words used to describe how a material appears (physical/characteristic) or behaves when worked (working/mechanical)

to join two or more things to create something new

to change something to make it perform differently

how well something stays together and holds up without breaking

Enhancing the properties of polymers

Design and technology

In this unit pupils will develop technical principles knowledge with an explicit focus on exam technique.

to bind the reinforcement together and protect it

to allow the reinforcement to move freely

What is the main job of the matrix in a composite material?

to change the colour and improve its properties

What is the purpose of adding additives to polymers during production?

Which process sets polymer resin from a liquid to a solid?

How can chemical treatments be used to enhance polymer materials?

it can maintain its shape under normal conditions without breaking

it can resist environmental changes like temperature and moisture

the cost-effectiveness of building a structure

What does 'structural integrity' refer to in materials and structures?

additional tabs used to reinforce corners

hexagonal arrangement to spread load evenly in all directions

Match the following structural integrity techniques to their definitions:

Materials are chosen based on their physical and working ...

Which of the following is a working/mechanical property of a material?

The ability of a material to resist breaking when a force is applied is called ...

Match each material with its primary working/mechanical property:

physical properties/characteristics relate to how a material looks and feels

working/mechanical properties describe material behaviour when exposed to forces

hardness is a physical property/characteristic

elasticity is a working/mechanical property

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

Put the following materials in order of increasing hardness (from least to most hard):