Explain why a mains plug has brass pins set in a plastic body.

Brass conducts electricity well, so the pins carry current with little resistance. The thermosetting plastic body is an electrical insulator that protects the user from shock.

What is thermal conductivity?

Thermal conductivity is the ability of a material to transfer heat through itself. Copper and aluminium conduct heat well, while wood and plastics are poor conductors.

Explain why a saucepan often has an aluminium or copper base and a wooden or plastic handle.

The metal base conducts heat quickly from the hob to the food. The handle has low thermal conductivity, so it stays cool enough to hold.

CCEA A-Level Technology and Design 8900

Material Selection and Wood

Topic overview Material selection criteria Physical and mechanical properties Hardwoods, softwoods and timber stock sizes Pine, ash, beech, oak and mahogany Manufactured boards Wood finishes, veneers and laminates

Metals

Topic overview Ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys Metal stock forms and sizes Aluminium, copper, brass and zinc Carbon steels and stainless steel Finishes for metals

Plastics

Topic overview Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics HDPE, LDPE and PET Polystyrene and PVC Acrylic, nylon and ABS Melamine-formaldehyde and epoxy resins

Composite and Emerging Materials

Topic overview Thermochromic and photochromic materials Phosphorescent pigments, reflective films and holograms Liquid crystal displays PEEK, PPSU and graphene

Processing Materials

Topic overview Wasting with hand tools Manual and CNC machine tools Rolling, blanking, press forming and forging Injection and blow moulding Rotational moulding and vacuum forming Sand casting, die casting and extrusion

Product Analysis and Design Communication

Topic overview Form, function, performance and aesthetics Cost, materials, manufacture and environmental issues Target audience, anthropometrics, culture and safety Design briefs, research and specifications Creativity, innovation and sustainability in design Freehand sketching and mixed media

Design for Manufacture, Quality and Safety

Topic overview CAD modelling, virtual imaging and rapid prototyping CAM and CIM Factor of safety and tolerances Testing and inspection of products Risks in workshop and manufacturing processes

Electronic Control SystemsOption A

Topic overview Control systems, feedback and electronics safety Resistors, Ohm's law and power ratings Capacitors and RC timing Potential dividers, sensors and comparators Switches, pull-up and pull-down resistors Output devices and LEDs Transistors, Darlington pairs and thyristors Logic gates, truth tables and flip-flops 555 monostable and astable timers

Microelectronic Control SystemsOption A

Topic overview Microcontroller systems, ADCs and DACs Strain gauges and bridge circuits Optical switches, encoded discs and Schmitt triggers Op-amp amplifiers and gain Zener diodes and voltage regulators Karnaugh maps and binary counters Seven-segment, LCD and dot matrix displays PIC flowcharts and programming DC motors, stepper motors and driver circuits

Mechanical and Pneumatic ComponentsOption B

Topic overview Open and closed loop mechanical and pneumatic control Safe working with compressed air and mechanisms Levers, linkages and moments Gear types and gear trains Pulleys, belts, chains and shaft fixings Cams, cranks and converting motion Compressed air supply and pneumatic valves Cylinders, shuttle valves, restrictors and reservoirs Pneumatic circuits for logic, timing and speed control

Mechanical and Pneumatic SystemsOption B

Topic overview Hydraulics, system limitations and plant safety Torque, work, power and air consumption Vacuum handling, proximity sensors and 5/3 valves Sequential and cascade pneumatic circuits Cam profiles and follower displacement diagrams Gear geometry, pulley blocks and ratchets Toggles, treadles, shafts and couplings Friction, brakes and clutches Bearings, lubrication and seals

Designing and Manufacturing ProductsOption C

Topic overview Research, questionnaires and specifications Idea generation, critiques and computer simulation Manufacturing planning and product evaluation CFRP, GRP, Kevlar and tungsten carbide Smart materials, nanotechnology and biophotovoltaics Isometric, perspective and assembly drawing Laminating, steam bending, cutting and printing processes Risk assessment and product safety law Scales of production, JIT and cell production Quality assurance, ISO 9001 and continuous improvement Design influences and intellectual property rights

Product Design in Industry and SocietyOption C

Topic overview Life-cycle environmental impact and climate change The 6Rs, waste and environmental legislation Sustainable metals, plastics and degradable polymers Product life cycles, consumer types and relaunches CAD, CAM, 3D scanning and quick-change moulding Market pull, technology push and market strategy Price, place and promotion Jigs, fixtures and ICT in quality control Design for maintenance, inclusion and scale production Rendering, typography and presentation Dyson, Baylis, Memphis and Apple

Product Development

Topic overview Choosing a product to redesign Analysing the function and fitness for purpose of existing products Materials, manufacture and sustainability of existing products Ergonomic and aesthetic analysis Redesign modifications, sketching and viability Modelling, testing and evaluating a redesign

Product and System Design and Manufacture

Topic overview Clients, end users and design briefs Researching existing solutions and writing a specification Generating and appraising design proposals Developing a concept with numerical analysis, ergonomics and aesthetics Working drawings and planning manufacture Testing and evaluating a prototype

Material Selection and Wood

Physical and mechanical properties

3 things to know
AS 1 Paper 1

Overview

Density with a worked calculation, electrical and thermal conductivity, strength, elasticity, plasticity, ductility, malleability, toughness, hardness, durability, brittleness and Young's modulus.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Numbers

A block of timber measures 200 mm × 100 mm × 50 mm and has a mass of 0.65 kg. Calculate its density.

Key term

Define density and give its unit.

Key term

What is electrical conductivity?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Define density and give its unit.
Model answer
Density is mass per unit volume, measured in kg/m³. A low-density material gives a lighter product of the same size.
2
A block of timber measures 200 mm × 100 mm × 50 mm and has a mass of 0.65 kg. Calculate its density.
Model answer
The density of the block is 650 kg/m³. The volume is 0.2 m × 0.1 m × 0.05 m = 0.001 m³, and 0.65 kg ÷ 0.001 m³ = 650 kg/m³.
3
What is electrical conductivity?
Model answer
Electrical conductivity is the ability of a material to allow an electric current to flow through it. Metals such as copper are good conductors.
4
Explain why a mains plug has brass pins set in a plastic body.
Model answer
Brass conducts electricity well, so the pins carry current with little resistance. The thermosetting plastic body is an electrical insulator that protects the user from shock.
5
What is thermal conductivity?
Model answer
Thermal conductivity is the ability of a material to transfer heat through itself. Copper and aluminium conduct heat well, while wood and plastics are poor conductors.
6
Explain why a saucepan often has an aluminium or copper base and a wooden or plastic handle.
Model answer
The metal base conducts heat quickly from the hob to the food. The handle has low thermal conductivity, so it stays cool enough to hold.

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Material Selection and Wood

Metals

Plastics

Composite and Emerging Materials

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

The output voltage is V.

356

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AThe total resistance is 2 kΩ.

BThe parallel pair gives (2 × 2) ÷ (2 + 2) = 1 kΩ.

CThe series resistor adds another 1 kΩ.

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Hazard means anything with the potential to cause harm.

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