Can I Step Through a System to Understand an Object?

[Wiccidu]

OK. This may come off as naive in the extreme, and if it does I apologize, but I'm honestly asking these questions in the hope that they will be thoughtfully answered. Instead of asking and answering these questions solely on my own, I thought I'd let people with greater ability and knowledge than myself help me with them.

My assumptions are that everything is a system, and that there are more or less definite rules that produce change in the system at every level when it is in action. I'd like to be able to see how any object works comprehensively. What is the best way to go about this, and is it possible?

I'll give an example of what I mean. Let's say I choose a car. I understand that it would probably be next to impossible to describe any specific car I could point to, but could I describe an idealized car mathematically? Let's say I want to single out a certain portion of the fuel. Can I step through the system looking at that singled out portion with respect to the entire vehicle and observe not only the changes in the portion of fuel but also the cumulative affects it has on the rest of the car at any scale? If this isn't possible, what is the closest I could get to this?

G.K. Chesterton said, "Thinking means connecting things, and stops if they cannot be connected." My goal is to connect as much as possible of what I learn. I'd love to be able to take an object, describe it mathematically, and then experiment with it. Any and all comments are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Buzzworks]

Since I'm rated amateur, I do the reverse. I experiment with the object first, then I do the math, makes me easier to understand the math involved! It's also gives me that 'creative spark' if I do that in that order. Sometimes the spark causes fire though.

That worked for me except that I never tried to explain anything in math due to my target audience. And when I use math, that means I'm really desperate at tweaking something to improve it - more power! some would say.