Computer simulation and modeling use mathematical and three-dimensional models to recreate abstract situations in various scientific fields. Simulations create situations, while models are objects used within them. Models can be manipulated or static and are used to study conditions that would otherwise be impossible to observe physically.
Computer simulation and modeling almost always go hand in hand, as computers use different types of models to run simulations. The two most common types of models used in computer simulation are mathematical models and three-dimensional models. A computer simulation can use one or both types of models to recreate abstract situations, the results of which will be an integral part of research and development. The simulation software will perform various manipulations of the computer models to determine the effects of these actions. Applications of computer modeling and simulation are found in nearly every major scientific field, including biology, chemistry, and physics.
The dynamics of simulation and computer modeling are simple: developers create simulations according to their needs and design models to be used in the simulations. A simulation is a computer program written to create certain situations and conditions, while a model is an object used within the simulation. Researchers often rely on computer modeling and simulation to study conditions that would otherwise be unlikely, if not impossible, to physically observe. A physicist, for example, might rely on a simulation to determine the effects of a supernova on nearby planets. Developers and marketers, on the other hand, may need a simulation to demonstrate the capabilities of a product that isn’t physically present.
Models often represent objects manipulated in the simulation; these objects are subjected to various actions, with the effects recorded for review and presentation. For example, a researcher can create a simulation to determine the effects of wind erosion on a rock. He will then create a computational model for a rock, with mathematical representations of its density, shape and other characteristics. When the simulation runs, the researcher will subject the rock model to a wind program designed to virtually erode the stone.
You can also create models for static objects in the simulation, i.e. objects that are not manipulated by the program in any way. These are often used to define environmental constants and limitations. An individual running a simulation for a laser, for example, could create a model for airborne particles that could be in the path of the laser and potentially affect the end result of the simulation. In cases where computer modeling and simulation are used primarily for visual presentations, static models might represent where other models move or act as objects that cannot be moved.
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