MSC-Why Use Computer Models Lesson

Why Use Computer Models 

What will the weather be like this weekend? How much money will you need for retirement? How is a Tsunami formed? How will a car perform under different driving conditions? These questions and many more are attempted to be answered using computer simulations.     

Models are used for different purposes

Computer models are used for many different purposes.

• Models help make predictions about expected behavior given different input scenarios.
• Models are used for training employees and users before using the real system.  
• Models are used to test and create new products to determine their effectiveness.
• Models are used to gain knowledge about a real system.  
• Models are used to gain knowledge about past events and how they occurred.

There are many different benefits to using models

• Safety - Computer simulations can be used to investigate situations that would be dangerous in real life.  
• Cost - Creating a computer model can be less expensive than creating a real model.
• Time - Computer simulation can be used to investigate the effects of a change in a real life situation that take place over several years very quickly. The simulation can also be replayed many different times.

Computational Modeling Presentation

Take a look at the Computational Modeling presentation below.

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