All A-level specifications in design and technology must require students to demonstrate their application of knowledge, understanding and skills of maths and science in both theoretical and practical ways. Design and technology uses maths and science to support decisions made in the processes of designing and making.
7.1 Maths
| Ref | Maths skills required | Potential applications: product design |
|---|
| a | Confident use of number and percentages | Calculation of quantities of materials, costs and sizes |
| b | Use of ratios | Scaling drawings |
| c | Calculation of surface areas and/or volumes | Determining quantities of materials |
| d | Use of trigonometry | Calculation of sides and angles as part of product design |
| e | Construction, use and/or analysis of graphs and charts | Representation of data used to inform design decisions and evaluation of outcomes. Presentation of market data, user preferences, outcomes of market research. |
| f | Use of coordinates and geometry | Use of datum points and geometry when setting out design drawings |
| g | Use of statistics and probability as a measure of likelihood | Interpret statistical analyses to determine user needs and preferences. Use data related to human scale and proportion to determine product scale and dimensions. |
7.2 Science
| Ref | Scientific skills and knowledge | Potential applications: product design |
|---|
| a | Describe the conditions which cause degradation | Ensure products are designed to take account of potential corrosion due to environmental factors |
| b | Know the physical properties of materials and explain how these are related to their uses | Understand the appropriate use of materials, including glass and ceramics, polymers, composites, woods, and metals, based on their physical properties |
