Question

From his observations, Aristotle believed Earth was round and that the planets revolved around it. Approximately 1,500 years later, Nicolaus Copernicus evaluated astronomical data and suggested that Earth revolved around the Sun and that the planets' orbits were circular. Through scientific investigation, less than 100 years later, Johannes Kepler found that planets have elliptical orbits. What does this example demonstrate about scientific reasoning?

Researchers propose scientific concepts today which will change in the future.
Researchers propose scientific theories at random with no evidence.
Science is based on personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
Science is based on evidence and is open to change.

Answer 1

Science is based on evidence and is open to change.

Explanation: Aristotle, Copernicus, and Kepler each used observations and data available to them; as new evidence and better methods emerged, scientific ideas were revised (geocentric → heliocentric; circular → elliptical orbits). This shows science relies on evidence and is self-correcting, not random or based on personal feelings.