Which statement best defines an observation?

• A. A guess about the future
• B. A fact seen with your eyes
• C. Act of recognizing a fact using your senses
• D. An interpretation not based on senses

Answer: (C)

Observation is the act of noticing and describing something using your senses (and tools that extend them). The statement that best defines it is recognizing a fact through what you perceive. Observations are about what you can directly notice—colors, shapes, textures, sounds, or measured data—before any guess or interpretation is added. Predicting the future isn’t observation because it’s speculation about what could happen. Saying it’s just a fact you see with your eyes is too narrow, since observations can involve other senses and instruments. An interpretation not based on senses isn’t an observation either, because observations should be grounded in what is perceived.