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1. Warmup 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?

2. Objectives: Explain how models are used to represent the natural world. Identify three types of scientific models. Describe theories and laws.

3. Types of Models Model A representation of an object or a system. Physical Models look like the thing they represent For example, the model volcano looks like a real one but won’t destroy acres of forests.

4. Mathematical Models Made up of mathematical equations and data. Conceptual Models Systems of ideas or are based on making comparisons with familiar things to explain an idea. Explains the origin of the universe

5. Models are just the right size Often used to represent things that are very small or very large. Useful for studying cells and particles of matter that are too small to see with the unaided eye. Also useful for studying objects that are too large to see completely such as the Earth or the solar system.

6. Visual Concepts: Models

7. Models build scientific knowledge Often used to help illustrate and explain scientific theories. Theory Explanation that ties a broad range of hypotheses and observations that have been supported by testing. Can also be used to predict what will happen in future Theories and models can change as new observations are made. Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution 1897 Model of Atom Current Model of Atom

8. Scientific Laws Formed when a theory and its models correctly predict the results of many different experiments. Law is defined as: A summary of many experimental results and observations. Laws are not the same as theories. Laws tell you only what happens, not why it happens.

9. Scientists use models because reality, especially systems like Earth’s climate, is complex and difficult to study directly. Many factors influence complex concepts, for example climate, so it's impossible to consider all of them simultaneously, that is why models are necessary. Models are useful tools that help scientists understand complex systems by allowing them to analyze and make predictions. There are different types of models: physical models, conceptual models, and mathematical models. Physical models are smaller and simpler representations of a thing being studied. A globe or a map is a physical model of a portion or all of Earth. Conceptual models tie together many ideas to explain a phenomenon or event.

10. Mathematical models are sets of equations that consider many factors to represent a phenomenon. Mathematical models are usually done on computers. Simulation models use a digital prototype of a physical model to predict its performance in the real world Many models are created on computers because they can handle enormous amounts of data. Models can be used to test ideas by simulating specific parts of a system, making it easier for scientists to understand how certain factors affect each other. Models can also be used to make predictions about the future, with the best ones considering multiple factors. To assess the accuracy of a model, scientists often use past data to see if the model can accurately predict the present. Despite their usefulness, models have limitations because they are simpler than real systems and may not predict real-world behavior with absolute accuracy. However, careful construction and sufficient computing power can improve a model's accuracy.