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Junior Cycle Applied Technology: Plastic processes

How often Plastic processes comes up on the Applied Technology papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Plastic processes, Common Level(9 marks)

Quick ones on Plastic processes.

(a)Why do the sides of a vacuum-forming mould slope slightly inwards towards the top?
  1. So the plastic ends up thicker
  2. So the mould can be pulled out easily
  3. So the air cannot escape from below
(b)Correct order for finishing the sawn edge of a piece of acrylic?
  1. Wet and dry paper, polish, then file
  2. Polish, file, then wet and dry paper
  3. File, wet and dry paper, then polish
(c)What is likely to happen if acrylic is bent before it has been heated enough?
  1. It may crack or snap at the bend
  2. It turns into a thermoset
  3. It will bubble and burn along the line
Show the answers

(a) So the mould can be pulled out easily

(b) File, wet and dry paper, then polish

(c) It may crack or snap at the bend

Your turn: Common Level questions on Plastic processes.

Common Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q1b(iii), Q1b(vi), Q4c(i)
2025Q1f(ii), Q2e(iii), Q3d(iii)
2024Q1c(ii), Q2a(iv), Q4c(i)
2023Q2d(iii), Q2e(ii)
2022Q1d, Q3c(ii)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Plastic processes questions

Plastic processes, 3 marks

Why is a jig or former used when bending several acrylic parts?

  1. So the whole sheet heats up more evenly
  2. So the acrylic turns into a thermoset
  3. So every part bends to the same angle
Show the answer

So every part bends to the same angle

A bending jig holds the soft acrylic at the right angle while it cools. Every part comes out the same, which matters when parts must fit together or be made in a batch.

Plastic processes, 3 marks

When drilling acrylic, why put scrap wood under it?

  1. To make the finished hole slightly larger
  2. To stop it cracking as the bit comes out
  3. To keep the drill bit cool
Show the answer

To stop it cracking as the bit comes out

Acrylic is brittle and chips or cracks as the bit bursts out the back. Support it on scrap wood, clamp it, and drill at a slow speed with light pressure.

Other Applied Technology topics

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