A student's computational model of a falling object does not account for air flow. Which of the following statements is true? (1 point)
Responses
This is a simplification, which will create inaccuracies, but computational models of complex systems often include simplifications.
This is a simplification, which will create inaccuracies, but computational models of complex systems often include simplifications.
This computational model must be redone because this simplification will increase the amount of computational power needed for this program.
This computational model must be redone because this simplification will increase the amount of computational power needed for this program.
This computational model is strong because simplifications can make computational models more accurate.
This computational model is strong because simplifications can make computational models more accurate.
This computational model must be redone because computational models should not include simplifications.
The correct statement is: "This is a simplification, which will create inaccuracies, but computational models of complex systems often include simplifications."
To understand why this is the correct statement, let's break it down:
1. "This is a simplification": The computational model of the falling object is simplified because it does not account for air flow. Simplifications are often made in computational models to make them more manageable and easier to work with.
2. "which will create inaccuracies": By neglecting the air flow, the model fails to capture an important factor that affects the motion of falling objects. This omission introduces inaccuracies into the model's predictions.
3. "but computational models of complex systems often include simplifications": Computational models of complex systems, such as the motion of falling objects, often involve trade-offs between accuracy and complexity. Including every possible factor would make the model too complex and require excessive computational power. Therefore, it is common to simplify the model by omitting certain factors, like air flow.
The other statements are incorrect:
- "This computational model must be redone because this simplification will increase the amount of computational power needed for this program": While accounting for air flow would indeed increase the computational complexity, this does not necessarily mean the model needs to be redone. It depends on the specific requirements and constraints of the project.
- "This computational model is strong because simplifications can make computational models more accurate": This statement is contradictory. It implies that the model's inaccuracy actually makes it stronger, which is not the case. Simplifications may make models more manageable, but they also introduce inaccuracies.
- "This computational model must be redone because computational models should not include simplifications": This statement is too extreme. While it is true that simplifications can introduce inaccuracies, it is not inherently wrong to include simplifications in computational models. The appropriateness of simplifications depends on the goals and constraints of the model.