Scientific Experimentation (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what scientific experimentation is, what it is for and its characteristics. Also, the types there are and some examples.

What is scientific experimentation?

The scientific experimentation It is the method or methods that researchers use (especially the so-called hard or factual sciences) to test their hypotheses regarding a phenomenon or object that is being studied.

Is one of the steps of the scientific method and is based on the study of certain phenomena observed in nature or in the controlled environment of the laboratory. Experimentation consists of exposing the phenomenon or object being studied to certain variables in order to explain or predict results or causes and consequences.

Experimentation is used by scientists to demonstrate how certain natural phenomena occur of your interest. To do this, these phenomena must be replicated in a laboratory, controlling all the variables, in order to demonstrate that a hypothesis is not the product of chance, but of a universal law.

There are complex experiments, which require years of study, and simpler experiments, which allow a quick verification or refutation of the proposed hypothesis. All of them are carried out in sciences such as biology, mathematics, chemistry and physics. For example: experimentation that is carried out to find the solution to a problem or experimentation that is carried out to find the cure for a disease.

A scientific experiment will be valid if all the steps of the scientific method are followed. The scientific method is a procedure that is used in science to study a phenomenon in an objective and verifiable manner, and is made up of certain steps: observation and problem formulation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation and analysis of data and conclusions. The scientific method emerged in the 17th century during the Scientific Revolutions that brought about the Modern Age (called the Age of Reason) and was perfected during the 19th century until reaching the present day.

scientific experimentation uses technology and different areas of knowledge to achieve the highest degree of control and observation of the phenomena it replicates, so that it can achieve a deep understanding of what happens in nature. The result of these experiences can then be published and studied by other scientists, who, if they repeat the experiment, should obtain similar results, given that these are verifiable facts and not coincidences.

What is scientific experimentation for?

Experimentation is the main way of verifying hypothetical knowledge of scientists, that is, it is the main method for discerning valid theories from invalid ones. It is of utmost importance because it is one of the necessary procedures to generate new knowledge in the field of science.

Experimentation is a very important step within the scientific method because it allows us to test a hypothesis and check whether what is believed is valid and occurs in all cases or if, on the contrary, results are produced that do not explain a phenomenon in any case. all cases. In experimentation field studies are carried out and, in the event that the hypothesis is not proven, it must be discarded and a new hypothesis must be formulated.

Characteristics of scientific experimentation

To be taken into account as true, scientific experimentation must be:

Verifiable. Other scientists must be able to carry out the same experiment under the same conditions and obtain the same result.
Methodical. No element of the experiment can be left to chance, experimentation is a procedure that must be carried out in an orderly manner and all the variables at play must be taken into account.
Objective. The scientist's opinion or feelings cannot be taken into account, nor his personal views, but there must be an objective description of what happened.
True. The results of the experiment must be accepted and respected, whether or not they are expected, and in no case can they be falsified.

Types of scientific experimentation

There are two types of experimentation according to the purpose pursued:

Deterministic experimentation. They are those experiments in which the confirmation of a hypothesis is pursued, that is, they seek to demonstrate or refute a previously formulated scientific principle.
Random experimentation. They are those experiments in which the result to be obtained is unknown, since experimentation is simply carried out to find out what happens, that is, to expand what is known regarding a specific topic.

Examples of scientific experimentation

Some cases in which scientific experimentation is used are:

