Understanding Scientific Theories and Laws

In science, what is a hypothesis?

• A proven fact.

• A suggested explanation that can be tested.

• A personal opinion about an observation.

• A scientific law that has not yet been accepted.

What is the main difference between the casual use of the word "theory" and its scientific use?

• Casual use is always wrong, scientific use is always right.

• Casual use is an opinion or guess, scientific use is an explanation supported by scientific evidence.

• Casual use is for simple ideas, scientific use is for complex ideas.

• Casual use is for unproven ideas, scientific use is for proven ideas.

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

• A scientific theory can eventually become a scientific law after enough testing.

• A scientific law is a more powerful version of a scientific theory.

• Scientific theories and scientific laws are different types of scientific explanations and do not graduate into each other.

• Scientific laws are less important than scientific theories because they only describe phenomena.

What is the primary function of a scientific theory compared to a scientific law?

• A scientific theory describes what happens, while a scientific law explains why it happens.

• A scientific theory explains why something happens, while a scientific law describes what happens.

• Both scientific theories and laws describe what happens.

• Both scientific theories and laws explain why something happens.