PhilSci Archive

Scale Modeling (Chapter 32, _Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Engineering_)

Sterrett, S. G. (2019) Scale Modeling (Chapter 32, _Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Engineering_). [Preprint]

[img]
Preview
Text
PolishedMay27R&RForDianeScaleModelArticleForRoutledgePhilosophyOfEngineering.pdf

Download (13MB) | Preview

Abstract

This chapter describes the role of scale modeling in engineering and related sciences. Accounts of scale modeling in philosophy rarely provide a correct description of how the practice is actually employed in engineering. This chapter corrects misconceptions about scale modeling often found in the philosophical literature. It also
provides an informal explanation of how and why scale modeling works, when it does, in terms of an analogy between geometric similarity of plane figures and similarity of physically similar systems, which is
founded on physics rather than on geometry. The key idea is to identify the relevant ratios responsible for the kind of similarity that is of interest, and then to characterize similarity in terms of a set of ratios that are the same (i.e., identical, or invariant) between the model system and the system it models. References to more
extended treatments are provided for further reading.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Sterrett, S. G.susangsterrett@gmail.com
Additional Information: forthcoming in _Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Engineering_ Diane P. Michelfelder, Neelke Doorn, Eds.
Keywords: model, scale model, physically similar systems, dimensionless ratio, dimensionless parameter, physical similarity
Subjects: General Issues > Experimentation
General Issues > Models and Idealization
Depositing User: Dr Susan G. Sterrett
Date Deposited: 30 May 2019 04:42
Last Modified: 30 May 2019 04:42
Item ID: 16054
Subjects: General Issues > Experimentation
General Issues > Models and Idealization
Date: 27 May 2019
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/16054

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item