Vaccine check. Vaccines are preparations that are given to humans and animals to generate immunity against a disease. Before starting to inoculate individuals, it must be proven that vaccines are safe and effective in preventing or reducing the risks of a disease. For this, the vaccine must be tested by groups of people or animals (as the case may be) to observe the degree of success of the medicine.
Geological age determination. To find out how much time has passed since certain fossils were formed, a scientific experiment is carried out in which the traces of carbon 14 (a carbon isotope) that remain in the fossil remains are measured. This process is called radiocarbon dating and is widely used in archaeology.
Discovery of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process in which a liquid is subjected to high temperatures to eliminate any pathogens it may contain. This procedure was discovered by the French chemist Louis Pasteur, after a series of experiments in which he sought to produce fermented beverages, such as wine, without altering its taste or properties. Their experiments consisted of exposing drinks to different degrees of temperature and checking how a type of yeast that affected the quality of the wine was eliminated.
Development of penicillin. Penicillin is an antibiotic formed by a species of fungus that eliminates bacteria. Penicillin was discovered by the English scientist Alexander Fleming who, upon returning from vacation, observed how a fungus had acted against a bacterial culture in his laboratory. From this, tests and experiments were carried out to isolate the substance that the mold secreted, which was what acted against the bacteria. The Oxford University team worked first on animals and then on humans to verify the effects of this substance. Penicillin began to be used in World War II and is one of the main components that fights bacterial infections.
Development of radiology. Radiology is the branch of medicine that uses rays to look inside the body and check its proper functioning. The use that could be given to X-rays was discovered by the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen when he carried out experiments with rays and found that they passed through a large number of objects and materials.
Conditioned reflex. The conditioned reflex is the action or effect that occurs in an individual when faced with a certain neutral stimulus. For his discovery, the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov carried out experiments with dogs and noticed that the dogs salivated even when they did not have food in front of them, because they had related certain neutral stimuli with the idea of the proximity of the food. Thus, Pavlov introduced a metronome that he sounded before delivering food and, after a few days, he discovered that the dogs salivated to the sound of the metronome and that they could relate a stimulus, which in principle was neutral, with an effect: food.
Artificial cloning. Artificial cloning is the scientific procedure that seeks to create a genetically equal copy of an individual. Under this process, tissues, single-celled organisms, genes, cells and even large mammals, such as horses, can be cloned. After years of experimentation, the first mammal was cloned in 1997, which was a sheep called Dolly, which was cloned from an adult cell. From there, many organisms were cloned using different procedures.
Poincaré conjecture. Henri Poincaré was a French physicist and mathematician who proposed one of the most recognized hypotheses within topology, a branch of mathematics, called the Poincaré conjecture or hypothesis. This hypothesis was raised at the beginning of the 20th century and was about the three-dimensional sphere. For a century, researchers could neither prove nor reject the hypothesis, until 2003, when the problem was solved by the Russian mathematician Grigori Perelmán.
Development of anesthesia. Anesthesia is the substance that is used to inhibit discomfort or pain in an individual that may cause surgery or another procedure. Throughout history, many substances were used to cause anesthesia in the body and reduce sensitivity, such as alcohol, opium, chloroform and ether. The first experiments using gases as anesthetics were carried out by researchers in the 19th century. This type of anesthesia evolved until it reached the present day and today, various drugs such as propofol, halothane, ketamine, among others, are used via venous or respiratory route.
Development of artificial satellites. Artificial satellites are objects that are launched into Earth's orbit or into the orbit of other celestial bodies. Satellites have different functions, such as telecommunications, research, meteorology, among others. The development of satellites began at the beginning of the 20th century and the first satellite successfully sent was Sputnik, launched by the USSR in 1957. From there, many countries successfully launched satellites with different functions.

The scientific method

Experimentation is one of the steps of the scientific method, a procedure used to generate and test new knowledge and scientific theories.

The steps of the scientific method are:

Observation. A certain phenomenon or situation is observed and data and information are extracted.
Problem statement. A possible problem or question is raised to be resolved in what was observed. In this step, questions are raised.
Hypothesis statement. A possible answer to those questions that were obtained from the observation is raised.
Experimentation. The hypothesis is tested by carrying out an experiment.
Data Logging. The data obtained after testing the hypothesis are analyzed and recorded.
Conclusions. Conclusions are drawn that take into account whether or not the proposed hypothesis was proven. In the event that the hypothesis has not been proven, the procedure can be repeated by proposing a new hypothesis. In the event that the hypothesis has been proven, the results can be shared and a theory proposed.