Observations To Laws: The Scientific Journey

how does an observation become a scientific law

Scientific laws are statements that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena based on repeated experiments or observations. They are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics. Scientific laws are not the same as scientific theories, which are in-depth explanations that apply to a wide range of phenomena. Theories are supported by a large body of empirical evidence and help to unify that body of data.

A hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction based on observation. It is a potential explanation of a narrow phenomenon. A hypothesis can be supported or refuted through experimentation or further observation.

A scientific theory is an in-depth explanation that applies to a wide range of phenomena. Theories are supported by a large body of empirical evidence and help to unify that body of data.

Scientific laws are not the same as scientific facts. Facts are simple, one-off observations that have been shown to be true. Laws are generalised observations about the relationship between two or more things in the natural world, often framed as a mathematical statement.

Characteristics Values
Definition A scientific law is a statement that describes an observed phenomenon.
Explanation A scientific law does not explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it.
Comparison with a theory A scientific theory explains the phenomenon, whereas a law describes it.
Mathematical form Many scientific laws can be expressed as a mathematical equation.
Development Laws are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics.
Basis Scientific laws are based on repeated experiments or observations.
Causal relationship Scientific laws implicitly reflect causal relationships fundamental to reality.
Application A scientific law always applies to a physical system under repeated conditions.
Accuracy The accuracy of a law does not change when a new theory is worked out.
Contradiction A scientific law may be contradicted by future observations.

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Scientific laws are based on repeated experiments or observations

Scientific laws are often formulated as one or several statements or equations, allowing them to predict the outcome of an experiment. They are derived from data collected through repeated experiments or observations, and they describe the results of these experiments or observations.

Scientific laws are not absolute, and they can be contradicted, restricted, or extended by future observations. They are constantly being tested experimentally to increasing degrees of precision, which is one of the main goals of science.

Scientific laws are typically based on repeated scientific experiments and observations over many years, and they become universally accepted within the scientific community. They are true within their regime of validity, universal, simple, absolute, stable, and all-encompassing.

Scientific laws are an important tool in science, allowing for the prediction and explanation of natural phenomena. They provide a foundation for further scientific inquiry and understanding of the natural world.

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Scientific laws are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics

Scientific laws are statements that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. They are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics. Scientific laws are based on repeated experiments or observations, and they are directly or indirectly based on empirical evidence.

A law can often be formulated as one or several statements or equations, so that it can predict the outcome of an experiment. Many scientific laws can be boiled down to a mathematical equation. For example, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation states:

> Fg = G (m1 ∙ m2) / d2

Where Fg is the force of gravity, G is the universal gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and d is the distance between them.

Scientific laws are also often governed by the mathematics of probability. Probability always works with large numbers. For example, we can calculate the probability of an event and determine how certain we are of our estimate, but there is always a trade-off between precision and certainty (known as the confidence interval).

Just because a scientific law is established, it doesn't mean that it can't be changed through scientific research in the future. A scientific law is flexible and can have exceptions, be proven wrong, or evolve over time.

Scientific laws are typically conclusions based on repeated scientific experiments and observations over many years that have become accepted universally within the scientific community. They are inferred from particular facts, applicable to a defined group or class of phenomena, and expressible by the statement that a particular phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present.

Scientific laws have several general properties:

  • True: by definition, there have never been repeatable contradicting observations.
  • Universal: they appear to apply everywhere in the universe.
  • Simple: they are typically expressed in terms of a single mathematical equation.
  • Absolute: nothing in the universe seems to affect them.
  • Stable: unchanged since first discovered (although they may have been shown to be approximations of more accurate laws).
  • All-encompassing: everything in the universe must comply with them.
  • Generally conservative of quantity.
  • Often expressions of existing homogeneities (symmetries) of space and time.
  • Typically theoretically reversible in time (if non-quantum).
  • Broad: in physics, laws refer exclusively to the broad domain of matter, motion, energy, and force.

In summary, scientific laws are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics. They are based on repeated experiments or observations and are important conclusions that have become accepted within the scientific community. Scientific laws have several general properties and are flexible, allowing them to be changed or evolved through future scientific research.

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Scientific laws are statements that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena

A scientific law is a statement about an observed phenomenon or a unifying concept. It is a description of an observed phenomenon and does not explain why it exists or what causes it. Scientific laws are often mathematical descriptions of natural phenomena. For example, Newton's Law of Gravity mathematically describes how two bodies in the universe interact with each other. However, it does not explain what gravity is or how it works.

Scientific laws are typically conclusions based on repeated scientific experiments and observations over many years and have become universally accepted within the scientific community. They are true within their regime of validity and are universal, simple, absolute, stable, and all-encompassing.

Scientific laws are narrow in scope compared to scientific theories, which may entail one or several laws. Laws are also different from hypotheses and postulates, which are proposed during the scientific process but have not been verified to the same degree as laws.

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Scientific laws are discovered, not invented

Scientific laws are statements about observed phenomena or unifying concepts. They are not explanations of why the phenomenon exists or what causes it—that would be a scientific theory. A scientific law is a description of what is observed, not an explanation of how or why it works.

Scientific laws are discovered through the scientific method, which involves making observations, asking questions, and conducting experiments to gather evidence. They are not invented but are based on empirical evidence. They are discovered through a process of scientific inquiry and experimentation.

Scientific laws are typically conclusions based on repeated scientific experiments and observations over many years that have become accepted universally within the scientific community. They are discovered through a process of scientific investigation and are not invented.

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Scientific laws are empirical conclusions reached by scientific method

Scientific laws are empirical conclusions reached by the scientific method. They are based on repeated experiments or observations and describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. However, they do not explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. That is the role of a scientific theory.

A scientific law is a description of an observed phenomenon. It is a statement about an observed phenomenon or a unifying concept. Scientific laws are developed from data and can be further developed through mathematics. They are discovered, not invented, and are based on empirical evidence.

Scientific laws are typically conclusions based on repeated scientific experiments and observations over many years and which have become accepted universally within the scientific community. They are true within their regime of validity, universal, simple, absolute, stable, and all-encompassing.

Scientific laws are not the same as scientific theories. A theory is an in-depth explanation that applies to a wide range of phenomena. Theories posit a mechanism or explanation of phenomena, while laws are merely distillations of the results of repeated observation. Theories are supported by a large body of empirical evidence, just like laws, but they also help to unify that body of data.

Scientific laws are also distinct from hypotheses, which are proposed during the scientific process before and during validation by experiment and observation. Hypotheses are not laws because they have not been verified to the same degree, although they may lead to the formulation of laws.

Frequently asked questions

A scientific law is a statement that describes an observed phenomenon. It does not explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it.

A scientific theory is an in-depth explanation that applies to a wide range of phenomena. A scientific law is a statement about an observed phenomenon or a unifying concept.

A hypothesis is a potential explanation of a narrow phenomenon. A hypothesis can be supported or refuted through experimentation or observation. A scientific law, on the other hand, is a statement that describes an observed phenomenon.

A fact is a simple, one-off observation that has been shown to be true. A scientific law is a generalised observation about a relationship between two or more things in the natural world, often framed as a mathematical statement.

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