Computer models and simulations

surveys
tuck shop
clubs and society records
record keeping
simulations

 Even if you don't work for a huge business, It can be
useful to use computers to keep track of data.
Data that is stored on a computer (as opposed to
data written on paper) can be easily:
organised / sorted in different ways
 displayed / printed in a variety of styles and layouts
 searched for specific things
 updated - adding / changing / deleting items
 backed-up - a copy can be made with just a few
clicks
 stored / moved - a memory stick is much smaller
than a cupboard full of paper!

 Clubs / societies need to keep track of their members. A membership
database allows the club / society to easily contact members, check that
they have paid any fees, etc.
A typical computerised membership database might store:
Membership number
 Name
 Address
 Phone number
 Fees to charge
 Have fees been paid (Y/N)
 Etc.
 If a letter needs to be sent to every member of the club / society, the
names and addresses of the members can be taken from the membership
database and automatically placed onto a letter. This is called a mail-
merge.
A mail-merge is a very easy way to automatically create lots of letters
that seem to be personally written for each person, but in fact are all the
same letter, just with the name and address changed.

 Many groups / organisations undertake surveys to try to
discover what people like / want / think.
Surveys can be performed using paper questionnaires, and
then the results entered into the computer by:
Typing data in
 Scanning the paper forms, using OMR technology
 Alternatively, results can be entered into the computer
directly, using an on-screen form (e.g. if using a tablet PC)
The survey results are best stored on a computer so that
they can easily be analysed. Survey results on a computer
allow:
Data to be quickly and easily queried (filtered)
 Charts to be easily created
 Summary reports to be created

 A simulation is the creation of a model of a
real system in order to study the behaviour
of the system.
 it is important how system behaves and
possible predictions
 Examples: spreadsheet representations,
flight simulations,trafic light simulation.

 There are several reasons that computer models
are used…
To test a system without having to create the
system for real (Building real-life systems can be
expensive, and take a long time)
 To predict what might happen to a system in the
future (An accurate model allows us to go
forward in virtual time to see what the system
will be doing in the future)
 To train people to use a system without putting
them at risk (Learning to fly an airplane is very
difficult and mistake will be made. In a real
plane mistakes could be fatal!)
 To investigate a system in great detail (A model
of a system can be zoomed in/out or rotated.
Time can be stopped, rewound, etc.)

 they are less expensive.
 It is safer to run simulation.(chemical
process)
 Various scenarios can be tested in advance.
 Sometimes it is impossible to try out some
experiments in real life. (outer space, under
the sea, in nuclear reactors, crash testing
cars, etc.)
 it is often faster to model a situation. (
climate changes, population growth)

 They are only good as the data used and the
mathematical alghoritms representing the
real life situations.
 žthey are very expensive to set up and often
require specialist software to be written.
 they frequently require very fast
processor/computer system.

 A computer model of a car
can be used to test how
safe the design of the car
is in a crash.
The virtual car can be
crashed over and over
again, the effects
investigated and the
design easily changed
until it is as safe as
possible.
This is much quicker and
cheaper than building and
crashing real cars!

 A computer model of a weather
system can be used to predict
storms.
The wind patterns, temperatures,
etc. for the whole planet are
simulated using very powerful
computers. If the computer model is
accurate (it is very difficult to
make an accurate model since our
planet is rather big) then weather
forecasters can use it to ‘fast-
forward’ into the future to see a
prediction of what the weather will
be tomorrow, next week, next
month.
(Since weather is so complex, and
the models are not (yet) accurate
enough, often the weather forecast
is wrong!)

 A computer model of a bridge can be
used to test the design.
 Bridges have to be able to survive
extreme weather conditions. It is
obvious not practical to build a real
bridge and then wait to see if it falls
down in a storm.
 Instead, a computer model of the bridge
is created and tested in virtual storms.
 If the model breaks, it can be quickly
and cheaply re-designed and re-tested.
If it doesn’t break, the real bridge can
be built, confident that it will survive
real storms.
 Bridges can also be tested to see if they
can cope with heavy traffic. The virtual
bridge can be loaded with a traffic jam
of virtual trucks to check that it won’t
collapse.
 A similar system is used by building
designers, especially for very large or
tall buildings, such as skyscrapers.

 Trainee pilots have many hours of
lessons in flight simulators before
being allowed to fly a real
airplane.
 Flight simulators behave almost
exactly like real airplanes since
they are controlled by a computer
with a very accurate and realistic
model of the airplane.
 The main difference is that the
simulator can’t actually crash!
 Pilots can make mistakes without
putting anyone’s life at risk.
 Flight simulators can provide a
pilot with any number of highly
realistic flying situations: storms,
engine failures, low cloud hiding
the runway, etc.
 The experience that pilots gain
whilst using the simulator means
that when they eventually start
flying real airplanes, they already
have many of the required skills.

 It's important, when selling things, and dealing with
cash, to keep track of the numbers involved.
A computer spreadsheet is an good way to record
which items you have sold, and also to perform
calculations on the data (calculate totals, averages,
etc.).
A typical sales spreadsheet might contain the
following columns:
Item code
 Item description
 Item cost
 Number sold
 Total cost
 Profit made

 A school would typically keep data on student academic
performance in a computerised database. This would allow the
school to easily track how students were doing as the year
progressed, as well as making the creation of printed reports very
easy (compared to hand writing every report)
A typical school report database might contain:
Student ID
 Name
 Tutor group
 Grades for Term 1
 Attendance for Term 1
 Comments by teachers for Term 1
 Grades for Term 2
 Etc.
 Most database programs allow data to be presented in
attractively design reports that can include headers and footers,
school logos, etc.

Computer models and simulations

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