Question

Question #1fea3

Answer 1

I think you're talking about the scientific method here.

Explanation:

The scientific method is a method which lies at the very core of science. It is cyclical or goes in a cycle. Here is a basic outline of it:

Don't get freaked out by the commentary under the picture. It's simply a more detailed explanation with an example.

First, a scientist observes nature. They look around them and maybe notice something interesting, such as the movement of stars.

Then they sit down (over a cup of tea of course) and think about what they saw. They ask questions about the phenomenon, maybe something along the lines of "Why do the stars move the way they do? Why are some stars stationary and others move?"

Then they have a go at trying to answer the question. They consult all the knowledge they have, so when answering the question about stars, a scientist would base their answer on what they already know, such as for example, the theory of the expanding universe. This answer, or "educated guess" is called the hypothesis.

Once they have a hypothesis, scientists sit down and come up with an experiment that relates to their question. The key here is to come up with an experiment in which you can actually measure things. So in our example of the stars, the scientist can either make a small scale model of the stars they're investigating, or they might consult a telescope to make observations with.

Once they have a set up for the experiment, they carry it out. They take loads and loads of data and then see what the data shows them. Maybe it shows nothing - that's valid, or maybe it shows that there is some kind of a relationship with how close the star is to the earth to how much it moves.

If their data does not show them much, or shows something new that they have not thought about before, they may alter the hypothesis to explore another relationship or idea they have. They go back to the step of planning the experiment, this time to investigate something new, and the process repeats, until they're satisfied with what they found.

Then they may find that there exist similar situations that behave similarly. This might cause them to say, hey, this can be made into a general theory, a generalisation of how these systems will work.

Then it starts all over again.

Hope it helps!