Stage 3: The Scientific Method in Experimental Sciences

Stage 3: The Scientific Method in Experimental Sciences

1. The Experimental Scientific Method

   • Background of the experimental scientific Method
     • The word "method" comes from the Greek, this means "beyond" and odoz (hodos), which means "way", so it means "way to go further".
       • A research method is a process or series of steps to follow orderly that lead us to produce explanations. These steps can vary, according to the type of reasoning that is being followed, but all start from the observation of the phenomena of existence.
         • Some fundamental constants must be met by any research to produce scientific knowledge:
           • 3.- Every method or procedure of scientific research mus also draw on experience, orderly observation, and experimentations.
           • 2.- The ways or methods that seek to achieve scientific knowledge must conform to the principles of logic, as well as maintaining consistency and correct reasoning.
           • 1.- Science is made up of different disciplines, which focus on specific facts or phenomena, from different perspectives. For example, human sexuality can be studied from the perspective of biology, medicine, chemistry, sociology, among other sciences.
   • Steps of the Experimental Scientific Method according to Galileo
     • The method of practive that Galileo used to achieve logical and rational explanations of natural phenomena was the scientific method of resolving-composing. Such a Method consisted of four moments: observation, formulation of an explanatory hypothesis, deduction, and experimentation.
       • 1.- Observation: This step implies a detailed description of the object to be investigated or of the aspect to be solved, including possible changes occurring throughout the observation and a chronological description that accounts for such modifications.
       • 2.- Formulation of an Explanatory Hypothesis: The idea was to create a new explanation, but one that could be associated with the rest of the body pf scientific knowledge, without losing sight of the fact that this hypothesis should be confirmed experimentally.
         • Galileo considered three types of Hypotheses:
           • Deductive hypotheses, which address the logical coherence of an argument to establish mathematical relationships between the phenomena observerd.
           • b) The hypothese that arise to adapt them to a situation and that may present some logical contradictions.
           • a) Metaphysical hypothese: which cannot be verified because they are attributed to unknown forces impossible to verify.
       • 3.- Deduction: It is necessary to establish the logical consequences in the case of the hypothesis results correct. These deductive consequences are obtained through logical-matematical exercises and reasoning. This step includes not only the demostration of coherent logical-mathematical relationships but the recording of some numerical data.
       • 4.- Experimentation: In this way, all these steps are aimed to verify that in the same conditions in which such an experiment is generated, the same results or consequences calculated in the hypothesis and deduction will always be obtained

2. Stages of the Experimental Scientific Method

   • Observation: Find a problem or event that you want to explain.
     • Statement of the problem: Define the specific questions of the problem to investigate
       • Hypothesis: Analyze the consequences of possible explanations
         • Generate tentative answers or possible explanations.
           • Experimentation: Desing experiments to confirm or refute possible explanations, and obtain results.
             • Analysis and conclusions: Make judgments based on the study of the results.