What systematic approach is used to investigate and understand physical phenomena?

The systematic approach used to investigate and understand physical phenomena is science. Science emphasizes observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning to explore natural events and relationships. It involves forming hypotheses, conducting experiments to test those hypotheses, and analyzing the results to draw conclusions about how the universe works.

This process is continuous and adaptive, as it builds on previous knowledge and incorporates new findings. Science also uses the scientific method, which is a structured approach that includes defining problems, conducting literature reviews, formulating hypotheses, designing and executing experiments, and interpreting data.

While engineering applies scientific principles to design and create solutions to problems, and mathematics provides the tools and language to quantify and describe physical relationships, it is science that fundamentally seeks to explain the underlying phenomena in a systematic manner. Philosophy may offer frameworks for understanding and interpreting knowledge, but it does not directly involve empirical investigation. Thus, science is the most appropriate choice when referring to the systematic investigation of physical phenomena.