Question

Dr. Ray has developed a new way to remove oil from wetlands in the event of an oil spill. To test his new process, Dr. Ray builds a scale model of a wetland in his lab and pours a small amount of oil into it. He then observes the rate at which his process is able to remove the oil from the model. Why did Dr. Ray use a model?

Answer 1

Dr. Ray uses a model because the scale model is used to test the design to see if it’s effective, instead of testing it on the real wetland and risk harming it through his experiment. By testing on a model first he can take notes on the effectiveness of his device and improve it, rather than running the risks that come with testing his design on something that he can’t undo if his design doesn’t work the first time.

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