A scale model is most generally a physical model of an object that maintains accurate relationships between its important aspects, although absolute values of the original properties need not be preserved. This enables it to demonstrate some behavior or property of the original object without examining the original object itself. The most familiar scale models represent the physical appearance of an object in miniature, but there are many other kinds.

Scale models are used in many fields including engineering, architecture, filmmaking, military command, salesmanship, and hobby model building. While each field may use a scale model for a different purpose, all scale models are based on the same principles and must meet the same general requirements to be functional. The detail requirements vary depending on the needs of the modeler.

 

Note:   The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article Scale model, which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.