AQA A-Level Product Design Revision Notes Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the AQA A-Level Product Design revision notes including properties, materials, standards, design theory, ergonomics, and anthropometrics.

Strength

The ability of a material to withstand an applied force without breaking.

Tensile strength

The ability of a material to withstand being pulled apart.

Compressive strength

The ability of a material to withstand being squeezed.

Toughness

The ability of a material to absorb energy before fracturing.

Hardness

The resistance of a material to indentation, scratching, or wear.

Malleability

The ability of a material to deform under compression without breaking.

Ductility

The ability of a material to stretch or be drawn into wire without breaking.

Elasticity

The ability of a material to return to its original shape after deformation.

Plasticity

The ability of a material to permanently deform without breaking.

Stiffness

The resistance of a material to bending or deformation.

Brittleness

The tendency of a material to fracture with little deformation.

Flexibility

The ability of a material to bend without breaking.

Resilience

The ability of a material to absorb energy and return to its original form.

Distinction between Tough and Hard

Tough means a material resists fracturing, while hard means it resists scratching or indentation.

Distinction between Strength and Stiffness

Strength is how much force a material can take before failure, whereas stiffness is how much it resists deformation.

Density

Mass per unit volume (Density = mass ÷ volume).

Thermal conductivity

A physical property describing how readily heat passes through a material.

Electrical conductivity

A physical property describing the ability of a material to conduct an electrical current.

Melting point

The temperature at which a material changes state from solid to liquid.

Corrosion resistance

The ability of a material to resist chemical deterioration, particularly oxidation.

Resistance to degradation

The ability of a material to resist deterioration caused by external factors such as UV light, moisture, chemicals, heat, oxygen, or biological activity.

Transparency

An optical property that allows light to pass through a material clearly.

Translucency

An optical property that allows some light through but scatters it.

Opacity

An optical property where a material does not allow light to pass through.

Absorbency

The ability of a material to absorb liquids.

Aesthetic properties

Visual and tactile material characteristics considered alongside function and manufacture, including colour, texture, grain, pattern, gloss, transparency, surface finish, visual weight, form, and proportion.

Tensile test

A mechanical test where a sample is pulled until it deforms or breaks to measure tensile strength, elastic behaviour, yield point, and elongation.

Hardness test

A mechanical test where a force is applied using an indenter to measure a material's resistance to indentation.

Toughness test

A mechanical test where a material is subjected to impact to measure its ability to absorb energy before fracture.

Corrosion test

A test where material samples are exposed to corrosive conditions to compare deterioration.

Conductivity test

A test that measures how easily electrical current or heat passes through material samples.

Ferrous metals

Metals that contain iron.

Low-carbon steel

A ferrous metal that is relatively strong, tough, ductile, easily formed, relatively inexpensive, and prone to corrosion.

Medium-carbon steel

A ferrous metal with higher carbon content than low-carbon steel, making it stronger and harder, but less ductile and more difficult to form.

Stainless steel

An iron-based alloy containing significant chromium, providing high corrosion resistance, strength, hardness, a hygienic surface, and an attractive finish.

High-speed steel (HSS)

A very hard ferrous alloy designed to retain its hardness at high temperatures.

Cast iron

A ferrous metal with high carbon content that is hard, strong in compression, highly wear-resistant, brittle, and relatively difficult to machine.

Non-ferrous metals

Metals that do not primarily contain iron.

Aluminium

A non-ferrous metal characterized by low density, corrosion resistance, a good strength-to-weight ratio, good thermal and electrical conductivity, ease of forming, and recyclability.

Copper

A non-ferrous metal featuring excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, ductility, corrosion resistance, and an attractive colour.

Zinc

A non-ferrous metal that is corrosion resistant, easily cast, and has a relatively low melting point.

Titanium

A non-ferrous metal that is extremely strong for its weight, corrosion resistant, low density, and expensive.

Tin

A non-ferrous metal that is corrosion resistant, relatively soft, and has a low melting point.

Alloy

A mixture of a metal with one or more other elements designed to alter its properties.

Brass

An alloy consisting of copper and zinc.

Bronze

An alloy consisting of copper and tin.

Duralumin

An aluminium alloy that is lightweight and stronger than pure aluminium.

Hardwoods

Timber sourced generally from deciduous trees.

Oak

A hardwood that is strong, hard, durable, relatively heavy, and features an attractive grain.

Ash

A hardwood that is tough, flexible, strong, and exhibits an attractive grain.

Beech

A hardwood that is hard, smooth, pale in colour, relatively inexpensive, and easy to machine.

Softwoods

Timber sourced generally from coniferous trees.

Pine

A softwood that is inexpensive, lightweight, easy to machine, relatively soft, and readily available.

