A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the
plan
A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions through which one expects to achieve a goal.
F ...
s of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models can be divided into physical models (e.g. a model plane) and abstract models (e.g. mathematical expressions describing behavioural patterns). Abstract or
conceptual model
A conceptual model is a representation of a system. It consists of concepts used to help people knowledge, know, understanding, understand, or simulation, simulate a subject the model represents. In contrast, physical models are physical object su ...
s are central to
philosophy of science,
as almost every
scientific theory
A scientific theory is an explanation of an aspect of the natural world and universe that has been repeatedly tested and corroborated in accordance with the scientific method, using accepted protocols of observation, measurement, and evaluatio ...
effectively embeds some kind of model of the
physical
Physical may refer to:
*Physical examination
In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...
or
human sphere.
In
commerce, "model" can refer to a specific design of a product as displayed in a catalogue or show room (e.g.
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
), and by extension to the sold product itself.
Types of models include:
Physical model
![Models of battle at australian war memorial museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Models_of_battle_at_australian_war_memorial_museum.jpg)
A physical model (most commonly referred to simply as a model but in this context distinguished from a
conceptual model
A conceptual model is a representation of a system. It consists of concepts used to help people knowledge, know, understanding, understand, or simulation, simulate a subject the model represents. In contrast, physical models are physical object su ...
) is a smaller or larger physical copy of an
object
Object may refer to:
General meanings
* Object (philosophy), a thing, being, or concept
** Object (abstract), an object which does not exist at any particular time or place
** Physical object, an identifiable collection of matter
* Goal, an ai ...
. The object being modelled may be small (for example, an atom) or large (for example, the
Solar System). In some sense, a physical model "is always the reification of some conceptual model; the conceptual model is conceived ahead as the blueprint of the physical one", which is then constructed as conceived.
[Ibrahim A. Halloun, ''Modeling Theory in Science Education'' (2007), p. 36.]
The geometry of the model and the object it represents are often
similar in the sense that one is a rescaling of the other; in such cases, the
scale
Scale or scales may refer to:
Mathematics
* Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points
* Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original
* Scale factor, a number ...
is an important characteristic. However, in many cases the similarity is only approximate or even intentionally distorted. Sometimes the
distortion is systematic (e.g., a fixed scale horizontally and a larger fixed scale vertically when modelling
topography of a large area, as opposed to a model of a smaller mountain region, which may well use the same scale horizontally and vertically, showing the true
slopes).
Physical models allow visualization, from examining the model, of information about the thing the model represents. A model can be a physical object such as an architectural model of a building. Uses of an architectural model include visualization of internal relationships within the structure or external relationships of the structure to the environment. Other uses of models in this sense are as
toys.
Instrumented physical models are an effective way of investigating fluid flows for
Engineering design. Physical models are often coupled with
Computational Fluid Dynamics models to optimize the design of equipment and processes. This includes external flow such as around buildings, vehicles, people, or
hydraulic structures.
Wind Tunnel and Water Tunnel testing is often used for these design efforts. Instrumented physical models can also examine internal flows, for the design of ductwork systems, pollution control equipment, food processing machines, and mixing vessels. Transparent flow models are used in this case to observe the detailed flow phenomenon. These models are scaled in terms of both geometry and important forces, for example, using
Froude number
In continuum mechanics, the Froude number (, after William Froude, ) is a dimensionless number defined as the ratio of the flow inertia to the external field (the latter in many applications simply due to gravity). The Froude number is based on t ...
or
Reynolds number
In fluid mechanics, the Reynolds number () is a dimensionless quantity that helps predict fluid flow patterns in different situations by measuring the ratio between inertial and viscous forces. At low Reynolds numbers, flows tend to be domi ...
scaling (see
Similitude
Similitude is a concept applicable to the testing of engineering models. A model is said to have similitude with the real application if the two share geometric similarity, kinematic similarity and dynamic similarity. ''Similarity'' and ''simili ...
).
A physical model of something large is usually smaller, and of something very small is larger. A physical model of something that can move, like a
vehicle or
machine
A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to na ...
, may be completely static, or have parts that can be moved manually, or be powered. A physical model may show inner parts that are normally not visible. The purpose of a physical model on a smaller scale may be to have a better overview, for testing purposes, as
hobby or
toy. The purpose of a physical model on a larger scale may be to see the structure of things that are normally too small to see properly or to see at all, for example, a model of an
insect or of a
molecule.
A physical model of an
animal shows the animals physical composition without it walking or flying away, and without danger, and if the real animal is not available. A soft model of an animal is popular among children and some adults as
cuddly toy
A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be cal ...
.
A model of a
person may e.g. be a
doll, a
statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
, and in fiction a
robotic
humanoid
A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and ''-oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. The earliest recorded use of the term, in 1870, referred to indigenous peoples in areas colonized by Europeans. By the 20t ...
