Scientific Inquiry

Magnifying Glass Image Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Science refers to the system or process of acquiring knowledge about the natural world. To study the natural world, scientists use methods that are empirical, which means that they are grounded in observations and experimentation and are not based on opinions or feelings. Scientific inquiry refers to activities and practices involving scientists' pursuit of knowledge.

 

In this section, you will learn about what scientists assume, what makes science different from other ways of knowing, what methods scientists use to obtain information and construct reliable explanations of how our natural world works, and why skepticism is important to scientists' work.