hypothesis becomes theory

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1.6: Hypothesis, Theories, and Laws

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  Learning Objectives

• Describe the difference between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms.
• Describe the difference between a theory and scientific law.

Although many have taken science classes throughout the course of their studies, people often have incorrect or misleading ideas about some of the most important and basic principles in science. Most students have heard of hypotheses, theories, and laws, but what do these terms really mean? Prior to reading this section, consider what you have learned about these terms before. What do these terms mean to you? What do you read that contradicts or supports what you thought?

What is a Fact?

A fact is a basic statement established by experiment or observation. All facts are true under the specific conditions of the observation.

What is a Hypothesis?

One of the most common terms used in science classes is a "hypothesis". The word can have many different definitions, depending on the context in which it is being used:

• An educated guess: a scientific hypothesis provides a suggested solution based on evidence.
• Prediction: if you have ever carried out a science experiment, you probably made this type of hypothesis when you predicted the outcome of your experiment.
• Tentative or proposed explanation: hypotheses can be suggestions about why something is observed. In order for it to be scientific, however, a scientist must be able to test the explanation to see if it works and if it is able to correctly predict what will happen in a situation. For example, "if my hypothesis is correct, we should see ___ result when we perform ___ test."

A hypothesis is very tentative; it can be easily changed.

What is a Theory?

The United States National Academy of Sciences describes what a theory is as follows:

"Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation. Not so in science. In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature supported by facts gathered over time. Theories also allow scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena."

"A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world. The theory of biological evolution is more than "just a theory." It is as factual an explanation of the universe as the atomic theory of matter (stating that everything is made of atoms) or the germ theory of disease (which states that many diseases are caused by germs). Our understanding of gravity is still a work in progress. But the phenomenon of gravity, like evolution, is an accepted fact.

Note some key features of theories that are important to understand from this description:

• Theories are explanations of natural phenomena. They aren't predictions (although we may use theories to make predictions). They are explanations as to why we observe something.
• Theories aren't likely to change. They have a large amount of support and are able to satisfactorily explain numerous observations. Theories can, indeed, be facts. Theories can change, but it is a long and difficult process. In order for a theory to change, there must be many observations or pieces of evidence that the theory cannot explain.
• Theories are not guesses. The phrase "just a theory" has no room in science. To be a scientific theory carries a lot of weight; it is not just one person's idea about something

Theories aren't likely to change.

What is a Law?

Scientific laws are similar to scientific theories in that they are principles that can be used to predict the behavior of the natural world. Both scientific laws and scientific theories are typically well-supported by observations and/or experimental evidence. Usually scientific laws refer to rules for how nature will behave under certain conditions, frequently written as an equation. Scientific theories are more overarching explanations of how nature works and why it exhibits certain characteristics. As a comparison, theories explain why we observe what we do and laws describe what happens.

For example, around the year 1800, Jacques Charles and other scientists were working with gases to, among other reasons, improve the design of the hot air balloon. These scientists found, after many, many tests, that certain patterns existed in the observations on gas behavior. If the temperature of the gas is increased, the volume of the gas increased. This is known as a natural law. A law is a relationship that exists between variables in a group of data. Laws describe the patterns we see in large amounts of data, but do not describe why the patterns exist.

What is a Belief?

A belief is a statement that is not scientifically provable. Beliefs may or may not be incorrect; they just are outside the realm of science to explore.

Laws vs. Theories

A common misconception is that scientific theories are rudimentary ideas that will eventually graduate into scientific laws when enough data and evidence has accumulated. A theory does not change into a scientific law with the accumulation of new or better evidence. Remember, theories are explanations and laws are patterns we see in large amounts of data, frequently written as an equation. A theory will always remain a theory; a law will always remain a law.

Video \(\PageIndex{1}\): What’s the difference between a scientific law and theory?

• A hypothesis is a tentative explanation that can be tested by further investigation.
• A theory is a well-supported explanation of observations.
• A scientific law is a statement that summarizes the relationship between variables.
• An experiment is a controlled method of testing a hypothesis.