, e.g. the mechas in the movie ''
A.I.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech rec ...
''.
A model is a
3D alternative for a 2D representation such as a
drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...
or
photograph
A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...
, or in the case of a
globe, a 3D, undistorted alternative for a flat world
map.
File:model.village.arp.750pix.jpg, Part of the one-ninth scale model of Bourton-on-the-Water at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England
File:Beta-D-Gulopyranose Molekülbaukasten 9288.JPG, Model of a complex molecule, with different colored balls representing different atoms
Examples
Some of the examples of Physical models:
*
Model airplane
*
Model car
*
Model railway
*
Model rocket
*
Model house
A show house, also called a model home or display home, is a term for a "display" version of manufactured homes, or houses in a subdivision. They are used on newly built developments to show the living space and features of homes available. Show ...
*
Model (art), a person posing for an artist, e.g. a 15th-century criminal representing the biblical Judas in Leonardo da Vinci's painting
''The Last Supper''
**
Model (person), a person who serves as a template for others to copy, often in the context of advertising commercial products
*
Model (product), a particular design of a product offered by its manufacturer
**
Car model, a particular design of vehicle sold by a manufacturer
*
Model organism
A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...
(often shortened to ''model''), a non-human species that is studied to understand biological phenomena present in other related organisms, e.g. a guinea pig starved of vitamin C to study scurvy, an experiment that would be immoral to conduct on a person
*
Model (mimicry)
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...
, a species that is mimicked by another species
Conceptual model
A
conceptual model
A conceptual model is a representation of a system. It consists of concepts used to help people knowledge, know, understanding, understand, or simulation, simulate a subject the model represents. In contrast, physical models are physical object su ...
is a theoretical representation of a system, e.g. a set of equations attempting to describe the workings of the atmosphere for the purpose of weather forecasting. Conceptual models may be a
representation
Representation may refer to:
Law and politics
*Representation (politics), political activities undertaken by elected representatives, as well as other theories
** Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a ...
of a
system
A system is a group of Interaction, interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its environment (systems), environment, is described by its boundaries, ...
. It consists of
concepts used to help people
know,
understand
Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to use concepts to model that object.
Understanding is a relation between the knower and an object of ...
, or
simulate
A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of Conceptual model, models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or proc ...
a subject the model represents. The term may refer to models that are formed after a
conceptualization or
generalization process.
Conceptual models are often abstractions of things in the real world, whether physical or social.
Semantic
Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and comput ...
studies are relevant to various stages of
concept formation
Concept learning, also known as category learning, concept attainment, and concept formation, is defined by Bruner, Goodnow, & Austin (1967) as "the search for and listing of attributes that can be used to distinguish exemplars from non exemplars ...
. Semantics is basically about concepts, the meaning that thinking beings give to various elements of their experience.
Examples
*
Conceptual model (computer science)
Conceptual may refer to:
Philosophy and Humanities
*Concept
*Conceptualism
*Philosophical analysis (Conceptual analysis)
*Theoretical definition (Conceptual definition)
*Thinking about Consciousness (Conceptual dualism)
*Pragmatism (Conceptual pr ...
, a representation of entities and their relationships
*
Mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used in the natural sciences (such as physics, ...
, a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language
*
Economic model, a theoretical construct representing economic processes
*
Statistical model
A statistical model is a mathematical model that embodies a set of statistical assumptions concerning the generation of Sample (statistics), sample data (and similar data from a larger Statistical population, population). A statistical model repres ...
, a mathematical model that usually specifies the relationship between one or more random variables and other non-random variables
*
Model (CGI)
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface (mathematics), surface of an object (inanimate or living) in Three-dimensional space, three dimensions via 3D comput ...
, a mathematical representation of any surface of an object in three dimensions via specialized software
*
Model (logic)
In universal algebra and in model theory, a structure consists of a set along with a collection of finitary operations and relations that are defined on it.
Universal algebra studies structures that generalize the algebraic structures such as gr ...
, a set along with a collection of finitary operations, and relations that are defined on it, satisfying a given collection of axioms
*
Model (MVC), the central component of the model–view–controller software design pattern
*
Standard model (disambiguation) Standard model may refer to:
* Standard Model of particle physics
* The mathematical formulation of the Standard Model of particle physics
* The Standard Solar Model of solar astrophysics
* The Lambda-CDM model, the standard model of big bang cosm ...
*
Medical model, a proposed "set of procedures in which all doctors are trained"
*
Model act, a law drafted centrally to be disseminated and proposed for enactment in multiple independent legislatures
See also
*
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes ...
*
Mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used in the natural sciences (such as physics, ...
*
Model organism
A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...
*
Model nation
*
Metamodeling
*
Scientific model
*
Wind tunnel
References
External links
*
{{Set index article
Broad-concept articles
Simulation
Concepts
Physical models
Scale modeling
Copying