temperature, light) in a reversible way.Pearson Edexcel
- Strength
- The ability of a material to withstand a force or load without breaking or permanently deforming.Pearson Edexcel
T
- Tensile Strength
- The ability of a material to withstand pulling or stretching forces without breaking.Pearson Edexcel
- Thermoplastic
- A type of polymer that becomes pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and solidifies upon cooling.Pearson Edexcel
- Thermosetting Plastic
- A polymer that irreversibly cures when heated or mixed with a catalyst.Pearson Edexcel
- Thermosetting Polymer
- A polymer that undergoes a chemical change when heated and moulded, permanently setting into shape.Pearson Edexcel
- Toughness
- The ability of a material to absorb energy and resist fracturing when subjected to a sudden impact.Pearson Edexcel
Where these terms come from
Each definition is one we publish on a Design and Technology A-Level topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to Design and Technology revision or the glossary for every subject.
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