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The word ,,experiment’’ comes from a Latin word that means ,,to try out’’. An experiment is a method that investigates a hypothesis or  relationships between variables. An experiment is a way in which you can find things about the world.   It is used to negate or to support an assumption or to solve in a problem in a practical way.

An experiment can be done with the help of scientific method. Here are the steps of an experiment: observe, address a question, think of a hypothesis, find out the results, conclusion, inform others about the results.

The comparison between an experimental sample and a control sample, is called controlled experiment. Take for example the drug experiment. One person receiving the drug and the controlled one would receive placebo. The practice in many laboratories is to have some samples with negative and positive control. Tests are usually done double or triple. The procedure that resembles the original experimental test  but which give a positive result, is called positive control .

The protein assay is used in teaching laboratories. A fluid sample is given to the students with a unknown quantity of protein. The students will perform a controlled experiment to find the concentration of protein. They will make positive control samples  and negative control samples. The process in which a spectrophotometer measures the quantity of protein in samples is called the assay .

When it is difficult to control the conditions in an experiment, controlled experiments can be performed by creating several sample groups.

Experiments on humans need special protection from the outside variables, in this case, against placebo effect. It is mandatory for the volunteer and the researcher not to know whoa actually took the drug . This will make sure that the effects that the volunteer’s feel are because of the treatment and not a fact that they knew they are treated .

Experiments cannot always be controlled so researches resort to natural experiments. Researches collect data and then observe the correlation between the explanatory variables. Naturally experiments are not as reliable as controlled experiments. Very cool science experiments are performed in the following disciplines: political science, economics, palaeontology, geology, astronomy and meteorology. The first example is from 1600s , light has a measurable speed and doesn’t travel from place to place. Because of ethical reasons , in the area of medicine, observational studies are used. Field experiments are used in economic analyses and social science. The advantage of field experiments is that they are performed in natural settings but the disadvantage is that they might get contaminated .

"We have to learn again that science without contact with experiments is an enterprise which is likely to go completely astray into imaginary conjecture." — Hannes Alfven



As you know some experiments are done in the filed and some are done in the lab but some people see an experiment in every rocket. We still know little about the stratosphere. When a rocket is send into the space it goes through the stratosphere . There is a need for someone to watch the trail of chemical fuel exhaust. A team attached sensors to a jet plane, this is a kind of plane that is used by NASA, that went straight through the wake of rocket engines. From this very cool science experiment they found out that exhaust erodes the stratospheric ozone .

No one knows exactly how useful is carbon oxide in the Earth’s processes. Scientists want to create an artificial atmosphere. It is important for us to know that methane is the most important greenhouse gas. Scientists are know interested to know how does methane influenced the climate. Methadine comes from natural sources, unlike carbon dioxide. There are six satellites that take snapshots of atmosphere. These six satellites are called A-Train and each of them have names. Aqua- studies the movement of water, CloudSat – studies the properties of clouds, Parasol – studies microphysical properties, Aura – interested in ozone emissions, Calipso – measures aerosols and Orbiting Carbon Observatory that had the important tasks but crashed in February 2009. To replace it, Glory was launched in October .



The atmosphere remains a mystery  and we can only try to solve it by getting closer and see the interactions that happen there. For 2 years now, a team from University of California built a chamber, nine meter long. They use the device in order to trace chemicals .

It is thought that even the fact that many people cook on low-tech stoves, can have an important role in black carbon emissions. We are talking here about the developing world with poor families that cook on open stoves. These stoves need to be replaced by modern ones and then to monitor the atmospheric changes and see the results .



Scientists know how to take samples of air  from the ground but are still learning how to take this samples from the sky. Researches from Harvard University  sent a plane from one pole to the other in order to take samples on their way. In this way they found out that carbon dioxide seems to go north while Antarctic has more oxygen . To find out more, 2 jet planes will fly at different periods of the year .

The entire intellectual spectrum is interested in unsolved problems. Physical science had an explosive development at the beginning of 20^th century. We are still at the beginning of understanding life and its wonders .