The Scientific Method Essay

The term scientific method refers to a way of investigation or the acquisition of knowledge through the testing of a theory or hypothesis, then working through measurements (observation and empirical notes) to come up with a result, which should prove or disprove the original theory. Thus, the basic method consists of a) formulating a question or hypothesis, b) designing an experiment or means of collecting data, c) observation or experimentation, d) analyzing

Galileo discovered the principle of inertia. He used the “balls rolling on an inclined plane” experiment, which means that the balls on an inclined plan would roll to the same position as the initial position. Galileo also experimented with free-falling objects. Aristotle believed that when two objects are dropped, the heavier object will hit the ground before the lighter object. Galileo proved that theory to be incorrect when he dropped objects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and noticed that objects fall to the ground at the same time if air resistance is negligible. This experiment helped him come up with the concept of acceleration. Galileo also proposed the first Theory of Relativity and stated that there is no physical way to differentiate between a body moving at a constant speed and an immobile body. He also attempted to measure the speed of light, but discovered that light moved to

There are four main characteristics of the scientific method: observation/measurements, make an assumption, test the assumption, and revise the assumption. The first stage we make an observations. For instance, I notice that my peppers in my garden are not growing well. I am going to assume this is because I did not water that area well enough. So I am now going to test my assumption. This is done by watering the peppers in my garden more frequently. Lastly, I am going to see if my assumption was correct. If my peppers only needed more water, they will begin to grow more rapidly. It is also possible that my assumption was wrong, and that my peppers were getting enough water; however, there could be something wrong with the soil, temperature, etc. These are the four main characteristics of the scientific method; it is important to note that our assumptions sometimes be wrong, thus it is always important that we test our assumptions to make sure we are correct.

The development of the scientific method in the late 1500’s to the early 1600’s was a crucial stepping-stone in the science community. The scientific method is based upon observations, hypotheses and experimentation. The concept is rather simple, and can be applied to many areas of study. Once an observation is made, the observer can make a hypothesis as to why that phenomenon occurs and can then design an experiment to prove whether or not that hypotheses is valid. Although the scientific method has been extremely useful in the discovery of various things from usages of medications to studying animal behavior, there are still those who question the usage of this tool. These critics claim that since

The scientific method continues to be misrepresented in public schools all over the world. Students are being taught that there is a beginning and an end to the scientific method, and that everything in between is protocol and must be followed chronologically. “Ask a question, do some research, come up with a hypothesis, conduct an experiment, understand your data, make your conclusion!” a grade six science teacher will tell their students. “It’ll be on your quiz!”. However, what those students are not being taught is that the scientific method has never been, and will never be a linear process. Scientists constantly revisit different steps of the process in order to better understand the subject matter; sometimes it can take many years to

The scientific method is used during experiments to find a conclusion and or reason as to why an event or something happens.

Dating back to the 17th century, the scientific method is a systematic way to research a question or problem. It first starts with asking the question you are interested, including the "how, what, when, where, why, who", etc. The next step is to do more research to learn the background of what you are inquiring. After that, you create a hypothesis or educated guess to predict an outcome to the question you are testing. It should be easy to measure. Next, you test the hypothesis in a fair and unbiased experiment while changing factors that affect your guessed outcome. This should be done multiple times to prove it is not just a random chance. After this, you analyze the data and draw a conclusion based on your findings. This is where you check

In modern science, all scientific experiments must begin with a scientific question. These questions aim to explain a topic through hypothesis-oriented experimentation. This same scientific method is modeled in the Hellenistic world. For example, Aristarcho calculated the size and distance of the sun and moon. He did this by creating a

The scientific method is an organized way that helps anyone answer a question or begin to solve a problem. It is used in all types of Sciences such as Chemistry, Physics, Geology, and Psychology. For psychologists it offers a standardized way to test a hypothesis, build on theories, and gain knowledge about the mind. There are several steps to The Scientific Method and each step serves its own purpose. By using the Scientific Method, you can understand better what psychologists go through to arrive at conclusions about human behavior.

It was previously believed, that when two objects of different masses were dropped from the same height, that the heavier of the two would reach the ground first due to its larger mass. In 1650, Galileo climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and dropped two cannonballs, of different masses, from the same height. Both balls, even though they had different masses, landed at the same time. He concluded that the forced pulling down on the objects must be the same and the only factor that may affect the timing is air resistance. Galileo also discovered that an object accelerates uniformly due to gravity, through his ramp experiment. He released a ball at the top of a ramp and found that the displacement of the ball was equal to time

You may be hesitant to think that the clumsy process of trial and error is identical to the scientific method, if only because science is so often masked in complexity and jargon. Yet there is no fundamental difference. It might seem that scientists start with a more detailed understanding of their problem than the weekend car mechanic, but in fact most scientific inquiries have humble and ignorant beginnings. Progress can occur just as assuredly via trial and error as in traditional science, and the scientist isn't guaranteed of success any more than is the handyman: witness the failure to develop a vaccine for

Nearly 2,000 years ago Galileo believed that heavier bodies fall faster than lighter ones. He was proved wrong by an experiment that proved all bodies fall at the same rate. The law claims that the distance traveled by a falling body is directly proportional to the square of the time it takes to fall. The equation that shows this is X=at^2.

The scientific method is a process used to prove or disprove a hypothesis through experimentation and analysis. The steps necessary include Asking a question and/or observation, Forming a hypothesis, Test the hypothesis, Analyze the results, Draw a conclusion, and Publish the findings.

Secondly, why stick to one method when there are so many more options to solving the problem. From the same article (Problems with the Scientific Method” by Jennifer Cutraro) it gives some examples of ways scientists use different methods being: Scientists will test ideas in the real world, they will experiment with the unknown, and some scientists will use computers to model the experiments. These are a few of many other ways scientists can use different methods to solve their scientific

Undoubtedly, Aristotle’s method works perfectly on things that can be effortlessly observed. As mentioned in The Beginnings of Western Science, by repeatedly observing dogs’ characteristics and adopting induction method, we are able to deduce what a dog really is and its living habits (Lindberg, 1992). Nonetheless, concerning things that cannot be simply observed, the observation results could be untrue which result in wrong induction and deduction. Take the celestial bodies as an example. By repeated observations, Aristotle induced and deduced that celestial bodies were perfect smooth spheres with their motion being perfect circular motions (Lindberg, 1992). This is not erroneous. Conversely, by turning theoretical questions into mathematical models, it is possible to establish accurate propositions on things that cannot be easily observed. For instance, Halley applied Newton’s results and successfully predicted the reappearance of the “Halley’s comet” right on schedule (Lindberg, 1992). Therefore, Newton’s method not only helps us know the readily observable matters but also the matters that are not readily