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Bell work. Answer the following questions: How is an airplane flight simulator a kind of model? What are some advantages to training pilots in a flight simulator rather than in a real airplane? Write your answers in your science journal-composition book. Models. Objectives for Today!.
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Bell work • Answer the following questions: • How is an airplane flight simulator a kind of model? • What are some advantages to training pilots in a flight simulator rather than in a real airplane? • Write your answers in your science journal-composition book.
Objectives for Today! • Giveexamples of three types of models. • Identifythe benefits and limitations of models. • Comparethe ways that scientists use hypotheses, theories, and laws.
What is a Model • A model is a representation of an object or system. • Models often use familiar objects or ideas that stand for other things. • Greeks were the first people known to make models of nature. • They used logic and geometry to explain patterns in nature without resorting to myth or the supernatural. • They sought to understand the architecture of the Universe by constructing models of nature.
What is a Model • Keep in mind that models have limitations. • A limitation is how the model is not perfect. • Models are often used to represent things that are very small or very large. Particles of matter are too small to see. • Three major kinds of scientific models are physical, mathematical, and conceptual models.
Objectives for Today! • Giveexamples of three types of models. • Identifythe benefits and limitations of models. • Comparethe ways that scientists use hypotheses, theories, and laws.
Physical Models • Model airplanes, maps, and dolls are physical models. • Physical models of systems that can be easily observed and manipulated. • Have characteristics similar to key features of more complex systems in the real world. • A limitation of a doll as the model of a baby is that the doll doesn't act like a baby. • Give an example of a physical model. • What are some limitations?
Mathematical Model • A mathematical model is made up of mathematical equations and data. • Simple mathematical models allow you to calculate things such as how far a car will go in an hour. • Other models are so complex that only computers can handle them. • Involve solving relevant equation (s) of a system or characterizing a system based upon its statistical parameters such as mean, mode, variance or regression coefficients. • Using the most correct data does not make the prediction correct, this is a limitation. • A change in a variable that was not predicted could cause the model to fail. • Give an example of a mathematical model.
Mathematical Model: A Punnett Square • The Punnett square helps scientists study the passing of traits from parents to offspring.
Conceptual Model • The third kind of model is a conceptual model. • Some conceptual models are systems of ideas. • Others are based on making comparisons with familiar things to help illustrate or explain an idea. • One example of a conceptual model is the system that scientists use to classify living things. By using a system of ideas, scientists can group living things by what they have in common. This type of model allows scientists to better understand each group of living things.
Conceptual Model • People receive information, process this information, and respond accordingly many times each day. • This sort of processing of information is essentially a conceptual model (or mental model) of how things in our surrounding environment work. • Give an example of a Conceptual model.
Conceptual models • Universe-everything • Galaxies- billions of stars grouped together • Systems- 1 star and it’s orbiting bodies • Planet • Comets • Asteroids
Objectives for Today! • Giveexamples of three types of models. • Identifythe benefits and limitations of models. • Comparethe ways that scientists use hypotheses, theories, and laws.
What is a Theory? • Models are often used to help illustrate and explain scientific theories. • A theory is a unifying explanation for a range of hypotheses and observations that have been supported by testing. (Definition copy as is!) • A theory not only can explain an observation you've made but also can predict what might happen in the future. • Keep in mind that models can be changed or replaced. • These changes happen because new observations cause scientists to change their theories.
What is a Law? • What happens when a theory and its models correctly predict the results of many different experiments? A scientific law could be formed. • A law is a summary of many experimental results and observations. • A law tells you how things work. • A law tells you to expect the same thing to happen every time.
Objectives for Today! • Giveexamples of three types of models. • Identifythe benefits and limitations of models. • Comparethe ways that scientists use hypotheses, theories, and laws.