GCSE Design Technology Edexcel: Core
Content and Timbers Questions and Answers
4 benefits of new technology to industry? - answer - Better efficiency -> cut costs
-> quicker release of products to market
- Less human error
- Easier manipulation of information/logistics
How is unemployment caused by new technologies? - answer Unemployment can
be caused by new technology performing better than a lower skilled workforce. With
robotics, factories can be opened for longer, quality's improved and its safer.
3 advantages of countries gaining people? - answer - Labour shortages can be
overcome
- Migrants are often prepared to take lower paid jobs
- Adds cultural diversity
What is demographic movement? - answer Demographic movement is the way in
which a population's structure alters an changes, eg due to an aging population.
Who are decisions made by in private businesses? - answer The owner
Advantage of private businesses? (regarding technology) - answer Often flexible to
adopt, adapt and exploit new technologies.
Disadvantage of private businesses? (regarding technology) - answer May not have
funds to invest in cutting edge manufacturing equipment.
What is an enterprise? - answer a business, particularly one started by someone
who shows initiative by taking risk setting up, investing in and running it.
What is crowd funding and how does it help technology? - answer Crowd funding
allows new products to be launched. Many people donate online to bring a product to
life. Has to managed appropriately though to succeed.
What is government funding? - answer Government Funding is available to new
businesses that will contribute to the economy.
What are not-for-profit organisations? - answer Not-for-profit organisations reinvest
money in new technologies to help their cause. For eg Charity: Water Aid worked with
Google to identify water flow at its projects.
How can companies reduce transportation costs? - answer Use electric vehicles
,Fewer journeys
Lighter/compact products
How does the government encourage reduction of pollution? - answer Carbon tax
Subsidies
What are the 4 R's? - answer Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover
What is crowd funding? - answer a method of raising funds from many people for an
enterprise via online platforms
What is sustainability? - answer The ability to meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Advantage of emerging technologies on children? - answer improve academic and
practical skills, e.g. Minecraft offers more creative learning opportunities than traditional
toys
Disadvantage of emerging technologies on children? - answer Could spend more
time on electronics rather than socialising and keeping fit
What is pollution? - answer the release of contaminating substances that are likely to
harm the natural environment.
What is recycling? - answer the process converting waste material into other usable
products, such as glass bottles made from recycled glass.
Consumer: - answer a person who uses goods and services
What is culture? - answer The way a group of people behave, dress, eat and live.
Can be influenced by anything from religion, tradition and history to local food sources,
climate and artistic expression
How does social integration have an impact on technology? - answer Minority
populations that live in clusters causes social segregation. Could create social barriers,
and limit education, jobs and technologies
3 examples of how technology is changing society - answer - Change in working
hours and shift patterns
- Internet of Things
- Remote working
How is technology causing a change in working hours? - answer Due to accessibility
of work through the internet, maximising the work potential of a person.
,Why are materials seperated? - answer It means fewer useful materials are sent to
landfill sites or scrap
Ways to reduce transport costs? - answer - Produce products locally
- Reduce package sizes
- Reduce overall volumes of products
What is the standardised design and components technique? - answer - The same
components or modular systems are used across many designs
- Usually an individual part, manufactured in large numbers, to an internationally
accepted standard.