Contributions & Attributions

Marisa Alviar-Agnew  ( Sacramento City College )

Henry Agnew (UC Davis)

Hypothesis vs. Theory

A hypothesis is either a suggested explanation for an observable phenomenon, or a reasoned prediction of a possible causal correlation among multiple phenomena. In science , a theory is a tested, well-substantiated, unifying explanation for a set of verified, proven factors. A theory is always backed by evidence; a hypothesis is only a suggested possible outcome, and is testable and falsifiable.

Comparison chart

Examples of theory and hypothesis.

Theory: Einstein's theory of relativity is a theory because it has been tested and verified innumerable times, with results consistently verifying Einstein's conclusion. However, simply because Einstein's conclusion has become a theory does not mean testing of this theory has stopped; all science is ongoing. See also the Big Bang theory , germ theory , and climate change .

Hypothesis: One might think that a prisoner who learns a work skill while in prison will be less likely to commit a crime when released. This is a hypothesis, an "educated guess." The scientific method can be used to test this hypothesis, to either prove it is false or prove that it warrants further study. (Note: Simply because a hypothesis is not found to be false does not mean it is true all or even most of the time. If it is consistently true after considerable time and research, it may be on its way to becoming a theory.)

This video further explains the difference between a theory and a hypothesis:

Common Misconception

People often tend to say "theory" when what they're actually talking about is a hypothesis. For instance, "Migraines are caused by drinking coffee after 2 p.m. — well, it's just a theory, not a rule."

This is actually a logically reasoned proposal based on an observation — say 2 instances of drinking coffee after 2 p.m. caused a migraine — but even if this were true, the migraine could have actually been caused by some other factors.

Because this observation is merely a reasoned possibility, it is testable and can be falsified — which makes it a hypothesis, not a theory.

• What is a Scientific Hypothesis? - LiveScience
• Wikipedia:Scientific theory

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Comments: Hypothesis vs Theory

Anonymous comments (2).

October 11, 2013, 1:11pm "In science, a theory is a well-substantiated, unifying explanation for a set of verified, proven hypotheses." But there's no such thing as "proven hypotheses". Hypotheses can be tested/falsified, they can't be "proven". That's just not how science works. Logical deductions based on axioms can be proven, but not scientific hypotheses. On top of that I find it somewhat strange to claim that a theory doesn't have to be testable, if it's built up from hypotheses, which DO have to be testable... — 80.✗.✗.139

May 6, 2014, 11:45pm "Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things." this statement is poorly formed because it implies that a thing is a theory until it gets proven and then it is somehow promoted to fact. this is just a misunderstanding of what the words mean, and of how science progresses generally. to say that a theory is inherently dubious because "it isn't a fact" is pretty much a meaningless statement. no expression which qualified as a mere fact could do a very good job of explaining the complicated process by which species have arisen on Earth over the last billion years. in fact, if you claimed that you could come up with such a single fact, now THAT would be dubious! everything we observe in nature supports the theory of evolution, and nothing we observe contradicts it. when you can say this about a theory, it's a pretty fair bet that the theory is correct. — 71.✗.✗.151

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Scientific Theory Definition and Examples

A scientific theory is a well-established explanation of some aspect of the natural world. Theories come from scientific data and multiple experiments. While it is not possible to prove a theory, a single contrary result using the scientific method can disprove it. In other words, a theory is testable and falsifiable.

Examples of Scientific Theories

There are many scientific theory in different disciplines:

• Astronomy : theory of stellar nucleosynthesis , theory of stellar evolution
• Biology : cell theory, theory of evolution, germ theory, dual inheritance theory
• Chemistry : atomic theory, Bronsted Lowry acid-base theory , kinetic molecular theory of gases , Lewis acid-base theory , molecular theory, valence bond theory
• Geology : climate change theory, plate tectonics theory
• Physics : Big Bang theory, perturbation theory, theory of relativity, quantum field theory

Criteria for a Theory

In order for an explanation of the natural world to be a theory, it meets certain criteria:

• A theory is falsifiable. At some point, a theory withstands testing and experimentation using the scientific method.
• A theory is supported by lots of independent evidence.
• A theory explains existing experimental results and predicts outcomes of new experiments at least as well as other theories.

