Design and Technology GCSE
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
What Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) means in Design and Technology GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A systematic method for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or service.
A systematic method for evaluating the environmental impact of a product through all stages of its life, from raw material extraction to disposal.
A systematic analysis of the environmental impact of a product during its entire life, from raw material extraction to disposal.
A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life.
Topics that use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Component 2: Non-examined assessment (NEA) - Design (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Component 2: Non-examined assessment (NEA) - Evaluate (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Component 2: Non-examined assessment (NEA) - Investigate (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Component 2: Non-examined assessment (NEA) - Make (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Textiles: The sources, origins, physical and working properties of natural, synthetic, woven, non-woven, knitted, blended and mixed-fibre textiles and their social and ecological footprint (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Product Specification
- Iterative Design
- Fitness for Purpose
- Qualitative Data
- Quantitative Data
- Realistic Conditions
- Design for Disassembly
- Regenerated Cellulosic
Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 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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