KS3 ICT | Models - Income, expenses and profits with spreadsheets

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ICT Quiz - Models 03 (Questions)

Models help you plan and predict, but they are not perfect. Explore how ICT models simplify reality, and why sensible decisions need checks, context, and judgement.

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Fascinating Fact:

Modelling is useful, but decisions should still consider real-world limits and human judgement, not just the output number.

In KS3 ICT, models are used to represent real situations using tools like spreadsheets, diagrams, or simulations. A good model makes assumptions, uses sensible inputs, and helps you compare options, but it still needs testing and careful interpretation.

Key Terms

Validation: Checking that the data going into a model is sensible, such as using input rules to prevent impossible values.
Constraint: A real-world limit that affects a model, like a budget cap, time limit, or maximum storage space.
Sensitivity: How much a model’s output changes when you alter an input by a small amount.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is modelling in ICT KS3?

In KS3 ICT, modelling means creating a simplified representation of a real problem so you can test ideas, change inputs, and compare outcomes using tools like spreadsheets or simulations.

Why can an ICT model give misleading results?

An ICT model can give misleading results if it uses poor assumptions, unrealistic inputs, or missing constraints. If the model does not match real conditions, the output may not be reliable.

How do you test an ICT model to see if it works?

You test an ICT model by trying known values, checking results against real examples, using sensible ranges, and changing inputs to see if outputs behave logically and consistently.

Try These Related Quizzes

What name is given to the text at the top of a column?

[ ]	Function
[ ]	Label
[ ]	Sum
[ ]	Value

Which of the following statements is not true?

[ ]	You can use different fonts in different cells.
[ ]	Calculations in a spreadsheet model are carried out manually.
[ ]	The width of a column can be altered.
[ ]	A formula takes some or all of its data from other cells.

A cell contains a number. This is called a .......

[ ]	input
[ ]	numeric
[ ]	output
[ ]	value

A formula is not normally displayed in a cell. It is found .......

[ ]	in the address bar
[ ]	in the formula bar
[ ]	in the formulae bar
[ ]	in the rule bar

Functions are pre-programmed formulae which .......

[ ]	have to be learned by heart
[ ]	perform tasks a user could not create a formula to do
[ ]	save the user having to type in regularly used formulae
[ ]	work better than formulae created by a user

Which of these is not a commonly used function?

[ ]	MAX
[ ]	MIN
[ ]	MINGIN
[ ]	MOD

Which is not an advantage of using models?

[ ]	Is cheaper than doing the real thing, e.g. car crashes
[ ]	Models usually give only approximate answers
[ ]	They can be used for making predictions
[ ]	Training people to do dangerous jobs without any risk

Why are computer models sometimes unreliable?

[ ]	Real life often has unpredictable events occur
[ ]	The models might be processing too much information
[ ]	The rules were probably entered incorrectly
[ ]	They have been run on old computers

A spreadsheet model might be tested by .......

[ ]	changing the input data and looking at the predictions
[ ]	changing the rules used and looking at the predictions
[ ]	comparing the model predictions with real life results
[ ]	It is a computer model and doesn't need testing

10.

Spreadsheets are good at answering what-if questions. Which of the following statements is true?

[ ]	You can change input values and check the results
[ ]	You can change the rules and check the results
[ ]	You can change the rules and data and check the results
[ ]	None of the above will work

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Spreadsheets

ICT Quiz - Models 03 (Answers)

What name is given to the text at the top of a column?

[ ]	Function
[x]	Label
[ ]	Sum
[ ]	Value

This can help others to understand the data that you are using in your model

Which of the following statements is not true?

[ ]	You can use different fonts in different cells.
[x]	Calculations in a spreadsheet model are carried out manually.
[ ]	The width of a column can be altered.
[ ]	A formula takes some or all of its data from other cells.

A big advantage of a spreadsheet model is that if you change some of the data, any calculations based on it will automatically update

A cell contains a number. This is called a .......

[ ]	input
[ ]	numeric
[ ]	output
[x]	value

Values can be entered manually or automatically from other cells

A formula is not normally displayed in a cell. It is found .......

[ ]	in the address bar
[x]	in the formula bar
[ ]	in the formulae bar
[ ]	in the rule bar

This is found just above the work space

Functions are pre-programmed formulae which .......

[ ]	have to be learned by heart
[ ]	perform tasks a user could not create a formula to do
[x]	save the user having to type in regularly used formulae
[ ]	work better than formulae created by a user

They save the user time and unnecessary effort

Which of these is not a commonly used function?

[ ]	MAX
[ ]	MIN
[x]	MINGIN
[ ]	MOD

A huge number of helpful functions are available

Which is not an advantage of using models?

[ ]	Is cheaper than doing the real thing, e.g. car crashes
[x]	Models usually give only approximate answers
[ ]	They can be used for making predictions
[ ]	Training people to do dangerous jobs without any risk

Computer models are not always reliable, it depends on how carefully they are set up and how many variables they consider

Why are computer models sometimes unreliable?

[x]	Real life often has unpredictable events occur
[ ]	The models might be processing too much information
[ ]	The rules were probably entered incorrectly
[ ]	They have been run on old computers

Unpredictable events may not be covered by the rules. A good example of this is weather forecasting which is not always reliable, but that is far too complicated for a spreadsheet model - weather models require some of the world's largest computers