Difference Between a Scientific Theory and Theory

Usually, a scientific theory is just called a theory. However, a theory in science means something different from the way most people use the word. For example, if frogs rain down from the sky, a person might observe the frogs and say, “I have a theory about why that happened.” While that theory might be an explanation, it is not based on multiple observations and experiments. It might not be testable and falsifiable. It’s not a scientific theory (although it could eventually become one).

Value of Disproven Theories

Even though some theories are incorrect, they often retain value.

For example, Arrhenius acid-base theory does not explain the behavior of chemicals lacking hydrogen that behave as acids. The Bronsted Lowry and Lewis theories do a better job of explaining this behavior. Yet, the Arrhenius theory predicts the behavior of most acids and is easier for people to understand.

Another example is the theory of Newtonian mechanics. The theory of relativity is much more inclusive than Newtonian mechanics, which breaks down in certain frames of reference or at speeds close to the speed of light . But, Newtonian mechanics is much simpler to understand and its equations apply to everyday behavior.

Difference Between a Scientific Theory and a Scientific Law

The scientific method leads to the formulation of both scientific theories and laws . Both theories and laws are falsifiable. Both theories and laws help with making predictions about the natural world. However, there is a key difference.

A theory explains why or how something works, while a law describes what happens without explaining it. Often, you see laws written in the form of equations or formulas.

Theories and laws are related, but theories never become laws or vice versa.

Theory vs Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposition that is tested via an experiment. A theory results from many, many tested hypotheses.

Theory vs Fact

Theories depend on facts, but the two words mean different things. A fact is an irrefutable piece of evidence or data. Facts never change. A theory, on the other hand, may be modified or disproven.

Difference Between a Theory and a Model

Both theories and models allow a scientist to form a hypothesis and make predictions about future outcomes. However, a theory both describes and explains, while a model only describes. For example, a model of the solar system shows the arrangement of planets and asteroids in a plane around the Sun, but it does not explain how or why they got into their positions.

• Frigg, Roman (2006). “ Scientific Representation and the Semantic View of Theories .”  Theoria . 55 (2): 183–206. 
• Halvorson, Hans (2012). “What Scientific Theories Could Not Be.”  Philosophy of Science . 79 (2): 183–206. doi: 10.1086/664745
• McComas, William F. (December 30, 2013).  The Language of Science Education: An Expanded Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts in Science Teaching and Learning . Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-94-6209-497-0.
• National Academy of Sciences (US) (1999). Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences (2nd ed.). National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6024  ISBN 978-0-309-06406-4. 
• Suppe, Frederick (1998). “Understanding Scientific Theories: An Assessment of Developments, 1969–1998.”  Philosophy of Science . 67: S102–S115. doi: 10.1086/392812

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What Is a Hypothesis? (Science)

If...,Then...

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A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for an observation. The definition depends on the subject.

In science, a hypothesis is part of the scientific method. It is a prediction or explanation that is tested by an experiment. Observations and experiments may disprove a scientific hypothesis, but can never entirely prove one.

In the study of logic, a hypothesis is an if-then proposition, typically written in the form, "If X , then Y ."

In common usage, a hypothesis is simply a proposed explanation or prediction, which may or may not be tested.

Writing a Hypothesis

Most scientific hypotheses are proposed in the if-then format because it's easy to design an experiment to see whether or not a cause and effect relationship exists between the independent variable and the dependent variable . The hypothesis is written as a prediction of the outcome of the experiment.

• Null Hypothesis and Alternative Hypothesis

Statistically, it's easier to show there is no relationship between two variables than to support their connection. So, scientists often propose the null hypothesis . The null hypothesis assumes changing the independent variable will have no effect on the dependent variable.

In contrast, the alternative hypothesis suggests changing the independent variable will have an effect on the dependent variable. Designing an experiment to test this hypothesis can be trickier because there are many ways to state an alternative hypothesis.

For example, consider a possible relationship between getting a good night's sleep and getting good grades. The null hypothesis might be stated: "The number of hours of sleep students get is unrelated to their grades" or "There is no correlation between hours of sleep and grades."

