knowledgeandmustincorporatenewknowledgethatmaychangeitasknowledgeisacquired.
The origin of the moon, for example, is explained by some as a Mars sized planet that hit
the Earth and formed a great cloud of debris and gas (Figure 1.6). This debris and gas
eventually formed a single spherical body called the Moon. This is a useful model of an
event that probably occurred billions of years ago. It incorporates many ideas about the
craters and volcanoes on the Moon, and the similarity of some elements on both the moon
and the Earth. Not all data may fit this model, however, and there may be much information
that we simply don’t know. Some people think that the Moon was initially an asteroid out
in space which was captured in orbit by the gravity of the Earth. This may be a competing
conceptual model which has its own arguments and weaknesses. As with physical models,
all conceptual models have limitations.
Figure 1.6: A collision showing a meteor striking the Earth. ( 14 )Mathematical Models
A third type of model is the mathematical model. These models are created through a great
deal of consideration and analysis of data. A mathematical model is an equation or formula
that takes many factors or variables into account. These models may help predict complex
events like tornadoes and climate change. In order to predict climate change, for example, a
mathematical model may take into account factors such as temperature readings, ice density,
snow fall, and humidity. These data may be plugged into equations to give a prediction. As
with other models, not all factors can be accounted for, so that the mathematical model may
not work perfectly. This may yield false alarms or prediction failures. No model is without
its limitations.