Exploring the Scientific Method: Understanding the Foundation of Science

1. Scientific Method • Science is a consistent body of knowledge strongly tied to experiment, and expressed in as few laws as possible. Science relies on experimental and observational facts of nature. We obtain these facts through experiments or observations which are repeatable by other scientists. • Observations of natural phenomena (collect data) • Hypothesis (ideas to explain observations)Looking for a unifying principle. Must be verifiable; must be able to deduce and test consequences from a hypothesis. Method of multiple working hypotheses • Test the hypotheses by experimenting • a. accept • b. reject • c. modify • When a hypothesis is accepted and others are rejected, it becomes a theory. A theory is a hypothesis with considerable experimental support. Many consequences of a theory may be verified, but a theory can never be proved, only disproved. Theories may have limits in certain situations. • Laws are narrower in scope and expressed mathematically