Scientific Method and Variables and Correlation

Biology Laboratory Research Paper

I. The Scientific Method

Scientists see the world from a different perspective. Scientists observe the environment and the surroundings and ask questions. Once questions are formulated the next step for a scientist is to try and come up with answers. This method of inquiry and analysis is called the scientific method. As previously mentioned the scientific method starts by asking questions and then trying to find answers. "Scientists use the scientific method to construct an accurate representation of the world through the testing of scientific theories" (Environmental Protection Agency). The scientific method is "a systematic approach to the discovery of new information" (Denniston, Topping, and Caret 3).

"The Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. It is based on gathering observable, empirical, measurable evidence, subject to the principles of reasoning" (Wikepia.org). This method is not formalized or standard among the different science branches but it serves as an organized approach to solve problems. Therefore, the scientific method is not a cookbook recipe but a guide whose steps could be done simultaneously or even in a different order. The scientific method has the following characteristics: observation of phenomena, formulation of a question, pattern recognition, developing theories, experimentation and summarizing information.

The first two steps of the scientific method involve observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena and then formulating a question. The description must be reliable, replicable and valid (Wikipedia.org). Scientists will try and find a cause and effect relationship and that will lead to the development of theories. Scientists observe the phenomenon and will try to explain it with a hypothesis. A hypothesis is "an attempt to explain an observation, or series of observations, in a commonsense way" (Denniston, Topping, and Caret 4). If the experiments the scientists conduct support the hypothesis then it becomes a theory. A theory is "a hypothesis supported by extensive testing (experimentation) that explains scientific facts and can predict new facts" ((Denniston, Topping, and Caret 4).

One of the most important steps in a scientific method is conducting experiments. The target of the experiments is to test the correctness of the hypothesis that was formulated. The experiments have to be carried out very carefully, in a controlled environment, since they will support or disprove the hypothesis. When the experiments are conducted scientist must use quantitative controls which are based on values and figures, not emotions. Once the experiments have been completed and a conclusion has been drawn the last step is to summarize the information and share it with the scientific community (Denniston, Topping, and Caret 4-5).

II. The Relationship of Scientific Theory and Scientific Law

Scientific theory and scientific law are terms whose meanings are often misinterpreted by students. A scientific law is a "statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions. It is generally accepted to be true and universal, and can sometimes be expressed in terms of a single mathematical equation" (Wilson). A scientific law encompasses a body of observations and at the time it is made no exceptions have been found to it. (Helmenstine) Examples of scientific laws are the law of gravity, the law of thermodynamics, and Hook's law of elasticity.

A scientific theory is "an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers" (Wilson). In other words, if a scientist has gathered enough evidence that supports a hypothesis than that hypothesis becomes accepted as the explanation to the phenomenon. Even though theories are well documented and proved beyond reasonable doubt scientists continue to tinker with the component hypotheses of each theory in an attempt to make them more elegant and concise, or to make them more all-encompassing. "Theories can be tweaked, but they are seldom, if ever, entirely replaced" (Wilson). Theories can be disproven if someone finds evidence to dispute it. Examples of a scientific theory are the theory of evolution, the theory of relativity, and the quantum theory.

Mostly a scientific theory and a scientific law are accepted to be true by the scientific community as a whole. "Both are used to make predictions of events. Both are used to advance technology" (Wilson). When comparing a law and a theory the biggest difference is that a theory is much more complex and it explains a whole series of related phenomena while a law governs a single action. Scientific laws explain things, but they do not describe them. To try and tell a scientific law from a scientific theory a person should ask if the description provides the way to explain 'why'. For example when considering Newton's Law of Gravity, the law can predict the behavior of a dropped object, but can't explain why it happened.

III. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

When a scientist arrives at a conclusion through the process of making observations it is called inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is not a valid method of proof because the mere fact that a person observes a number of situations in which a pattern exists doesn't mean that that pattern is true for all situations. Inductive reasoning can never be used to provide proofs but it is still valuable because it allows scientist to form ideas about groups of things in real life. In simpler terms, people use the process of inductive reasoning to form ideas about things. Then once an idea is obtained it can be systematically determined (using formal proofs) whether the initial ideas were right, wrong, or somewhere in between (Sparknotes) .

Deductive reasoning is the complement to inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is "the process by which a person makes conclusions based on previously known facts" (Sparknotes). In other words, deductive reasoning is a step-by-step process method of reasoning to draw conclusions from previously known truths. Deductive reasoning is dependent on its premises because a "false premise can possibly lead to a false result, and inconclusive premises will also yield an inconclusive conclusion (Wikipedia).

Deductive reasoning is not as simple as it seems because it can go wrong in more than one way. One of the instances in which deductive reasoning doesn't