DESIGN AND

TECHNOLOGY
Plastics and Electronics
Year 8

Compiled by Matthew Sultana – 2021 – 2022

1
LI: Be able to discuss the steps necessary to design a good product. (Design)
(1.2.4, 6.4.1)

Problem

Evaluation Research

Final desgin Ideas

Testing Chosen idea

Manufacturing

2
LI: Be able to explore the design context. (Explore)
(1.1.1, 1.1.3)

Design
Design Situation Specifications
You are a designer working with an established
electronics toy company.

Q1) What do we need to produce?

From the research carried out, it was decided that the
company needs to target young children, with a new Q2) What is the aim of this product?
electronic game.
Q3) Is the user a Boy or Girl?
Your manager informs you that you are responsible for this
project. Q4) What is the maximum size?

Q5) Other important points

Design Brief
Design and make a low cost, steady hand game for young
children, with a light and sound output. This game needs to
work with one 9V battery. The size of the base is limited to
the material given to you.

3
 LI: Be able to name and identify uses of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. (Technology)
LI: Be able to describe characteristics of polymers

Thermosettings
(4.1.1, 4.1.3, 6.4.1)

Thermoplastics
Thermoplastic materials such acrylic or ABS soften or become fused when heated.
In this condition they can be formed into shape using a variety of methods. The
shape remains permanent when the material has cooled down. The same
thermoplastic material can be heated, softened, shaped and cooled many times. This
explains how it is possible to recycle some plastics.
Thermosetting materials such as resins and melamine can be moulded into shape
only once. The chemical process that takes place during the moulding or curing is
irreversible. Generally speaking, thermosetting plastics can withstand higher
temperatures than thermoplastics. If they are heated excessively, the material
simply breaks down

List 2 examples of Thermoplastic Polymers and their application.

List 2 examples of Thermosetting Polymers and their application.

Thermoplastic Polymer Application Thermosetting Polymer Application

Characteristics of Polymers

Polymers or plastics can be very

resistant to chemicals.

Generally, polymers or plastics

are very light in weight with
varying degrees of strength.

Polymers or plastics can be both

thermal and electrical insulators.

4
LI: Be able to describe fabrication processes used in the school workshop. (Technology)
(4.1.2, 4.2.1, 4.3.6, 6.4.1)

Strip heater
Bending along a straight line can be achieved using a simple machine called a strip heater. The machine has a long thin heater
element, which warms the plastic along the line of the required bend. Once the plastic has become flexible, due to localised heating,
it is bent to the required angle and held firmly whilst it cools and solidifies.

Pictures of items made using the line

bending machine

Picture of vacuum forming machine
Vacuum Former
In vacuum forming a sheet of thermoplastic material is
clamped over a vacuum chamber containing a pattern.
Heat is applied by an electric heating element until the
sheet becomes soft and pliable. The platen is lifted,
which pushes the pattern into the plastic sheet. The air
is then pumped out of the vacuum chamber.
Atmospheric pressure will push the plastic sheet tightly Pictures of items made using the vacuum
around the pattern. forming machine

5
LI: Describe the function of a resistor and determine the value. (Technology)
(5.1.2, 5.2.1-2, 5.4.5)

Resistor Reading the value of resistors

The 3 colour bands on the left side are grouped together to indicate the resistors resistance
Current is the speed at which electricity
value and the 4th colour band on the right side indicates the tolerance of the resistor. The
flows in a circuit. All components and wires
table on the left shows the value associated to each colour.
resist the flow of electricity or electric
current, although some resist it more than The 1st colour band on the resistor indicates the 1st value or 1st digit of the resistor’s

others. We can control the amount of current resistance.

flowing in a circuit by using a resistor,

The 2nd colour band indicates 2nd value or 2nd digit of the resistor’s resistance.
which can be either fixed or variable. The
amount of resistance a component has is The 3rd colour band is the multiplier which indicates the number of zeros of the resistor’s
measured in ohms (symbol). Big resistance.

resistances can be measured in kilohms

The 4th colour band indicates the resistor’s tolerance, usually gold or silver (5% / 10%).
(1K = 1000)

In the table below shows how the resistance of a resistor with a brown, black and red band
was determined to be 1000 

6
 LI: Describe the function of an LED. (Technology) LI: Describe the function of a buzzer. (Technology)
(5.2.1-2) (5.2.1-2)

LED Buzzer
Light-emitting diodes are used as indicator Every day we hear sounds that
lamps in electronic devices. LEDs are very are produced electronically.
efficient since they do not waste energy in form Sound output devices include
of heat. If used correctly an LED will last almost bells, sirens, speakers and
indefinitely. LEDs come in a variety of colors: buzzers amongst others.
red, green, yellow and even blue, but an LED Buzzers are commonly used in
can only emit one color. Current flows through Picture of LEDs electronics for their low
the LED from anode to cathode. If connected the consumption and small size. Picture of buzzers
other way LEDs will simply not work. LEDs are
very strong and can resist to strong impacts.

Strip Board
LI: Describe the function of prototyping boards. (Technology)
(5.4.1-2, 5.4.12)

Bread Board Stripboard or Veroboard, is a type of electronics prototyping

A breadboard is a reusable, solder less device
used to build and test a prototype circuit. A
breadboard consists of a perforated block of
plastic with numerous spring clips under the
perforations. Wires and the leads of components
such as LEDs and resistors can be inserted into
Picture of
the holes to complete the circuit. One of the
breadboard
main advantages of using a breadboard is that
the components are not soldered and if they are
positioned incorrectly they can be moved easily
to a new position on the board.
board with a regular grid of holes, with wide copper strips
running one way all the way along one side of the board. The
hole spacing allows ICs and other components to be directly
mounted without any gap between them and the board. The Picture of
strip board
components are placed on the plain side of the board, with
their leads going through the holes. The leads are then
soldered to the copper tracks on the other side of the board,
and any excess wire is cut off. The continuous tracks may be
easily and neatly cut as desired to form breaks between
conductors using a 5 mm twist drill made for the purpose.

7
LI: Establish the behaviour of a system. (Technology)

Parallel
(5.1.3) LEDs in Parallel
LEDs in Series
How will the LEDs behave
How will the LEDs behave if

Series
one of them is a blinking
if one of them is a blinking
LED? LED?

Parallel circuits are circuits that are wired in

such a way that current flows through more
Series circuits are circuits that are wired than one path. The components below are all
in such a way that current flows through wired in parallel.
only one path. The components below
are all wired in series.

Switches in Parallel
Switches in Series How many switches need to be on
How many switches need to be on to turn on the led?
to turn on the led?

Q3. Describe what happens when switch S1 is switched on

Q1. Describe what happens when switch S1 is
and S2 is off.
switched on and S2 is off.
Ans:
Ans:

Q4. Describe what happens when switch S2 is switched on

and S1 is off.
Ans:

Q2. Describe what happens when switch S1 and S2 are

switched on.
Ans:

8
LI: Be able to identify workshop safe practices. (Make)
(4.4.3, 4.4.4,)

•Ask If Unsure
SAFETY •Tidy Tools And Materials Away After Use.
•Wear Apron, Goggles, Strong Shoes •Report Any Breakages At Once.
•Long Hair Needs To Be Tied Up •Clamp Your Work Piece Firmly When Drilling.
•Ties And Other Loose Clothing Must Be Removed •Any Injuries Must Be Reported To The Teacher Immediately.
•Do Not Fool About In The Technology Lab •Place soldering iron in its stand when not in use.
•Do Not Rush About - Walk. •Always wash hands after soldering.
•Do Not Interfere With Other People's Work. •Work in a well ventilated area when soldering.

Circle 3 bad practices you can see in

this image.

9
LI: Translate schematic diagrams to pictorial circuits. (Design)
(5.4.1, 5.4.8)

Circuit Design

10
LI: Be able to Identify tools and describe how they are used safely. (Make)
(4.3.3-4, 4.4.3-4, 5.4.1-2, 5.5.1-2)
(5.4.1, 5.4.8)
Name:
Use:
Hazard:
Name: How to reduce risk:

Use:
Hazard:

Name:
Use:

Hazard:

Name:
How to reduce risk:
Use:

Hazard:

How to reduce risk: Name:

Use

Name
Use:

Name:
Use:

Hazard:

Name:
Use: How to reduce risk:

11
LI: Be able to collect and analyse data of existing products. (Explore)
(2.2.1, 6.1.2)
Research pictures of existing steady hand game aimed for young children, Use annotations to highlight what struck you in the image.
(A few images were given to help you out in the research)

12
LI: Be able to construct an artifact from a given design. (Make)
(4.1.2, 4.3.1)
Follow the given step by step instructions to produce the steady hand game. Parts List
The picture on the right shows an exploded view and an assembled view of the steady game you need to construct. Follow the steps below to build the game safely and accurately.

 A. Solder components to the strip board following your design.

 B. Cut the polystyrene foam following your cardboard template
 C. Vacuum form the polystyrene template
 D. Mark holes for the different components.
 E. Assemble parts

13
LI: Be able to generate a variety of design ideas. (Design)
(1.2.1)
Design web – Write words related to each of the given title in the respective bubble.

Cartoon Space

Design
Web

14
LI: Be able to collect and analyse data to be used for possible solutions. (Design)
(2.2.1, 6.1.2, 6.4.1)
Research pictures related to a suitable title you listed on pg13. Use annotations to highlight what struck you in the image.

Tiltle one:

15
LI: Be able to collect and analyse data to be used for possible solutions. (Design)
(2.2.1, 6.1.2, 6.4.1)
Research pictures related to a suitable title you listed on pg13. Use annotations to highlight what struck you in the image.

Tiltle Two:

16
LI: Be able to use data to generate design solutions. (Design)

Sketches
(1.2.2, 6.1.2, 6.2.2)
Sketch a minimum of 4 original ideas for the base of the game, using the research made. Include annotations and
colour. Insert images of the sketches in the space below.
Lable the buzzer, switch, wire, battery and LEDs.

17
LI: Be able to communicate a finalised product. (Design)
(1.3.2, 1.4.2, 2.1.4, 4.3.5, 4.4.1, 4.5.1-4, 5.4.3-4, 5.4.6, 5.4.9-10, 5.4.12, 6.2.3, 6.4.1, 6.4.5)
Stick your cardboard model and one or more pictures of your final product.
Final Design

Insert pictures of the

Insert Photo of cardboard model for
final product the base of the game

18
 Evaluation
LI: Be able to evaluate the final product against testing carried out. (Evaluate)
(2.1.3, 3.4.1)

Specification
Test Result Evaluation
s

1.
Is there a sound
😁
output when the 🤨
handle touches the
wire? 🙁

2.
😁
Is there a light 🤨
output?
🙁

3. 😁
Does your game
apeal to young 🤨
children?
🙁
4. What features
does your game
😁
have that makes it 🤨
stand out from the
rest? 🙁
😁
🤨
🙁
19