Spreadsheet and stuff Flashcards
What are the 4 advantages of simulation modelling
1) enables predictions to be made in areas which may be dangerous to humans.
2) it is usually much cheaper, there is no need to crash planes or cars.
3) some situations cannot be performed in real life for testing purposes.
4) it is easier to study long term affects by speeding up time scales.
Define simulation modelling
Means using a computer and mathematical formulas to imitate a real phenomenon. This allows us to examine ‘what if’ scenarios
2 examples of testing done by simulation models
Government price increases
Making a nuclear reactor go critical
3 disadvantages of simulation modelling
1) prediction only as accurate as the rules or data entered.
2) powerful expensive computer hardware is needed to run simulations.
3) some things such as earthquakes are hard to predict accurately and hard to simulate
Describe 4 advantages of modelling car crash testing
1) cheaper
2) safer as nobody is really hurt
3) much more flexible
4) can explore different scenarios more easily
3 disadvantages of modelling car crash tests
1) model could oversimplify the situation and not be accurate enough
2) bad data in formulas will spoil accuracy
3) no model is ever 100% accurate
How are weather forecasting models set up
It is created by producing a set of equations which are solved to predict weather twice a day. Data is collected from a large number of measurements like pressure, humidity, temperature. This information comes from radar satellites and weather balloons. The data is entered into the equations and compared with the actual weather to test if the model needs to be modified.
3 advantages of weather forecasting models
1) only takes 1 hour to produce a 6 day forecast
2) can predict hurricane
3) can help farmers plan when to harvest their crops
2 disadvantages of weather simulation models
160 million equations needs to be solved, this needs a powerful machine and it costs a lot to buy the supercomputer
Long range forecasts cannot be 100% accurate in predictions
A use of financial forecasting
The government use it to predict what will happen if they changed some factors such as increasing tax reducing interest rates or changing the amount of public spending. It is used to examine the consequences of the economy
3 advantage of using the financial forecasting model
1) possible to experience lots of situations
2) cheaper, as money won’t be spent on impossible actions
3) it can save time as you can roll on the model to see what it is like after more than one year
3 disadvantages of financial modelling
1) there will always be some differences between simulation and accuracy
2) the system depends on the accuracy of the rules and variables
3) some situations are hard to model
4 advantages of encoding data with examples
1) shorter can save the system user time typing it in, airport baggage handling
2) less hard disk space is required to store data, the system will require less RAM storage to load data
3) fewer characters are typed so less likely to make mistakes. Data is easier to process and it is consistent.
4) greater consistency means it’s faster to search
