New York State Standards
MST 5.2  Key Idea

Technological tools, materials and other resources
should be selected on the basis of safety, cost, availability,
appropriateness and environmental impact;
technological processes change energy, information and material resources
into more useful forms.

Resources are the items needed to reach a goal, produce a product or solve a problem.  Resources can be divided into seven categories, remember PIMTECT.
People
Information
Materials
Tools and Machines
Energy
Capital
Time

People control technology.  They research, design, create, manage and manufacture new products or systems.

• A entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages the risks for a business venture.

Information can be obtained from people, books, magazines, videos or television, the Internet...   

Materials can be transformed using resources into products we need.  Materials can be classified as metal, wood, fibers, polymer (plastic), ceramics and glass, minerals, biological...  Choose and select resources based on their properties and appropriateness due to cost, availability, safety, culture.

• Natural materials are found in nature.  Examples:  wood, diamonds, clay.

• Synthetic materials are manmade.  Examples: polyester, zircons (artificial diamonds), steel.

• Renewable materials may be renewed.  Examples: Wood and paper (trees), beef, cotton. 

• Nonrenewable materials may be used up.  Examples: Fossil fuels,                  Some materials might be considered nonrenewable, such as rare woods from the rain forest, because they may be overused and in danger of extinction.

 

•  Properties of Materials
  Grain is how the fibers or crystals of a material align, like wood or diamonds.  It can affect strength and appearance.
  Ductility refers to materials that can be drawn or pulled long and thin, like wire or chewing gum.
  Brittleness refers to the property of breaking or shattering easily, like glass.  Often hard materials are brittle.
  Elasticity means a material may stretch and regain its shape, like a rubber band.
  Plasticity means a material is capable of being shaped or formed, like clay. 
  Toughness means a material can stand a lot of strain without tearing or ripping.
  Optical Qualities refers to reflectivity (mirror), translucent (transmits light, but can not see clearly through), opacity (can not see through), transparent (can see through- a window).
  Conductivity is a property of materials that transmit heat or electricity easily.
  Magnetic,
  Strength- the ability to withstand...
  Torsion is a twisting force.
  Tension is a pulling force.
  Compression is a pressing force.
  Shearing is a force that cuts.

Tools and Machines increase the capability of people.

Energy is the capacity for work.  Energy comes from

• Muscle- human or animal

• Solar- the sun

• Geothermal- the heat of the Earth, volcanoes, hot springs.

• Gravitational- the pull of gravity, hydroelectricity produced by waterfalls, rivers, tides.

• Chemical- fossil fuels or coal or wood. 

• Nuclear- fission or fusion.

Capital is money or other forms of wealth used to pay for resources.

• Cash

• Stocks

• Buildings

• Machines

• Land                can be used to pay for resources.

Time is a resource that must be managed wisely.  All things take time and generally time is limited.

    Processing Materials is the way material resources are changed into products.

Primary material processing is mining, harvesting, drilling, etc. to convert raw materials into that can be used by industries.

Secondary material processing includes combining, forming, separating and conditioning materials.

• Combining is putting materials together.  Methods include:
  Adhesives- glue, tape, hot glue
  Mechanical Fasteners- staples, nails, screws, paper clips, rivets
  Using Heat- welding, soldering
  Coating- painting, silver plating
  Composites- plywood, fiberglass (reinforced with polyester resin)

• Separating is removing material.  Methods include:
  Shearing- cutting with scissors, knives
  Sawing- using saws
  Drilling- using a drill removes material from the hole
  Grinding- sharpening knives and using sandpaper are methods of removing small amounts of material
  Shaping- using chisels and planes to shape a surface
  Turning- using tools to shape a material that is spinning in a lathe (balusters on stair rails, spindles on chairs)

• Forming is changing shape without removing any material.  Methods include:
  Bending
  Casting-pouring liquid into a mold (ice cubes, ceramic vases, cast iron)
  Pressing a material into a mold
  Forging- heating metals and then hammering them into shape (horseshoes, swords, many metal items)
  Extruding- squeezing a material through a small opening to change it's shape (straws, spaghetti)
  Injection Molding-squeezing a material through a small opening into a mold (small plastic toys)
  Blow Molding- air blown into a soft plastic tube presses it into a mold (plastic bottles)
  Vacuum Forming- a vacuum draws a sheet of material onto a mold (bubble packages)

• Conditioning changing the internal properties of a material.
  Heat treating- hardening or softening metals; hardening clay in a kiln
  Mechanical- hammering or working can harden metals
  Chemical- developing film, plaster hardening
  Magnetizing aligns the molecules to cause materials to be magnetic

Energy processing is changing energy into forms we can use.  A cars engine burns gasoline to power the wheels.  Electricity is produced by the force of water spinning turbines in dams.  The resistance of the filament in a light bulb generates light from electricity.

Information processing involves collecting; recording;  sorting, manipulating or classifying data; storing and retrieving information; and communicating.