One problem encountered throughout scientific fields is that the observation may affect the process being observed, resulting in a different outcome than if the process was unobserved. Scientific instruments were developed to magnify human powers of observation, such as weighing scales, clocks, telescopes, microscopes, thermometers, cameras, and tape recorders, and also translate into perceptible form events that are unobservable by human senses, such as indicator dyes, voltmeters, spectrometers, infrared cameras, oscilloscopes, interferometers, geiger counters, x-ray machines, and radio receivers. Senses are limited, and are subject to errors in perception such as optical illusions. Measurement reduces an observation to a number which can be recorded, and two observations which result in the same number are equal within the resolution of the process. Measurement consists of using observation to compare the thing being measured to a standard an artifact, process or definition which can be duplicated or shared by all observers, and counting how many of the standard units are comparable to the object. The idea of measurement evolved to allow recording and comparison of observations made at different times and places by different people. Human sense impressions are subjective and qualitative making them difficult to record or compare. However the need for reproducibility requires that observations by different observers be comparable. Observation plays a role in the second and fifth steps. Creating a conclusion with data gathered in the experiment.Testing the hypothesis by an experiment, an observational study, or a field study. Predicting a logical consequence of the hypothesis.Hypothesizing an explanation for the phenomenon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |