INDEX

 Meaning of Hypothesis

 Stages of Hypothesis

Stage1- Formulation of hypothesis as a tentative solution

Stage2 - Collecting of additional facts, and modification of hypothesis

Stage3 – Deductive development of hypothesis
Stage4 – Testing of hypothesis

 Investigation in Science
a. Kon-tiki Expedition
b. Discovery of Neptune
Meaning of Hypothesis
 Hypothesis is a tentative supposition, used for
explaining facts which cannot be understood without it;
it is an attempt of explaining facts and has a provisional
character; it is an organizing principles; it is considered
as result of rational activity as it requires thinking since
the same facts can be organized in different ways.

 Hypothesis is used by both common man as well as

scientists. They assert that science uses “the method of
hypothesis or hypothetico-deductive method.”

 Common man uses hypothesis for everyday

assumptions and to understand different things.
E.g., if you get 8 hours sleep, you will perform much
better In a running race.
(A person getting enough sleep performs much better than
a person having sleepless night in physical activity.)
 Scientific Method: There are certain common
features in the investigations conducted in the
different sciences. These may call as scientific
method. Thus, “scientific method is the procedure
adopted by scientists in establishing their
conclusion.”
 E.g., If I give a plant an unlimited amount of
sunlight. Then plant will grow to its largest
possible size.

 Every hypothesis is an attempt to explain facts, so

it has a provisional character. Therefore,
hypothesis is a basically, rational assumption made
by a person.

 In simple language, hypothesis means an

uncertain solution to a certain problem. It can be
true or false because there is no fact to confirm the
validity of the hypothesis.
 Stages of Hypothetico-Deductive Method
Stage 1-Formulating a hypothesis as a tentative solution:
 When a familiar solution fails to account for the
observation, or when new facts cannot be explained by the
known laws, a problem is felt.

 The scientist/ person of law puts forth a tentative solution,

called hypothesis. This attempts to explain the puzzling
situation.

 In kon-tiki expedition, similarities between the ancient

custom were the problem. The sociologists asked, “why
should be there be similarities between the people who are
so far apart?”

 They attempt to explain these similarities by hypothesis: “

the native of South Sea island came from South America.”
 In the case of deviation in the orbit of Uranus, the
suggested solution was the presence of some planet
beyond the Uranus.

 In Lavoisier investigation, the problem was that the

weight of clax is greater than that of the metal from
which it was formed. On phlogiston theory, it
should have been less. This made Lavoisier guess
that burning involves absorption of large quantities
of air.

 In Rumford’s investigation, intense heat given off

by the metallic chips, separated by the borer, was
explained by the supposition that heat could be
produced by motion.
Stage 2 - Collecting of additional facts, and modification of hypothesis:
 A hypothesis being a mere guess, a scientist need to
find out that whether it is supported by a facts, new
relevant facts are observed using hypothesis as a
guide.

 The hypothesis is retained if it is supported by these

new facts otherwise the hypothesis is modified or a
new one takes its place.

 Only in rare cases the very first hypothesis is the

correct solution. The moral usual case is that
several hypothesis are rejected before the correct
solution is found.
 Scientist usually consider many hypothesis in turn.
But in most of the investigations recounted in the
first section, the first hypothesis was the right one.

 But this is because we have pretended the board

features of investigations, and not their details. That
why the second stage is found missing.
Stage 3 – Deductive development of the hypothesis:
 After a hypothesis is formulated, the scientist
predicts certain observed facts from it. These
predictions are the consequences deduced from the
hypothesis.

 All scientific investigation does involve this stages.

Certain kinds of hypotheses can directly test. They
do not require deductive development.

 Harvey’s hypothesis , that there is only one kind of

blood, which circulates through out the body, can be
tested.

 W can test this hypothesis is it true by directly

observing the blood, arteries and veins etc. But
Harvey did not test it directly because he was not
having microscope with which blood can be seen.
Stage 4 -Testing of the hypothesis:
 Hypothesis is tested by the appeal to facts. If the deduced
consequences occur, it is said to be confirmed otherwise
disconfirmed.

 Hypothesis is tested either by observing facts or conducting

experiments. When the consequences of the hypothesis agree
with it, it is confirmed.

 Hypothesis that is just a generalization or a theory is well-

established only after being confirmed under different
circumstances, a period. The scientist may come across facts
which may clash with hypothesis. In such case, he will have
to reject the hypothesis and formulate a new hypothesis.

 The gap between the formulation of a hypothesis and its

confirmation may be a long time.
E.g., The Copernican hypothesis, that planets revolve round the
sun, was confirmed only after Galileo invented the telescope.
Investigation In Science
A. Kon-Tiki Expedition
It is observed that there was a similarities between the
ancient tradition of natives of South Sea Islands and the
inhabitants of South America.

 These similarities led a group of sociologists to propose

the hypothesis That the native of South Sea Island came
from South America.

 This hypothesis was dispute. It appear impossible that

thousand of year ago, the primitive people have undertaken
the journey of several months.

From the hypothesis, the scientist deduced the primitive

boat which much be capable for undertaking this journey.
This consequences was tested. The scientists undertook the
journey on boat. They arrived at the islands after a little
over hundred days.
B. Discovery of Neptune
 Astronomers had calculated the orbit of the planet
Uranus, based on the gravitational pull of the then
known planets.

 But in 1820, Bouvard observed that Uranus does

not move in this calculated orbit. The astronomers
advanced the hypothesis that there is a planet,
beyond Uranus, which is distributing the
gravitational force of Uranus.

 Two men, Adams in England and Leverrier in

France, calculated the size and the position of this
unknown planet.

 The great Berlin telescope was turned on the spot;

and there was the planet. This planet was named
Neptune.
THANK YOU !