In three to five sentences, describe how scientists use deductive and inductive reasoning to support the idea that water on Earth may have come from comets.
Scientists use deductive reasoning to support the idea that water on Earth may have come from comets by making logical conclusions based on established facts and theories. For example, they know that comets are composed of ice, and water is abundant in comets. Therefore, they deduce that if comets collided with Earth in the past, it is plausible that they brought water with them. Additionally, scientists use inductive reasoning by examining and analyzing evidence such as the isotopic composition of water on Earth, which is similar to that of comets. By observing these similarities, they infer that water on Earth might have originated from comets.
Scientists use deductive reasoning to support the idea that water on Earth may have come from comets by first establishing the premise that comets contain water. This is based on observations and analysis of the composition of comets. Then, they deduce that if comets contain water, and if comets have collided with Earth in the past, it is likely that they delivered water to our planet. Inductive reasoning is used to gather evidence from various sources, such as analyzing the isotopic composition of water on Earth compared to that of comets, and noting similarities in the chemistry and physical properties of comets and water on Earth, to further support this hypothesis.
Scientists use deductive reasoning to support the idea that water on Earth may have come from comets by assessing existing knowledge about the composition of comets and the presence of water molecules in them. They start with the premise that comets contain significant amounts of water ice. Based on this, they deduce that if comets collided with the Earth in the past, they would have released water, which then contributed to the formation of Earth's oceans. Inductive reasoning is also employed to gather evidence such as the detection of deuterium, a specific form of hydrogen found in comets, in Earth's water. By observing and analyzing this evidence, scientists infer that water on Earth could indeed have originated from comets.
