Design and Technology A-Level
Smart Material
What Smart Material means in Design and Technology A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Smart Material
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A material that changes its physical properties in response to an external stimulus (e.g., temperature, light) in a reversible way.
A material whose physical properties change in response to an external stimulus, such as temperature, light, or pressure.
A material whose physical properties change in response to an external stimulus, such as temperature, light, or stress.
A material whose physical properties change in response to an external stimulus (e.g., temperature, light, pressure).
Topics that use Smart Material
- Part 2: Designing a prototype (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
- Topic 1: Materials (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
- Topic 12: Further processes and techniques (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
- Topic 4: Digital technologies (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Thermoplastic
- Composite
- Ferrous Metal
- Performance Characteristics
- Thermosetting Polymer
- Alloy
- Biodegradability
- Composite Material
Using Smart Material in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
Practise Design and Technology questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
All Design and Technology A-Level terms7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge