Why is it better to do science experiments several times rather than once?

Question

Why is it better to do science experiments several times rather than once?

Answer 1

to validify the experiment, as with all things related to science, all experiments should be able to be done numerous times, with the same results. So by repeating an experiment, you can show that your results are consistent and accurate.

Answer 2

In order to ensure that the results can be replicated with reliable and expected outcomes every time. It is ideal if the experiments can be done by different experimenters in a variety of labs (with appropriate controls), to be sure that the results are not tied to some particular equipment, methodology, or environment.

Answer 3

To ensure you get correct results.

If you only do it once and you have completely the wrong answer, you will never know.

So , you do it lots of times and any answers that are miles out will be obvious.

Like when you add a column of figures, you add it all twice and get two answers, so you add it all again and get three answers.

You keep adding till you get the same answer several times and then you can be faily sure you have got it right in the end.

Answer 4

Usually science experiments work with models or with systems that have many variables. Many of these variables are stochastic (e.g., Random numbers). Also, there might be some inaccuracies in the model. Both of these things result in some amount of unpredictability in the results you get when you run a scientific experiment. This unpredictability is called 'noise'. Noise is usually 'evenly' distributed. So, when you run the same experiment several times you cancel the positive (over-counting) and negative (under-counting) effects that the noise has on your results. That's why you need to perform several runs of the same scientific experiment and then take the average of the results from all the runs as the nearest to the correct result/answer.

As a toy example, consider you are trying to calculate the velocity of sound waves through air by measuring the time elapsed between generating the sound and hearing the sound. The time that you get depends on the accuracy of your measurement apparatus (like stop watch), the accuracy of your stopping the stop watch, the humidity in the air, etc. The accuracy of the stop watch again depends upon, say, the tension of the spring under the button you press, and some more things. The accuracy of your stopping depends on how alert you are, maybe on whether your hand is on the stop button of the stop watch, etc. The humidity in the air depends  on the time of the day, whether it rained that day, the season, etc. etc. etc.  All these variables are too difficult to model in the equation for calculating the time. Also, all of these variables are very likely to be different every time you do your experiment. So, you perform the experiment several times and average over all the times you get as the closest approximation of the 'real' time.

Answer 5

experiments are done in order to change a hypothesis into a law...a single experiment may not be sufficient enough to prove the hypothesis as there can be several errors and mistakes so instead of performing a single experiment, multiple experiments r performed to check and cross-check the results of the experiments and then come to a conclusion.