1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
To Be a Model Scientist…Use
Models!
Why do scientists use models and
simulations?
• Models and simulations help scientists understand
the world around them.
• A scientific model shows the structure of an
object, a system, or a concept.
• Simulations use models to imitate the function,
behavior, or process of whatever the models
represent.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
Why do scientists use models and
simulations?
• A difficult question is a question that cannot be
answered by direct observation.
• Models and simulations can help answer difficult
questions.
• Scientists use models to represent complex
systems made up of many interacting parts.
• Data from simulations on a model building can
help to produce an earthquake-resistant building
design.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
1
1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
Why do scientists use models and
simulations?
• Modeling can separate good ideas from ideas that
will never be developed.
• Models are used to make predictions that affect
our everyday lives.
• Models are used to predict the weather, the path
of storms, and solar activity.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
It’s a Matter of Scale
What are some types of physical
models?
• A physical model represents the physical structure
of an object or a system.
• Physical models often look and act like the object or
system they represent.
• Scale is the relationship between the model’s
measurements and the real object’s measurements.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some types of physical
models?
• Models can be made to scale or life-sized.
• Scaled models are helpful for studying things too big
or too small to study at their true size.
• A life-sized model is the same size as the real object
it represents.
• These are useful for learning about human organs or
fossils that are difficult to study in the natural world.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
2
1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some advantages and
disadvantages of physical models?
• Physical models are often easier and less dangerous
to work with than the objects they represent.
• Flight simulators on the ground train pilots to fly
safely.
• Many physical models have limitations and do not
behave exactly like the real thing would behave in its
natural environment.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
It’s All in the Numbers
What are some types of mathematical
models?
• A mathematical model uses different forms of
data to represent the way a system or process
works.
• Mathematical models are made up of numbers and
equations and are often used to predict future
trends.
• Based on past data, populations tend to grow at a
faster and faster rate. Such growth is called
exponential.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some types of mathematical
models?
• Chemical symbols from the periodic table are used
to represent atoms in a chemical formula.
• The subscript shows how many of each atom are in
a molecule. O2 = 2 Oxygen.
• The coefficient represents how many molecules
there are.
• 6CO2 represents 6 carbon dioxide molecules.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
3
1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some advantages and
disadvantages of mathematical
models?
• Mathematical models are useful in making
predictions.
• Computers are often essential when using
mathematical models because they can process
many variables quickly without human errors.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some advantages and
disadvantages of mathematical
models?
• Mathematical models are based on current data and
might not be useful in the future.
• They sometimes exclude variables that might not
have seemed important.
• Sometimes systems are too large and too complex
for mathematical modeling. Oversimplifying can
cause to misleading results.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some advantages and
disadvantages of mathematical
models?
• How could this graph be used to predict sunspot
activity in 2020?
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
4
1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
It’s Kind of Abstract
What are some characteristics of
conceptual models?
• A conceptual model is a representation of how
parts of a system are related or organized.
• A conceptual model can help predict the effect that
changing one part of a system will have on the
whole system.
• Conceptual models are also useful in identifying
patterns and similarities for classifications.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some characteristics of
conceptual models?
• Conceptual models are often used to represent
processes that cannot be directly observed, like the
rock cycle.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
What are some characteristics of
conceptual models?
• Conceptual models may not be able to take certain
data or ideas into account.
• Models can be oversimplified and may not be a true
representation of the complex relationships that
exist in a system.
• This can lead to misconceptions and incomplete
predictions.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
5
1/23/2015
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
How are simulations used?
• Simulations can test designs in a controlled
environment.
• Complex technologies can be tested in a variety of
environments before they are put to use, such as
the Mars Exploration Rovers.
• During testing, design flaws can be found and
corrected.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Unit 2 Lesson 3 Models and Simulations
How are simulations used?
• Simulations can prevent costly and dangerous errors
in design.
• Simulations can also predict future events.
• Astronauts train in an underwater environment that
simulates the weightlessness of space.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
6