Analogical models

Imagine you have a toy car and a real car. The toy car is small and can fit in your hand, and the real car is big and can fit many people. Even though they look different, they both have similar parts like wheels, engine, and steering wheel.

Analogical models work the same way. They are models that compare two things that may seem different but have similar functions or properties. For example, a model of a human heart might use a pump as an analogical model because both the heart and the pump work to move liquid (blood in the case of the heart).

The analogical model helps understand complex topics that are difficult to visualize. It simplifies the concepts and makes them easier to visualize or understand. In addition, analogical models help to create a link between the two things being compared, helping you to comprehend the properties and functions of one object by relating it to another.

By creating analogical models, complex scientific or abstract concepts can become more concrete and easily understandable, even to a five-year-old. So, if you want to better understand some complicated idea, imagine it and try finding an object that works in a similar way.