What is Just-In-Time production? - answer Computerised stock control ensures that
parts are only received when they are needed in the production process and go straight
to the production site rather than being stored
What is lean manufacturing? - answer Reducing or eliminating waste in design,
manufacturing distribution and customer services
What is batch production? - answer A set number of products are manufactured that
are made in limited quantities or for a limited time
What is continuous production? - answer Manufacturing of identical high demand
products, 24 hours a day
What is one-off production? - answer A single unique product made by skilled
workers
What is mass production? - answer - Efficiently and consistently producing many
products at a low cost per unit
- Often automated with parts added in sequence
What is ethics? - answer Balancing behaviour with moral principles when carrying
out an activity
What should fairtraders do? (4 things) - answer - Use raw materials from sustainable
sources
- Try to buy materials locally
- Reduce energy consumption (eg renewables)
- Minimise waste to the environment
Four considerations about "Who will benefit?" - answer - Use raw materials from
sustainable sources
- Try to buy materials locally
- Reduce energy consumption (eg renewables)
- Minimise waste to the environment
, Three considerations about "Who made it?" - answer - Hiring low-paid workers in
LEDC's leads to child labour and other exploitation
- Workers' rights should be a big priority
- Health and safety should be checked in factory locations
Two considerations about "Where was it made?" - answer - Cheap labour in other
countries: saves costs, exploits workers
- New technologies may produce less pollution and waste
Whch materials should designers opt to use if they want to be environmentally friendly?
- answer - Designers should select materials that are recyclable, lighter and less
toxic.
Two considerations regarding the use of materials and the environment - answer -
Consider mined metals, eg energy is needed to convert ore into metal.
- Consider oil is a finite resource that pollutes when refined and doesn't decompose but
it is used for plastics.
Problems with renewables? - answer - Renewables harm habitats and cause visual
and noise pollution
- Cleaner energy tends to cost more
Problems with fossil fuels? - answer - The extraction, transportation and emissions of
fossil fuels harm the environment.
How to reduce emissions of CO2 during transport? - answer Transporting goods
uses petroleum, so use energy-efficient or electric vehicles
What is the carbon footprint? - answer The amount of CO2 emission that can be
linked back a company/individual's activities
Five ways to reduce the carbon footprint of something? - answer - Maximise energy
efficiency
- Analyse supply chain
- Recycle
- Use renewable energy
- Identify carbon offsetting methods to reduce amount of emissions
What is a LCA? - answer Life Cycle Analysis:
A systematic inventory of environmental impacts at every stage of a products life
5 steps of an LCA? - answer 1. Raw material extraction and processing
2. Product/part manufacture and assembly
3. Product/part transportation and distribution
4. Product/consumer use
Content and Timbers Questions and Answers
4 benefits of new technology to industry? - answer - Better efficiency -> cut costs
-> quicker release of products to market
- Less human error
- Easier manipulation of information/logistics
How is unemployment caused by new technologies? - answer Unemployment can
be caused by new technology performing better than a lower skilled workforce. With
robotics, factories can be opened for longer, quality's improved and its safer.
3 advantages of countries gaining people? - answer - Labour shortages can be
overcome
- Migrants are often prepared to take lower paid jobs
- Adds cultural diversity
What is demographic movement? - answer Demographic movement is the way in
which a population's structure alters an changes, eg due to an aging population.
Who are decisions made by in private businesses? - answer The owner
Advantage of private businesses? (regarding technology) - answer Often flexible to
adopt, adapt and exploit new technologies.
Disadvantage of private businesses? (regarding technology) - answer May not have
funds to invest in cutting edge manufacturing equipment.
What is an enterprise? - answer a business, particularly one started by someone
who shows initiative by taking risk setting up, investing in and running it.
What is crowd funding and how does it help technology? - answer Crowd funding
allows new products to be launched. Many people donate online to bring a product to
life. Has to managed appropriately though to succeed.
What is government funding? - answer Government Funding is available to new
businesses that will contribute to the economy.
What are not-for-profit organisations? - answer Not-for-profit organisations reinvest
money in new technologies to help their cause. For eg Charity: Water Aid worked with
Google to identify water flow at its projects.
How can companies reduce transportation costs? - answer Use electric vehicles
,Fewer journeys
Lighter/compact products
How does the government encourage reduction of pollution? - answer Carbon tax
Subsidies
What are the 4 R's? - answer Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover
What is crowd funding? - answer a method of raising funds from many people for an
enterprise via online platforms
What is sustainability? - answer The ability to meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Advantage of emerging technologies on children? - answer improve academic and
practical skills, e.g. Minecraft offers more creative learning opportunities than traditional
toys
Disadvantage of emerging technologies on children? - answer Could spend more
time on electronics rather than socialising and keeping fit
What is pollution? - answer the release of contaminating substances that are likely to
harm the natural environment.