Cedar

A softwood that is lightweight, aromatic, and naturally resistant to decay.

Plywood

A manufactured board composed of thin layers of wood veneer glued together with alternating grain directions.

Marine plywood

A higher-quality plywood designed specifically for wet or high-moisture environments.

MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)

A manufactured board made from wood fibres and resin compressed under heat, offering a smooth, uniform surface without natural grain.

Chipboard

A manufactured board made of wood chips and particles bonded together with resin.

Grain direction

The orientation of wood fibers; wood is generally stronger along the grain than across it.

Warping

Distortion in timber caused by uneven shrinkage in different parts as it loses moisture.

Types of warping

Timber distortion patterns identified as bow, cup, twist, and spring.

Thermoplastics

Polymers that can be repeatedly softened by heating and hardened by cooling.

Thermosetting polymers

Polymers that form cross-links during curing and cannot normally be remelted or reshaped when heated.

Elastomers

Polymers capable of undergoing significant elastic deformation and returning toward their original shape.

LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

A thermoplastic that is flexible, tough, and chemically resistant, commonly used for bags and films.

HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

A thermoplastic that is stronger and stiffer than LDPE and chemically resistant, commonly used for bottles and containers.

PP (Polypropylene)

A thermoplastic that is tough, lightweight, and chemical resistant, commonly used for food containers and automotive parts.

HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)

A thermoplastic that is tough and easy to vacuum form, commonly used for packaging and appliance housings.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

A thermoplastic that is tough, rigid, and impact resistant, commonly used for product housings and LEGO bricks.

PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate)

A transparent, rigid, and weather-resistant thermoplastic commonly used for signs and light covers.

Nylon

A thermoplastic that is strong, tough, and offers low friction, commonly used for gears and bearings.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

A durable and chemically resistant thermoplastic commonly used for pipes and cable insulation.

PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

A strong, lightweight, and transparent thermoplastic commonly used for drink bottles and packaging.

Silicone

A heat-resistant, flexible, non-toxic elastomer commonly used in kitchen products.

Neoprene

A flexible, water-resistant elastomer commonly used for wetsuits.

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer)

A rubber-like elastomer that can be processed using thermoplastic manufacturing methods, often used for ergonomic grips.

Composites

Materials created by combining two or more distinct materials (a matrix and a reinforcement) to obtain superior properties.

GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic)

A composite material made from glass fibres embedded in a polymer resin matrix.

CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic)

A high-performance composite material offering an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness, but at a high cost.

Reinforced concrete

A composite material combining concrete (strong in compression) with embedded steel reinforcement (strong in tension).

Glulam (Glued Laminated Timber)

An engineered timber composite made by gluing layers of timber together to form large, strong, and stable structural components.

Smart material

A material that reacts and changes its properties in response to an external stimulus such as temperature, light, or pressure/force.

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA)

A smart material (such as Nitinol) that can return to a predetermined shape when heated.

Thermochromic pigment

A smart material pigment that changes colour in response to a change in temperature.

Photochromic pigment

A smart material pigment that changes colour when exposed to UV or visible light.

Phosphorescent pigment

A smart material pigment that absorbs and stores light energy and releases it gradually as visible light.

Piezoelectric materials

Smart materials that generate an electrical charge when mechanically deformed, or deform when an electrical voltage is applied.

Kevlar

A high-strength modern material characterized by low density, high tensile strength, and exceptional abrasion resistance.

Precious Metal Clay

A modern material consisting of fine particles of precious metal mixed with a binder that can be shaped like clay and fired to leave solid metal.

Polymorph

A modern thermoplastic material that softens in warm water and can be molded easily by hand for prototyping.

High-density modelling foam

A lightweight, easily machinable modern material used for creating models and prototypes.

BSI (British Standards Institution)

The national standards body that produces standards and specifications used in the UK to ensure quality, dimensions, performance, and safety.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization)

An independent organization that creates international standards covering quality, manufacturing, safety, and environmental management.

CE marking

Conformité Européenne marking indicating that a product is declared by the manufacturer to meet applicable EU product requirements.

UKCA

UK Conformity Assessed marking used for products placed on the market in Great Britain where relevant UK regulations require or permit it.

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)

A directive that restricts the use of specific hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment)

A directive encouraging the reuse, recycling, and responsible end-of-life management of electrical and electronic goods.

Crossed-out wheeled bin symbol

A mandatory symbol indicating that electrical or electronic equipment must not be disposed of in standard household waste.

Polymer identification codes

A numerical marking system (1 to 7) used to identify the specific polymer type used in a product to assist in sorting for recycling.

Mobius Loop

A three-arrow triangular symbol that indicates a product or packaging material is recyclable or contains recycled content.