An experiment to test this hypothesis might involve collecting data, recording average hours of sleep for each student and grades. If a student who gets eight hours of sleep generally does better than students who get four hours of sleep or 10 hours of sleep, the hypothesis might be rejected.

But the alternative hypothesis is harder to propose and test. The most general statement would be: "The amount of sleep students get affects their grades." The hypothesis might also be stated as "If you get more sleep, your grades will improve" or "Students who get nine hours of sleep have better grades than those who get more or less sleep."

In an experiment, you can collect the same data, but the statistical analysis is less likely to give you a high confidence limit.

Usually, a scientist starts out with the null hypothesis. From there, it may be possible to propose and test an alternative hypothesis, to narrow down the relationship between the variables.

Example of a Hypothesis

Examples of a hypothesis include:

• If you drop a rock and a feather, (then) they will fall at the same rate.
• Plants need sunlight in order to live. (if sunlight, then life)
• Eating sugar gives you energy. (if sugar, then energy)
• White, Jay D.  Research in Public Administration . Conn., 1998.
• Schick, Theodore, and Lewis Vaughn.  How to Think about Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age . McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002.
• Null Hypothesis Definition and Examples
• Definition of a Hypothesis
• What Are the Elements of a Good Hypothesis?
• Six Steps of the Scientific Method
• What Are Examples of a Hypothesis?
• Understanding Simple vs Controlled Experiments
• Scientific Method Flow Chart
• Scientific Method Vocabulary Terms
• What Is a Testable Hypothesis?
• Null Hypothesis Examples
• What 'Fail to Reject' Means in a Hypothesis Test
• How To Design a Science Fair Experiment
• What Is an Experiment? Definition and Design
• Hypothesis Test for the Difference of Two Population Proportions
• How to Conduct a Hypothesis Test

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1.2: Theories, Hypotheses and Models

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For the purpose of this textbook (and science in general), we introduce a distinction in what we mean by “theory”, “hypothesis”, and by “model”. We will consider a “theory” to be a set of statements (or an equation) that gives us a broad description, applicable to several phenomena and that allows us to make verifiable predictions. For example, Chloë’s Theory ( \(t \propto \sqrt{h}\) ) can be considered a theory. Specifically, we do not use the word theory in the context of “I have a theory about this...”

A “hypothesis” is a consequence of the theory that one can test. From Chloë’s Theory, we have the hypothesis that an object will take \(\sqrt{2}\) times longer to fall from \(1\:\text{m}\) than from \(2\:\text{m}\) . We can formulate the hypothesis based on the theory and then test that hypothesis. If the hypothesis is found to be invalidated by experiment, then either the theory is incorrect, or the hypothesis is not consistent with the theory.

A “model” is a situation-specific description of a phenomenon based on a theory , that allows us to make a specific prediction. Using the example from the previous section, our theory would be that the fall time of an object is proportional to the square root of the drop height, and a model would be applying that theory to describe a tennis ball falling by \(4.2\) m. From the model, we can form a testable hypothesis of how long it will take the tennis ball to fall that distance. It is important to note that a model will almost always be an approximation of the theory applied to describe a particular phenomenon. For example, if Chloë’s Theory is only valid in vacuum, and we use it to model the time that it take for an object to fall at the surface of the Earth, we may find that our model disagrees with experiment. We would not necessarily conclude that the theory is invalidated, if our model did not adequately apply the theory to describe the phenomenon (e.g. by forgetting to include the effect of air drag).

This textbook will introduce the theories from Classical Physics, which were mostly established and tested between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. We will take it as given that readers of this textbook are not likely to perform experiments that challenge those well-established theories. The main challenge will be, given a theory, to define a model that describes a particular situation, and then to test that model. This introductory physics course is thus focused on thinking of “doing physics” as the task of correctly modeling a situation.

Emma's Thoughts

What’s the difference between a model and a theory?

“Model” and “Theory” are sometimes used interchangeably among scientists. In physics, it is particularly important to distinguish between these two terms. A model provides an immediate understanding of something based on a theory.

For example, if you would like to model the launch of your toy rocket into space, you might run a computer simulation of the launch based on various theories of propulsion that you have learned. In this case, the model is the computer simulation, which describes what will happen to the rocket. This model depends on various theories that have been extensively tested such as Newton’s Laws of motion, Fluid dynamics, etc.

• “Model”: Your homemade rocket computer simulation
• “Theory”: Newton’s Laws of motion, Fluid dynamics

With this analogy, we can quickly see that the “model” and “theory” are not interchangeable. If they were, we would be saying that all of Newton’s Laws of Motion depend on the success of your piddly toy rocket computer simulation!

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Models cannot be scientifically tested, only theories can be tested.

What is a scientific hypothesis?

It's the initial building block in the scientific method.

Hypothesis basics

What makes a hypothesis testable.

• Types of hypotheses
• Hypothesis versus theory

Additional resources

Bibliography.

A scientific hypothesis is a tentative, testable explanation for a phenomenon in the natural world. It's the initial building block in the scientific method . Many describe it as an "educated guess" based on prior knowledge and observation. While this is true, a hypothesis is more informed than a guess. While an "educated guess" suggests a random prediction based on a person's expertise, developing a hypothesis requires active observation and background research. 

The basic idea of a hypothesis is that there is no predetermined outcome. For a solution to be termed a scientific hypothesis, it has to be an idea that can be supported or refuted through carefully crafted experimentation or observation. This concept, called falsifiability and testability, was advanced in the mid-20th century by Austrian-British philosopher Karl Popper in his famous book "The Logic of Scientific Discovery" (Routledge, 1959).

A key function of a hypothesis is to derive predictions about the results of future experiments and then perform those experiments to see whether they support the predictions.

A hypothesis is usually written in the form of an if-then statement, which gives a possibility (if) and explains what may happen because of the possibility (then). The statement could also include "may," according to California State University, Bakersfield .

Here are some examples of hypothesis statements:

• If garlic repels fleas, then a dog that is given garlic every day will not get fleas.
• If sugar causes cavities, then people who eat a lot of candy may be more prone to cavities.
• If ultraviolet light can damage the eyes, then maybe this light can cause blindness.

A useful hypothesis should be testable and falsifiable. That means that it should be possible to prove it wrong. A theory that can't be proved wrong is nonscientific, according to Karl Popper's 1963 book " Conjectures and Refutations ."

An example of an untestable statement is, "Dogs are better than cats." That's because the definition of "better" is vague and subjective. However, an untestable statement can be reworded to make it testable. For example, the previous statement could be changed to this: "Owning a dog is associated with higher levels of physical fitness than owning a cat." With this statement, the researcher can take measures of physical fitness from dog and cat owners and compare the two.

Types of scientific hypotheses

In an experiment, researchers generally state their hypotheses in two ways. The null hypothesis predicts that there will be no relationship between the variables tested, or no difference between the experimental groups. The alternative hypothesis predicts the opposite: that there will be a difference between the experimental groups. This is usually the hypothesis scientists are most interested in, according to the University of Miami .

For example, a null hypothesis might state, "There will be no difference in the rate of muscle growth between people who take a protein supplement and people who don't." The alternative hypothesis would state, "There will be a difference in the rate of muscle growth between people who take a protein supplement and people who don't."

If the results of the experiment show a relationship between the variables, then the null hypothesis has been rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis, according to the book " Research Methods in Psychology " (​​BCcampus, 2015). 

There are other ways to describe an alternative hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis above does not specify a direction of the effect, only that there will be a difference between the two groups. That type of prediction is called a two-tailed hypothesis. If a hypothesis specifies a certain direction — for example, that people who take a protein supplement will gain more muscle than people who don't — it is called a one-tailed hypothesis, according to William M. K. Trochim , a professor of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University.

Sometimes, errors take place during an experiment. These errors can happen in one of two ways. A type I error is when the null hypothesis is rejected when it is true. This is also known as a false positive. A type II error occurs when the null hypothesis is not rejected when it is false. This is also known as a false negative, according to the University of California, Berkeley . 

