experiment

Also known as scientific experiment, science experiment

thumb|Apollo 15 astronaut [[David Scott performs a gravity test on the Moon with a hammer and feather (1971).]] thumb|right|160px|Even very young children perform rudimentary experiments to learn about the world and how things work.

AI overview

An experiment is a test or procedure designed to discover something new or check whether an idea is true by observing what happens under controlled conditions. Experiments matter because they help us understand how the world works, from how objects behave under gravity to how young children learn about their surroundings.

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Commons category: Experiments

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~26 min read

Article

12 sections

Contents

Overview
History
Types {{anchor|Types of experiments}}
Controlled experiments
Natural experiments
Field experiments
Observational studies {{anchor|Contrast with observational study}}
Ethics
See also
Notes
Further reading
External links

An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when a particular factor is manipulated. Experiments vary greatly in goal and scale but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results. There also exist natural experimental studies.