Design and Technology GCSE
Compressive Strength
What Compressive Strength means in Design and Technology GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Compressive Strength
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The capacity of a material or structure to withstand loads tending to reduce size (crushing forces).
The ability of a material to withstand being pushed or squashed.
Topics that use Compressive Strength
- Papers and Boards: Specialist techniques, tools, equipment and processes to shape, fabricate, construct and assemble a high-quality paper and board prototype (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Papers and Boards: The sources, origins, physical and working properties of papers and boards and their social and ecological footprint (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- gsm (grams per square metre)
- Former
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
- Laminate
- Lamination
- Biodegradability
- Notching
- Scoring
Using Compressive Strength 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.
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