Is the following statement a observation or an inference the damage at this scene was caused by an explosion?
The statement "the damage at this scene was caused by an explosion" is an inference rather than an observation. An observation is a direct, factual statement based on sensory data, while an inference involves interpreting or drawing a conclusion based on observations. In this case, the statement goes beyond direct sensory data to make a conclusion about the cause of the damage, making it an inference.