Week 2

1.  What is the difference between an Observation and an Inference?

An observation is information you find using your senses, like colour (qualitative) and size (quantitive) while and inference is an educated guess that you make using the observations or even personal experience. Inferences come from observations, and they might be incorrect. Observations must be correct, or they are just inferences. 

2.  How can inferences and observations be related? 

You use your observations to help you make an inference. You can't making inference without knowing the facts. For instance, you cannot guess something is edible without seeing, smelling and feeling it. So observations can lead to inferences, connecting the two.

3.  Why are both observations and inferences important in science?

Without them, you will not know or be able to figure out what is happening. If you don't know what is happening, you won't be able to do anything, because you even need them to do everyday things. Science is all about learning new things, and you can't learn new things until you observe what is happening. And only then can you make an educated guess.