Scientific Models | Notes 1 - 1 and 1 - 2

Scientific Model

A representation of an object or a system.

Physical Models

Models that look like the things they represent, such as a model flower used to learn its parts.

Mathematical Models

Models made up of mathematical equations and data, such as a weather map.

Conceptual Models

Systems of ideas or comparisons with familiar things to explain an idea, such as the origin of the universe.

Uses of Models

Used to represent very small or very large things, such as cells or the solar system.

Scientific Theories

Unifying explanations for a range of hypotheses and observations tested over time.

Scientific Laws

Summaries of many experimental results and observations, telling what happens, not why.

Graphs

Visual tools used to reveal patterns or trends in data that tables cannot.

Line Graphs

Used to display how one variable changes in response to another, indicating relationships in experiments.

Setting up a Graph

Involves drawing axes, labeling them, determining the scale, plotting data, drawing a best fit line, and adding a descriptive title.

Line of Best Fit

Emphasizes the overall trend shown by the data in a graph.

Slope

The steepness of a graph line, used to identify trends by picking two points to calculate. Can find by using rise over run ( y2-y1 / x2-x1).