Understanding Scientific Concepts: Facts, Hypotheses, Theories, and Laws

What is the main tool we have for understanding how the universe works?

• Philosophy

• Science

• Literature

• Art

What is a fact in scientific terms?

• A law

• An observation about the world

• A proven theory

• A hypothesis

What is the purpose of a hypothesis?

• To test an explanation

• To describe a law

• To observe a fact

• To prove a theory

What happens when multiple hypotheses are tested and confirmed?

• They become facts

• They form a theory

• They become laws

• They are discarded

What is the best thing about a scientific theory?

• It never changes

• It is always correct

• It can make predictions

• It can be proven

What is the Germ Theory of Disease?

• An observation about sickness

• A law describing the behavior of germs

• A theory explaining how diseases spread

• A hypothesis about why people get sick

What is the difference between a scientific law and a theory?

• A law is a hypothesis, a theory is a fact

• A law is always correct, a theory can change

• A law describes how something happens, a theory explains why

• A law explains why something happens, a theory describes how

What does Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation describe?

• Why objects fall

• How two objects attract each other

• The structure of the universe

• The behavior of gas molecules

What did Einstein's Theory of General Relativity fail to account for?

• The smallest gravitational scales

• The conservation of mass and energy

• The behavior of large objects

• The movement of gas molecules

Why is science never considered 'done'?

• Because it never makes predictions

• Because it is always correct

• Because it is always changing

• Because it is always incomplete