What is a hypothesis?

Why is the sky blue? Why do bees sting? Why is the ocean salty? These are questions a young child may ask about the world based on his or her observations and experiences. As children grow older, their inquisitive nature may begin to fade. Anyone involved in the scientific process, however, must continually make observations and ask questions about his or her observations. In addition, scientists suggest possible answers to their questions and then test their ideas to determine if they are correct. This process is known as the scientific method.
The scientific method, however, does not answer every question about the universe. For example, it cannot answer questions such as “Is there a god?” or “What is the true meaning of life?” As you begin your exploration of biology this week, you consider the nature of science and how the scientific approach to the world differs from others, such as philosophical or spiritual approaches. Then, you apply this understanding by identifying a situation in which you can apply the scientific method and a situation in which you cannot.
To prepare for this:
Consider the question, “Can Science Cure the Common Cold?” Think of a few additional questions science could answer. How do you think science might find answers to these questions?
Consider how the scientific method tests ideas and attempts to find answers to questions. For example,
oWhat is a hypothesis?
oHow does an experiment test a hypothesis?
oWhy is the experimental process essential to science?
Review the articles in this week's Required Resources.
oIn the article “The Nature of Science,” note the characteristics of scientific inquirythat is, how scientists study phenomena to arrive at evidence-based conclusions.
oPay special attention to the Reality Check activity in the article “How Can We Tell Science from Non-Science?” Consider what distinguishes the scientific statements from the non-scientific ones.
With these thoughts in mind:
Write two or more paragraphs that distinguish the nature of science from non-science and that explain how the scientific method can be used to answer a question or solve a problem.
Your post should include the following:
Three characteristics of a scientific approach to the world
A real-life example of how the scientific method was or could be applied to solve a problem or answer a question
A real-life scenario that cannot be tested scientifically
References to at least two sources outside the Required Resources
All references cited in APA format
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Essay, English
Paper , Order, or Assignment Requirements
In her article “In Praise of the F Word,” Mary Sherry purposes using “flunking as a regular policy” as a way to encourage students to work harder.
What else might school student do to help students? Write an essay in which you think those changes would be beneficial.
Include examples from the article as well as from your own experiences, observations, or other readings.
Just to clarify, this is not a research essay so please don't cite anything else form online besides this article and another article called “Why do Schools Flunk Biology?” by LynNell Hancock. Both of these are online and you can find them with a simple Google search.