Explanations and Theories

Explanations and Theories

Scientific Explanation

A scientific explanation uses observations and measurements to explain something we see in the natural world. Scientific explanations should match the evidence and be logical, or they should at least match as much of the evidence as possible. Two key concepts in scientific explanations are theory and hypothesis. A theory is used to make predictions about future observations. A hypothesis is a testable prediction that is arrived at logically from a theory.

Probabilistic Explanation

The probabilistic explanation is a form of reasoning that considers either the likeliness of an event happening or the strength of one's belief about an event or statement; that is, the probability may be about things or it may be about our degree of belief about things. Probability theory has from its conception been utilized to represent this uncertainty in scientific knowledge. Explanations are often probabilistic or statistical in nature. 

Theories in Science

The theory is a set of principles that seeks to explain uniformities, expressed in the form of empirical laws, as manifestations of underlying entities and processes. There are two kinds of theories. Internal principles describe the underlying entities and processes (e.g., atoms, molecules, fission). Bridge principles relate the underlying entities and processes (described by internal principles) to empirical phenomena with which we are already acquainted. Theories help to organize relevant empirical facts (empirical means they can be observed or measured) in order to create a context for understanding phenomena. Theories are vital. They guide and give meaning to what we see. When a researcher investigates and collects information through observation, the investigator needs a clear idea of what information is important to collect.