Year 11 - Design and technology
Smart materials
Core principles
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will develop core principles knowledge with an explicit focus on exam technique.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe the properties and uses of smart materials and give specific examples.
Key Notes
- Smart materials react to a stimuli.
- Stimuli can be environmental such as light, temperature, humidity, or when manipulated or put under pressure.
- Smart materials react by changing colour, shape or conductivity.
Vocabulary To Learn
- stimulus/stimuli: (singular/plural) something that encourages activity or change
- physical property: the characteristics of a material, such as appearance and features
- working property: the way in which a material responds to an external force or certain environment; also referred to as mechanical properties
- function: the purpose of the product
- form: a particular shape, linked to aesthetics
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Smart materials are only for fun products like colour changing mugs!
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Smart materials react to a stimuli. Stimuli can be environmental such as light, temperature, humidity, or when manipulated or put under pressure.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'stimulus/stimuli'
(singular/plural) something that encourages activity or change.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Smart materials are only for fun products like colour changing mugs! Correction: Smart materials give designers and engineers exciting possibilities when developing new products. Possibilities often focus on function and/or form. For example, thermochromic materials can be used to indicate a temperature and warn users of danger.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Cams and pulleys Study Guide
- Electronic systems Study Guide
- Energy and the impact on designs Study Guide
- Energy generation and storage Study Guide
- Gears Study Guide
- Levers and linkages Study Guide
- Material categories Study Guide
- Modern materials Study Guide
- New and emerging technologies Study Guide
- New and emerging technologies informing design decisions Study Guide
- Programmable systems Study Guide
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