A hypothesis can be rejected or modified, but it can never be proved correct 100% of the time. For example, a scientist can form a hypothesis stating that if a certain type of tomato has a gene for red pigment, that type of tomato will be red. During research, the scientist then finds that each tomato of this type is red. Though the findings confirm the hypothesis, there may be a tomato of that type somewhere in the world that isn't red. Thus, the hypothesis is true, but it may not be true 100% of the time.

Scientific theory vs. scientific hypothesis

The best hypotheses are simple. They deal with a relatively narrow set of phenomena. But theories are broader; they generally combine multiple hypotheses into a general explanation for a wide range of phenomena, according to the University of California, Berkeley . For example, a hypothesis might state, "If animals adapt to suit their environments, then birds that live on islands with lots of seeds to eat will have differently shaped beaks than birds that live on islands with lots of insects to eat." After testing many hypotheses like these, Charles Darwin formulated an overarching theory: the theory of evolution by natural selection.

"Theories are the ways that we make sense of what we observe in the natural world," Tanner said. "Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts." 

• Read more about writing a hypothesis, from the American Medical Writers Association.
• Find out why a hypothesis isn't always necessary in science, from The American Biology Teacher.
• Learn about null and alternative hypotheses, from Prof. Essa on YouTube .

Encyclopedia Britannica. Scientific Hypothesis. Jan. 13, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/science/scientific-hypothesis

Karl Popper, "The Logic of Scientific Discovery," Routledge, 1959.

California State University, Bakersfield, "Formatting a testable hypothesis." https://www.csub.edu/~ddodenhoff/Bio100/Bio100sp04/formattingahypothesis.htm  

Karl Popper, "Conjectures and Refutations," Routledge, 1963.

Price, P., Jhangiani, R., & Chiang, I., "Research Methods of Psychology — 2nd Canadian Edition," BCcampus, 2015.‌

University of Miami, "The Scientific Method" http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/161/evolution/161app1_scimethod.pdf  

William M.K. Trochim, "Research Methods Knowledge Base," https://conjointly.com/kb/hypotheses-explained/  

University of California, Berkeley, "Multiple Hypothesis Testing and False Discovery Rate" https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~hhuang/STAT141/Lecture-FDR.pdf  

University of California, Berkeley, "Science at multiple levels" https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/howscienceworks_19

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The Scientific Method – Hypotheses, Models, Theories, and Laws

The scientific method is defined as the steps scientists follow to create a view of the world that is accurate, reliable, and consistent.  It’s also a way of minimizing how a scientist’s cultural and personal beliefs impact and influence their work.  It attempts to make a person’s perceptions and interpretations of nature and natural phenomena as scientific and neutral as possible.  It minimizes the amount of prejudice and bias a scientist has on the results of an experiment, hypothesis, or theory.

The scientific method can be broken down into four steps:

• Observe and describe the phenomenon (or group of various phenomena).
• Create a hypothesis that explains the phenomena. In physics, this often means creating a mathematical relation or a causal mechanism.
• Use this hypothesis to attempt to predict other related phenomena or the results of another set of observations.
• Test the performance of these predictions using independent experiments.

If the results of these experiments support the hypothesis, then it may become a theory or even a law of nature.  However, if they do not support the hypothesis, then it either has to be changed or completely rejected.  The main benefit of the scientific method is that it has predictive power—a proven theory can be applied to a wide range of phenomena.  Of course, even the most tested theory may be, at some point, proven wrong because new observations may be recorded or experiments done that contradict it.  Theories can never fully be proven, only fully disproven.

• The Steps of the Scientific Method – A basic introduction
• Wikipedia’s Entry for the Scientific Method – It goes into the history of the method
• Definition of the Scientific Method – Also includes a brief history of its use
• Steps of the Scientific Method – More detail about each of the steps

Testing Hypotheses

Testing a hypothesis can lead to one of two things: the hypothesis is confirmed or the hypothesis is rejected, meaning it either has to be changed or a new hypothesis has to be created.  This must happen if the experiments repeatedly and clearly show that their hypothesis is wrong.  It doesn’t matter how elegant or supported a theory is—if it can be disproven once, it can’t be considered a law of nature.  Experimentation is the supreme rule in the scientific method, and if an experiment shows that the hypothesis isn’t true, it trumps all previous experiments that supported it.  These experiments sometimes directly test the theory, while other times they test the theory indirectly via logic and math.  The scientific method requires that all theories have to be testable in some way—those that can’t are not considered scientific theories.

