ex‧per‧i‧ment 1 S3 W2 / ɪksperəmənt, ɪksperɪmənt / 名词 [可数名词]
1 a scientific test done to find out how something reacts under certain conditions, or to find out if a particular idea is true
experiment with/in/on
experiments with alcohol-fuelled cars
experiments on sleep deprivation
by experiment
Many small birds guide themselves by the stars, as has been verified by experiment.
2 a process in which you test a new idea or method to see if it is useful or effective
experiment with/in/on
an experiment in state socialism
COLLOCATIONS
动词
do/carry out an experiment They carried out a series of experiments to test the theory. | He did some experiments with bats.
perform/conduct an experiment formal (= do an experiment ) The laboratory began conducting experiments on rats.
an experiment shows/proves/demonstrates something His experiment showed that lightning was a kind of electricity. | The experiment proved that fabrics treated with the chemical are much less likely to catch fire.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + experiment
a scientific experiment Astronauts performed scientific experiments during the flight.
animal experiments (= experiments using animals ) I think most animal experiments are cruel and unnecessary.
a laboratory experiment (= one that takes place in a laboratory ) They did a series of laboratory experiments on human sleep patterns in the 1960s.
a field experiment (= one that takes place in the real world, not in a laboratory ) In field experiments, we used patients who did not know that it was a test situation.
a controlled experiment (= one that is done using correct scientific methods ) The theory has not yet been tested by a properly controlled experiment.
a practical experiment (= one that relates to real situations or events, not scientific theories ) The research team compiled a set of practical experiments in Modern Astronomy.
短语
an experiment to test/measure/find out something We did an experiment to test the acidity of the soil.
COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ’ make an experiment ‘. Say carry out an experiment or do an experiement .
COLLOCATIONS
形容词
a bold experiment (= one that tries to achieve a lot and takes risks ) The country’s bold experiment with economic reform has not paid off yet.
a unique experiment (= one that has not been done before ) Congestion charging is a unique experiment that other UK cities are watching with interest.
a democratic/socialist/communist experiment (= one in which a country tries a new political system ) He went to Havana to judge for himself the success or failure of the socialist experiment.
a social experiment (= one in which people try a new way of living and organizing society ) The community started out as a social experiment.
THESAURUS
research 名词 [不可数名词] careful detailed work that is done in order to find out more about a subject, especially as a part of a scientific or academic project : Billions of dollars have been spent on research into the causes and treatment of cancer. | The University has for a long time been a leading centre for research in this field.
work 名词 [不可数名词] the studies that have been done on a particular subject : Faraday is famous for his work on electricity. | A lot of work has been done on hydrogen-powered cars. | Their work had an enormous influence on the study of genetics.
study 名词 [可数名词] a piece of work in which someone examines a particular subject in order to find out more about it, and writes about what they have found : The study showed that 25 percent of adults do not eat breakfast at all, compared with 14 percent in 1961. | Recent studies suggest that our sense of smell is closely linked with the part of the brain that deals with memory.
experiment 名词 [可数名词] a scientific test in order to find out what happens when you do something : They carried out a series of experiments (= they did a series of experiments ) in order to try to prove their theory. | Experiments have shown that there is an increased risk of some forms of cancer.