A series of steps scientists follow to solve problems are?

Answer 1

Technically and generally speaking scientists do not work to solve problems, but to uncover how the universe works. For example a biologist seeks to understand how living beings/tissues/cells work, not to solve any particular problem. Of course the knowledge thus generated can be then used to solve particular practical problems. But a a physicist is a scientist, an engineer is not.

The scientific method employed by scientists to solve the problem of insufficient understanding of the laws of the universe can be applied to (try to) solve any problem. It goes like this:

1. Identify the problem - this step must end with a very clear and objective definition of the problem
2. Come up with a theory/solution
3. Test via experiments if said theory/solution fits well with reality. Reality never confirms a theory, ever. Any experiment has only a chance of proving the theory wrong. The more experiments you run without any of them disproving your theory, the more likely it is your theory is correct.
4. If your experiment has proven your theory incorrect, you repeat steps 2,3 with a new theory until you find one that withstands all the tests and experiments you can think of.

It is very important to note that although science solves many problems practically (for given situations), it can never be proven scientifically that a certain solution will work in any situation or that a problem is permanently solved by science for all possible circumstances. A scientific theory is never final as opposed to other knowledge creation method such as religious revelation which may claim to be complete and final.

The core of the scientific method lies in not making any assumptions and testing everything that comes to mind. It consists not so much in what you do (trying various things), but in what you do not do, namely that you do not assume any theory to be perfect; you continue to test your solution against all sorts of different situations and adapt it if necessary.

Answer 2

Scientists follow a series of steps known as the scientific method to solve problems: formulating a question, conducting background research, constructing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through experimentation, analyzing the data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results. This systematic approach helps ensure that the process is logical, objective, and reproducible.