Final answer:
Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are used in science to form and test hypotheses, with deductive reasoning working from general principles to specific instances while inductive reasoning works from specific observations to general theories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are two distinct methods utilized by scientists to expand scientific knowledge. To differentiate these methods, it's important to clarify that they are not both generally referred to as top-down reasoning; rather, deductive reasoning is often associated with the top-down approach.
Deductive reasoning, having origins with Aristotle and pivotal development by René Descartes, entails starting with a general principle and progressing to specific conclusions. If the general principle is accurate, then the conclusions deduced correctly follow. Deductive reasoning proceeds from the general to the particular and is essential in hypothesis-based science for predicting specific outcomes based on general laws.