The car analogy is a common technique, used predominantly in

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

textbooks, to ease the understanding of abstract concepts in which a

car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

, its composite parts, and common circumstances surrounding it are used as analogs for elements of the conceptual

systems A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its environment, is described by its boundaries, structure and purpose and is exp ...

. The car analogy can be seen elsewhere, in textbooks covering other subjects and at various educational levels, such as explaining regulation of human temperature.

Uses of car analogies

The efficiency of car analogies reside on their capacity to explain difficult concepts (usually due to their high abstraction level) on more mundane terms with which the target audience is comfortable, and with which many also have a special interest. Due to that, car analogies appear more often on works related to

applied sciences Applied science is the application of the scientific method and scientific knowledge to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines, such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted with basic science, ...

and

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

. In order to work, car analogies translate agents of action as the car driver, the seller, or police officers; likewise, elements of a

system A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its open system (systems theory), environment, is described by its boundaries, str ...

are referred as car pieces, such as wheels, motor, or ignition keys.

Resources ''Resource'' refers to all the materials available in our environment which are Technology, technologically accessible, Economics, economically feasible and Culture, culturally Sustainability, sustainable and help us to satisfy our needs and want ...

tend to appear as gas, speed, or as the money that can be spent on better accessories/vehicles. For example, in the paragraph:

''" Zener diodes regulate voltage by acting as complementary loads, drawing more or less current as necessary to ensure a constant voltage drop across the load. This is analogous to regulating the speed of an automobile by braking rather than by varying the throttle position."''

Current (resource) is depicted as the car's speed, while the role of the brakes is performed by the Zener diodes (element of the system). Car analogies are also typically used to explain the quality differences between two similar tools or hardware pieces; in that case, the best one is usually described as a mid-engined Italian

supercar A supercar, also known as an exotic car, is a street-legal sports car with race track-like power, speed, and handling, plus a certain subjective ''cachet'' linked to pedigree and/or exclusivity. The term 'supercar' is frequently used for th ...

or a high-end

luxury vehicle A luxury car is a passenger automobile providing superior comfort levels, features, and equipment. More expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect a correspondingly high quality (business), build quality. The term is ...

References

{{Reflist Engineering concepts Analogy Car culture