Scientific Theory

Ideas about how the world works are called scientific theories.

• True

• False

To see if evidence supports their theory, scientists use the scientific method.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The scientific method uses experiments and evidence to test scientific theories.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Scientists changed their theory about Earth being flat when ships were able to sail around the world without falling off of it.

• True

• False

True/False. A scientific theory can change with new evidence and cannot change into a law.

• True

• False

Atomic theory, which describes the atoms that make up matter, has been explored for centuries. Scientists in ancient Greece first proposed that matter was made of units called atoms. For many years, scientists thought atoms were solid and could not be divided. Then, in the nineteenth century, scientists began to discover the particles that make up atoms. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to split atoms into increasingly smaller particles. Which of the following statements about theories is supported by the history of the atomic theory?

• If new evidence contradicts earlier theories, it is a result of an experimental error.

• Experiments with modern equipment cannot be used to support earlier theories.

• A theory is discarded when new evidence contradicts a part of the theory.

• Theories can change in response to new evidence.

Attempts to explain why something happens Explain how a natural phenomenon works based on available evidence.

• Law

• Theory

• Hypothesis

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

True/False: “If a hypothesis is supported, it becomes a theory. If a theory is proven it becomes a law”.

• True

• False

The following statements apply to both theory and law: Based on evidence. Cannot change into each other. Widely accepted by the majority of scientists in the given field of study

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

Scientists create both scientific theories and scientific laws as they make observations and conduct experiments about the natural world. Which of the following statements most accurately compares the difference between scientific theories and scientific laws?

• Scientific laws are based on evidence, while scientific theories are not.

• Scientific theories involve only biology, while laws involve all types of science.

• Scientific theories involve mathematical equations, while scientific laws are based on observations.

• Scientific theories are ideas that explain natural events, while scientific laws more reliably predict natural events.