What is recycling? - answer the process converting waste material into other usable
products, such as glass bottles made from recycled glass.
Consumer: - answer a person who uses goods and services
What is culture? - answer The way a group of people behave, dress, eat and live.
Can be influenced by anything from religion, tradition and history to local food sources,
climate and artistic expression
How does social integration have an impact on technology? - answer Minority
populations that live in clusters causes social segregation. Could create social barriers,
and limit education, jobs and technologies
3 examples of how technology is changing society - answer - Change in working
hours and shift patterns
- Internet of Things
- Remote working
How is technology causing a change in working hours? - answer Due to accessibility
of work through the internet, maximising the work potential of a person.
,Why are materials seperated? - answer It means fewer useful materials are sent to
landfill sites or scrap
Ways to reduce transport costs? - answer - Produce products locally
- Reduce package sizes
- Reduce overall volumes of products
What is the standardised design and components technique? - answer - The same
components or modular systems are used across many designs
- Usually an individual part, manufactured in large numbers, to an internationally
accepted standard.
What is Just-In-Time production? - answer Computerised stock control ensures that
parts are only received when they are needed in the production process and go straight
to the production site rather than being stored
What is lean manufacturing? - answer Reducing or eliminating waste in design,
manufacturing distribution and customer services
What is batch production? - answer A set number of products are manufactured that
are made in limited quantities or for a limited time
What is continuous production? - answer Manufacturing of identical high demand
products, 24 hours a day
What is one-off production? - answer A single unique product made by skilled
workers
What is mass production? - answer - Efficiently and consistently producing many
products at a low cost per unit
- Often automated with parts added in sequence
What is ethics? - answer Balancing behaviour with moral principles when carrying
out an activity
What should fairtraders do? (4 things) - answer - Use raw materials from sustainable
sources
- Try to buy materials locally
- Reduce energy consumption (eg renewables)
- Minimise waste to the environment
Four considerations about "Who will benefit?" - answer - Use raw materials from
sustainable sources
- Try to buy materials locally
- Reduce energy consumption (eg renewables)
- Minimise waste to the environment
, Three considerations about "Who made it?" - answer - Hiring low-paid workers in
LEDC's leads to child labour and other exploitation
- Workers' rights should be a big priority
- Health and safety should be checked in factory locations
Two considerations about "Where was it made?" - answer - Cheap labour in other
countries: saves costs, exploits workers
- New technologies may produce less pollution and waste
Whch materials should designers opt to use if they want to be environmentally friendly?
- answer - Designers should select materials that are recyclable, lighter and less
toxic.
Two considerations regarding the use of materials and the environment - answer -
Consider mined metals, eg energy is needed to convert ore into metal.
- Consider oil is a finite resource that pollutes when refined and doesn't decompose but
it is used for plastics.
Problems with renewables? - answer - Renewables harm habitats and cause visual
and noise pollution
- Cleaner energy tends to cost more
Problems with fossil fuels? - answer - The extraction, transportation and emissions of
fossil fuels harm the environment.
How to reduce emissions of CO2 during transport? - answer Transporting goods
uses petroleum, so use energy-efficient or electric vehicles
What is the carbon footprint? - answer The amount of CO2 emission that can be
linked back a company/individual's activities
Five ways to reduce the carbon footprint of something? - answer - Maximise energy
efficiency
- Analyse supply chain
- Recycle
- Use renewable energy
- Identify carbon offsetting methods to reduce amount of emissions
What is a LCA? - answer Life Cycle Analysis:
A systematic inventory of environmental impacts at every stage of a products life
5 steps of an LCA? - answer 1. Raw material extraction and processing
2. Product/part manufacture and assembly
3. Product/part transportation and distribution
4. Product/consumer use
