ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Physical model

A physical model is a little toy or a small thing that can help us understand big things. Let's say you want to understand how a car engine works. You can't take a real car engine apart and put it back together easily, right? So you might use a physical model of a car engine to help you see how all the different parts fit together and how they work.

A physical model is kind of like a mini-version of the real thing, but easier to understand. It can be made of plastic, wood, or any other material that can be shaped into the right size and shape.

For example, if you were learning about the solar system, you might make a physical model by putting little balls on a stick to represent the planets and their positions in relation to the sun. This would help you understand how big the planets are and how they move around the sun.

Physical models can be used to help us understand things like science, engineering, and architecture. They are like little toys that we can play with to make big ideas easier to understand.