http://www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Introduction to Physical Science
by so much evidence that it is accepted “without a reasonable doubt.”
Summary
- Inductive reasoning is the process of drawing general conclusions based on many pieces of evidence. This
type of reasoning is the basis of the scientific method. - In science, inductive reasoning is used to draw general conclusions from evidence. The conclusions are
changed if necessary to explain new evidence as it becomes available. - Inductive reasoning cannot prove conclusively that an idea is true, but it may lead to conclusions that are very
likely to be true.
Vocabulary
- inductive reasoning
Explore More
Deductive reasoning is another type of reasoning. You can think of deductive reasoning as inductive reasoning in
reverse. With deductive reasoning, you draw specific conclusions based on general statements that are assumed to
be true. At the URL below, read the short article comparing inductive and deductive reasoning. Then put your
knowledge into practice by doing the exercises that follow the article.
http://www.education.com/study-help/article/working-arguments/
Review
- What is inductive reasoning?
- Describe how inductive reasoning is used in science.
- Rayna studied rats in a lab. She observed that all 50 rats in her sample preferred to eat brand A rat food and
would eat brand B food only when brand A was not available. Can she correctly conclude that all rats prefer
brand A rat food over brand B food? Why or why not?