How physical scientists test ideas about the world.
Discovery in physical science comes from three tools working together:
- Experiments with carefully controlled conditions and precise measurement.
- Simulation — using computers to model what equations predict, then comparing to reality.
- Instrumentation — specialized tools (spectrometers, lasers, electron microscopes) that extend human senses.
The loop is the same scientific method from the foundations course, just with sharper tools and tighter uncertainty. A finding only counts when the measurement is good enough to trust.