Why Scientific Method

1. Why is the Scientific Method a powerful tool?

The scientific method is a powerful tool because it allows one to generate accurate and repeatable predictions if each step is taken correctly.

2. What are the two classes of investigation? Be able to name and describe each using examples.

The first class of investigation is the descriptive investigation, which is an inductive method that investigates associations between facts and infers general information from a pool of observations or facts. An investigation that is descriptive would be one in which students were observed to determine which lunch selections were the most preferred. The second class of investigation is the experimental investigation, which is a deductive method that seeks to explain cause-and-effect relationships by utilizing a control variable and altering an independent variable to see its effects. An investigation that is experimental would be one in which multiple of the same plant were grown in

Is it better for a hypothesis to be general or specific?

Generally, it is better for a hypothesis to be specific, as it allows for one to come to an answer of “yes” or “no” or comparably easy conclusions as to whether the hypothesis was correct. However, hypotheses can be general or specific, and this depends on what idea one is examining.

8. Does science prove things?

Science cannot always prove things due to our own limitations on what questions we know to ask, how to ask them, how to test them, and in our abilities to observe and understand the world and its phenomena wholly. Instead, science more often disproves things; we disprove null hypotheses to prove research hypotheses and disprove outdated ideas and theories with the results of novel and replicated experiments.

9. Being able to reject the null hypothesis accomplishes what?

Being able to reject the null hypothesis allows us to accept the research hypothesis.

10. What role does probability play in accepting the validity of