3 Scientific Explanation Free Online FlashCards

What does a scientific explanation do beyond reporting an event?

They show why a phenomenon happened or how it follows from wider patterns.

What is the explanandum?

The explanandum is the phenomenon being explained.

What can a probability-based explanation fail to clarify?

Showing that an event was likely may not explain why it occurred rather than a particular alternative.

What does the flagpole-and-shadow example show about derivation?

A derivation can establish a relationship between a flagpole’s height and its shadow without showing which explains the other; explanations may need relevant causal direction.

What is a mechanistic explanation?

It describes how organized entities and activities produce a phenomenon by identifying relevant parts, their roles, and their interactions.

How can a mechanism guide experimental investigation?

It can show what would happen if a component were blocked or altered, connecting explanation with experimental investigation and control.

Must a mechanistic explanation replace laws?

No. Generalizations can describe component behavior while the mechanism shows how the components produce the phenomenon.

Why can the relevant detail in a mechanism vary?

The relevant level of detail depends partly on which phenomenon is being explained, and a mechanism’s description may be incomplete.

What makes an explanation powerful for unificationists?

They are powerful when a relatively small set of general patterns explains many different phenomena.

How does Newtonian gravitation illustrate explanatory unification?

Newtonian gravitation uses one framework to help explain both falling objects near Earth and the motion of planets.

Why does unification alone not guarantee a good explanation?

Breadth or simplicity alone does not guarantee a good explanation: a unified theory may be inaccurate or overly flexible, so empirical support and relevance also matter.

How can laws, mechanisms, and unification work together?

A law can describe a mechanism’s behavior, the mechanism can show how a theory applies to a system, and the theory can connect that system with other cases.