Chapter 1: Introduction the Nature of Science and Physics - Conceptual Questions

How does a model differ from a theory?

A model is a representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to display directly. While a model is justified with experimental proof, it is only accurate under limited situations, whereas a theory is an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers. A theory may include models to help visualize phenomena, whereas some theories do not.

Models are particularly useful in relativity and quantum mechanics, where conditions are outside those normally encountered by humans. What is a model?

A model is a representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to display directly. While a model is justified with experimental proof, it is only accurate under limited situations. models can help physicists analyze a scenario and perform a calculation, or they can be used to represent a situation in the form of a computer simulation