How Can You Explain "inference"?

The reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgement on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation is called as inference.

The information acquired by the scientists from their observations is in the form of scattered facts. These scattered set of facts cannot provide meaningful scientific knowledge. After considerable thoughts, these facts are carefully arranged and properly classified. Correlating the knowledge thus acquired with the knowledge, we already have; we try to think of tentative solution to explain the observed phenomenon. This tentative solution is called a hypothesis.

The validity of hypothesis is then, tested through the results obtained from experiments and by discussion among the scientists. As a result of this discussion a hypothesis may be accepted or discarded. The accepted hypothesis then takes the form of a theory. An appropriate theory not only predicts new facts, but also interlinks different natural phenomenon. A theory when repeatedly gives the same results after experimentation and offers correct explanation of the scientific facts; it then becomes a law or a principle. It is understood that a law or a principle is never rejected until and unless new or contrary information is s given on the basis of experimentation.

It has been observed that all hypotheses do not take the form of theories and all theories do not become laws. Some of the theories may be based upon strong arguments but they may not be supported by the experimental work due to unsuitable conditions. Whereas, occasionally a hypothesis may become law without any experimentation. A particular example of this is Avogadro's hypothesis, which has been accepted as law without any experimental support.

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