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Re: What are "principles" in science?



I too would prefer to call the stated "principle" a theory or a model.

In all this terminology, as others have pointed out, much is a matter of
definition, but there an important distinction to be made, at least within
the traditional picture of how science proceeds: the empirical law on the
one hand, and the theory/model on the other.

The empirical law comes from observation, by inductive reasoning. We may
take the gas laws as typical. The theory/model postulates unobserved
entities and explains the empirical laws by deductive reasoning. The
kinetic theory of gases would be the corresponding example. The theory does
not come (directly) from observation.

I am aware of the many qualifications that apply to this picture, but I
find it immensely helpful.

Mark

At 13:59 07/06/04 -0400, you wrote:
What does the quoted principle explain?

On Monday, Jun 7, 2004, at 10:11 America/New_York, Robert Cohen wrote:

>> "A PRINCIPLE TO REMEMBER. In a chemical
>> change the atoms in substances are rearranged
>> to make one or more new substances. The result
>> is a change in composition."
>>
>> Would it be appropriate to replace the word
>> PRINCIPLE by the word LAW?
>
> Although there is no hard and fast rule concerning the use of the
> terms,
> to me it sounds like an explanation and, as such, has more in common
> with a theory than a law.
>
> ____________________________________________________
> Robert Cohen; 570-422-3428; www.esu.edu/~bbq
> East Stroudsburg University; E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301

Mark Sylvester
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