---
title: "Learning by analogy example"
subject: "Artificial Intelligence"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_6/artificial_intelligence:learning-by-analogy-example"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/artificial_intelligence/learning-by-analogy-example
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Learning by analogy example

Artificial Intelligence · Chapter 6: Machine Learning

- Asked in: 2071 Bhadra, 1 marks
- Video: [LEARNING BY ANALOGY in ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdxcgfYhehQ) — abhishek seth
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/artificial_intelligence/learning-by-analogy-example
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/artificial_intelligence/chapter-6

## Question

Give an example of learning by analogy.

## Short answer

Learning by analogy transfers knowledge from a similar known problem to a new one. An example is understanding electric current through water flow analogy: voltage is like pressure, resistance like pipe narrowness.

## Answer

**Learning by analogy** means solving a new problem by transferring knowledge from a similar known problem.

Example: a student who knows that water flowing through a pipe depends on pressure difference and pipe resistance can understand electric current in a circuit by analogy: voltage is like pressure, current is like water flow, and resistance is like the narrowness of the pipe. Similarly, Rutherford's atom model was learned by analogy with the solar system (nucleus = sun, electrons = planets).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is learning by analogy?
   A. Generalising a rule from many examples
   B. Memorising facts word for word
   C. Learning only from rewards
   D. Solving a new problem by transferring knowledge from a similar known problem
   Answer: D. It maps a known source to a new target. (Key point: Meaning)

2. In the water-pipe analogy, what corresponds to voltage?
   A. Pressure difference
   B. Pipe narrowness
   C. Water volume
   D. Pipe length
   Answer: A. Voltage = pressure, current = flow, resistance = narrowness. (Key point: Water-electric analogy)

3. Rutherford's atom model was learned by analogy with what?
   A. A water pipe
   B. The solar system, with the nucleus as the sun and electrons as planets
   C. A chess game
   D. A decision tree
   Answer: B. The nucleus plays the sun and electrons the planets. (Key point: Rutherford)

## Related in Artificial Intelligence

- [Analogy vs inductive learning](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fartificial_intelligence%3Aanalogy-vs-inductive-learning) — Artificial Intelligence, chapter 6