Examples of Empirical Knowledge
You always have to observe the natural consequences of an event or an action, in order to be able to approach it in a better way and know how it will happen the following times. In the aforementioned case, the empirical knowledge was gained that packages must always be opened carefully. This kind of knowledge can also be passed on to other people , by someone who has already experienced it. Thus, whoever has it, can guide someone.
Difference between empirical and scientific knowledge
Empirical knowledge has a great difference from scientific knowledge. The scientific knowledge is acquired through the scientific method , from subsequent experimentation and observation and recording of the results. That is the main distinction, that scientific knowledge is acquired after planning and well-defined steps. The empirical knowledge is spontaneous and comes from the experiences that happen in everyday life.
A case that can explain this difference is an incident in a chemical plant : a certain drug was produced, and there was a key moment in which the process had to be stopped so that it did not continue to react or the reagents were depleted, and the quality of the drug was maintained. drug. There was a new engineer at the plant and he hardly knew the process theoretically. He showed up with the operators and a security guard.
After some time, the engineer reviewed the equipment manual and had to get to the reactor to stop, but did not know the exact moment. Then something peculiar happened: while he was talking with the elderly guard, he said something to him: “when you smell peach, you have to stop the team,” he said. The engineer, with no other choice, followed that recommendation and was surprised: the reaction performance was perfect! Everything happened optimally.
When the senior engineers arrived and saw the amazing result, they asked the engineer what he had done. He let them know that the guard, who had taken the empirical knowledge about the peach aroma , told him the exact moment to stop the reactor. The guard was promoted, having surpassed the scientific knowledge of the engineers who had studied and received a degree with that career.
Examples of empirical knowledge
- Water, either from a bucket or from rain, puts out a fire in a campfire.
- Sponges absorb water and more liquid substances with a certain density.
- If there is a fire nearby, it gives off enough heat to keep you warm.
- If the fire is too close, it can burn and burn the skin.
- If a metal is heated to very high temperatures in a pan, it melts.
- The wood that is thrown into the water begins to float. There is surface tension there.
- If two metals are fused, they can mix and solidify as an alloy.
- Some animal skins can be tanned to create clothing and accessories.
- Animals like cats and dogs can be tamed.
- Seeds can be deposited in the soil and fed with fertilizer and water so that various plant species emerge.
- Build a center of gravity to ride a bike with good balance.
- Buttoning a shirt or pants.
- Tie the laces of your shoes.
- Know which shoes are suitable for walking long distances.
- Food that is cooked can be very salty if too much salt is added.
- Desserts can be very sweet if too much sugar is added.
- Learning to swim is influenced by the movements of the survival instinct.
- Eat with cutlery or chopsticks.
- The quicksand opposes the exit of the bodies that enter them.
- Drinking water rehydrates the body.
- If a ball is dropped, it will fall and bounce on the floor.
- If an iron is passed over a garment, its fabric is smoother and more presentable.
- Lose weight after a period of exercise.
- The decomposition of food when a certain time passes.
- The bad smell that takes the clothes that stay wet.
- The intense sound of a bell that has been struck.
- A glass object breaks when dropped.
- An ice melts in the heat of the environment.
- Steam condenses on windows when it’s cold outside.
- If we listen to music at high volume, turning it off will make you feel more silent.
