Balearic PAU Technology & Engineering II study guide
Balearic PAU Technology & Engineering II · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Tecnología e Ingeniería II is the second-year engineering technology subject of the Spanish Bachillerato, and the PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad) in the Balearic Islands is the university-access exam built on it. It matters most to students in the science-and-technology track who intend to enter engineering, architecture, computer science or industrial design degrees, because the mark is used both for admission and for weighting in the specific phase. The Balearic PAU Technology & Engineering II study guide has 8 sections and about 3,365 words.
01Materials: structure, properties, selection and environmental impact
Materials questions in the PAU exam test whether you can link atomic structure to measurable properties, justify a selection with numbers, and argue about end-of-life impact. Expect the iron–carbon diagram, tensile-test calculations and an eco-design comparison.
479 words, about 2 min02Mechanical systems: statics, kinematics, dynamics and transmission
This domain rewards clean free-body diagrams and consistent units. The exam asks you to balance forces and moments, compute speed and torque through a transmission, and evaluate efficiency from input to output.
410 words, about 2 min03Electrical and electronic systems: DC, AC, electromagnetism and components
The exam combines circuit calculation with component behaviour: resistive networks, series RLC in alternating current, transformer ratios, and diode/transistor/op-amp circuits used as switches and amplifiers. Ohm's law, series and parallel equivalents, voltage divider Vout = V·R2/(R1+R2), Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws, Thevenin equivalent for a two-terminal network.
417 words, about 2 min04Automatic control and robotics: loops, sensors, actuators and PLCs
Questions here test the vocabulary and logic of automation: distinguishing open from closed loop, choosing a sensor, describing how a PLC scans its program, and representing a sequence with GRAFCET. Open loop: no measurement of the result; cheap and adequate when disturbances are small (stepper positioning, timed irrigation).
435 words, about 2 min05Pneumatics and hydraulics: circuits, components and symbols
The exam expects you to size a cylinder, read and draw ISO 1219 symbols, and explain how speed and force are controlled in a fluid-power circuit. Useful conversions: 1 bar = 10⁵ Pa = 0.1 N/mm²; 1 MPa = 10 bar.
395 words, about 2 min06Manufacturing and production systems: machining, forming, joining, organisation
This domain mixes process knowledge with calculation and production management: cutting parameters, forming and joining choices, tolerances, and how a plant is organised to meet demand. Turning: v c = π·D·n/1000 in m/min (D in mm); feed f in mm/rev; machining time t = L/(f·n).
414 words, about 2 min07Engineering projects and product design: method, drawing, documentation and budget
The exam asks how a product is designed, drawn and costed: the design stages, standardisation of drawings, the content of the technical file, and a budget built from direct and indirect costs. Stages: identify the need, feasibility study, specification of requirements (constraints and weighted criteria), conceptual design, detail design, prototype and testing, production and market launch.
402 words, about 2 min08Technological research, innovation and sustainability
The exam tests whether you can distinguish invention from innovation, describe technology transfer, and apply life-cycle analysis with numbers rather than slogans. Chain: basic research → applied research → development → innovation.
413 words, about 2 min