Explanation facts for kids
An explanation is like answering the question "why?" When you ask someone, "Why did you do that?", you want to know their reasons or motive. When you ask about something in nature, like "Why does it rain?", you want to know the natural causes.
In science, an explanation connects a first event, which is the cause, to a second event, which is the effect. This connection is often called "cause and effect". A famous thinker named Mario Bunge once said that we don't just want to find facts; we also want to know why they happen.
Usually, explanations help us understand something new by connecting it to what we already know. This is why different people might need different explanations for the same thing. For example, a child, a regular person, and an expert might all need different ways to understand the same idea, because they each know different things already.
Asking questions is something special that humans do, and it relies on language. Children start asking "why?" very early, soon after they learn to speak. Many parents know the "why game," where a child keeps asking "why?" over and over until the adult finally says, "Well, it just is!"
Sometimes, people can disagree about whether an explanation is good or correct. For instance, if you ask why the Sun gives off heat and light, saying "because it is daytime" isn't the right answer, even if it is daytime. The real answer wasn't known until the 1900s. Before that, people like the ancient Egyptians thought a god (Aten) caused it.
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Types of Explanations
Different "why" questions need different kinds of answers. Here are a few types:
General Explanations
These types of explanations add to what all humans know.
- Explanations based on principles or theories: These use big ideas or rules to explain things. For example, historians might explain events by telling a story, while political scientists might use theories to explain why things happen in politics.
Personal Explanations
A personal question like "Why did you do that?" asks for an explanation about a person's actions. The answer depends on the context or situation. These questions about reasons or motives only apply to the people involved.
- Explanations related to goals or purposes: These explain why someone is doing something based on what they want to achieve. For example, if someone asks, "Why are you doing that?", the explanation might be, "Because I'm going to build a boat."
Many explanations can be a mix of different types. An explanation can be correct or incorrect, or even a mix of both. Some explanations might sound good at first, but later turn out to be misleading or wrong.
Images for kids
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A robot thinking, representing questions and explanations.
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