Final answer:
The primary components of reasoning are premises and conclusions. An argument consists of a conclusion and premises, which are the reasons offered to support the conclusion. Scientists use inductive and deductive reasoning to advance scientific knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary components of reasoning are premises and conclusions. An argument consists of a conclusion, which is the claim that an arguer wants people to believe, and premises, which are the reasons offered to support the conclusion. Premises can be in the form of conceptual claims, empirical evidence, or principles. For example, in the argument, "Since Jori is allergic to cats and her apartment complex does not allow dogs, it must be the case that Jori does not have a pet," the premises are "Jori is allergic to cats" and "her apartment complex does not allow dogs," and the conclusion is "Jori does not have a pet." Scientists use two types of reasoning, inductive and deductive reasoning, to advance scientific knowledge. Inductive reasoning uses particular results to produce general scientific principles, while deductive reasoning uses logical thinking to predict results by applying scientific principles or practices.