Charles has noticed that every time it rains, both his car and his lawnmower are hard to start up. Based on these observations, he developed a theory that humidity reduces the ability of gasoline to burn effectively. Charles's theory can be said to have been developed on the basis of which of the following?

Question

A.
The empirical method.

B.
The abstract method.

C.
The deductive method.

D.
The inductive method.

Answer 1

Charles's theory is based on observations he has made about the relationship between rain (and presumably increased humidity) and the difficulty in starting his car and lawnmower. This approach of drawing a general conclusion from specific observations is characteristic of the inductive method.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

D. The inductive method.