Explain why the observation that the sun set in the west could be called a scientific law.

The cornerstone of any scientific inquiry is experimental observation. This involves careful and structured scrutiny of the world around us to gather data or evidence. When we refer to the daily occurrence of the sun setting in the west, we're discussing a repetitive visual confirmation that's been noted and documented over countless generations.

For instance, when children first learn that the sun 'rises' in the east and 'sets' in the west, they're introduced to this through both explanation and observation. They might be encouraged to notice the position of the sun at various times of the day over several days. This is a simple, yet powerful, form of experimental observation. These observations must be reliable, verifiable, and consistent to form the basis of a scientific law.

Moreover, in experimental settings, scientists conduct controlled observations that repeatedly test a hypothesis. If their observations consistently align with the hypothesis across many experiments, they may start to describe a pattern that can lead to the formulation of a scientific law. The emphasis is always on repeatability and reliability of the observations to ensure that they truly reflect the natural world.

Natural phenomena are events or processes that occur in the natural world without human intervention. These phenomena range from the daily rising and setting of the sun to more complex events like the water cycle or the photosynthesis in plants. A scientific law often describes such phenomena through concise and general statements.

The setting of the sun in the west is one such phenomenon that can be observed from virtually anywhere on Earth. It's a universal experience that highlights the regular motion of celestial bodies in our solar system. Despite the seeming simplicity of this phenomenon, in the broader context, it stands as a small part of the vast mechanics of astronomical movement which is governed by complex gravitational laws.

Understanding such phenomena often begins with observation but leads to deeper scientific inquiries and theories. While a scientific law like the one describing the direction of the sun's setting doesn't delve into the mechanics of why it happens (that's the realm of scientific theories), it forms an essential building block in our comprehension of the world.

The reliability with which a phenomenon occurs plays a pivotal role in establishing it as a scientific law. Consistent phenomena are those that happen in the same way over and over again, like clockwork, under the same conditions. The consistency of the sun setting in the west is such a phenomenon—it is a daily event witnessed by billions of people across the globe.

This predictability allows us to plan our days, navigate our environment, and even create technologies that rely on this steadfast regularity. For a pattern to become a scientific law, like the proposed law encompassing the sun’s setting, there must be universal agreement and predictability concerning the event in question.

Such laws act as reference points in science; they are benchmarks of reliability that other hypotheses and theories must be aligned with or account for. The consistency of a phenomenon breeds a certain level of trust in its perpetuity which is why consistent phenomena serve as the pillars for the scientific laws we rely on to understand our complex world.