If a theory is disproven, that theory might still be applicable in some ways, but it’s no longer considered a true law of nature.  For example, Newton’s Laws were disproven in cases where the velocity is greater than the speed of light, but they can still be applied to mechanics that use slower velocities.  Other theories that were widely held to be true for years, even centuries, that have been disproven due to new observations include the idea that the earth is the center of our solar system or that the planets orbited the sun in perfect circular orbits rather than the now-proven elliptical orbits.

Of course, a hypothesis or proven theory isn’t always disproven by one single experiment.  This is because experiments may have errors in them, so a hypothesis that looks like it failed once is tested several times by several independent tests.  Things that can cause errors include faulty instruments, misreading measurements or other data, or the bias of the researcher.  Most measurements are given with a degree of error.  Scientists work to make that degree of error as small as possible while still estimating and calculating everything that could cause errors in a test.

• Testing Software Hypotheses – How to apply the scientific method to software testing
• Testing Scientific Ideas – Including a graph of the process
• Research Hypothesis Testing – What is it, and how is it tested?
• What Hypothesis Testing is All About – A different look at testing

Common Mistakes in Applying the Scientific Method

Unfortunately, the scientific method isn’t always applied correctly.  Mistakes do happen, and some of them are actually fairly common.  Because all scientists are human with biases and prejudices, it can be hard to be truly objective in some cases.  It’s important that all results are as untainted by bias as possible, but that doesn’t always happen. Another common mistake is taking something as common sense or deciding that something is so logical that it doesn’t need to be tested.  Scientists have to remember that everything has to be tested before it can be considered a solid hypothesis.

Scientists also have to be willing to look at every piece of data, even those which invalidate the hypothesis.  Some scientists so strongly believe their hypothesis that they try to explain away data that disproves it.  They want to find some reason as to why that data or experiment must be wrong instead of looking at their hypothesis again.  All data has to be considered in the same way, even if it goes against the hypothesis.

Another common issue is forgetting to estimate all possible errors that could arise during testing.  Some data that contradicts the hypothesis has been explained as falling into the range of error, but really, it was a systematic error that the researchers simply didn’t account for.

• Mistakes Young Researchers Make – 15 common errors new scientists may make
• Experimental Error – A look at false positives and false negatives
• Control of Measurement Errors – How to keep errors in measurement to a minimum
• Errors in Scientific Experiments – What they are and how to handle them

Hypotheses, Models, Theories, and Laws

While some people do incorrectly use words like “theory” and “hypotheses” interchangeably, the scientific community has very strict definitions of these terms.

Hypothesis:   A hypothesis is an observation, usually based on a cause and effect.  It is the basic idea that has not been tested.  A hypothesis is just an idea that explains something.  It must go through a number of experiments designed to prove or disprove it.

Model: A hypothesis becomes a model after some testing has been done and it appears to be a valid observation.  Some models are only valid in specific instances, such as when a value falls within a certain range.  A model may also be called a law.

Scientific theory: A model that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed may become a scientific theory.  These theories have been tested by a number of independent researchers around the world using various experiments, and all have supported the theory.  Theories may be disproven, of course, but only after rigorous testing of a new hypothesis that seems to contradict them.

• What is a Hypothesis? – The definition of a hypothesis and its function in the scientific method
• Hypothesis, Theory, and Law – Definitions of each
• 10 Scientific Laws and Theories – Some examples

The scientific method has been used for years to create hypotheses, test them, and develop them into full scientific theories.  While it appears to be a very simple method at first glance, it’s actually one of the most complex ways of testing and evaluating an observation or idea.  It’s different from other types of explanation because it attempts to remove all bias and move forward using systematic experimentation only.  However, like any method, there is room for error, such as bias or mechanical error.  Of course, just like the theories it tests, the scientific method may someday be revised.

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• Difference Between Hypothesis And Theory

Difference Between Theory and Hypothesis

Many of them belittle evolution because “it is just a theory.” Gravity, on the other hand, must be real because it is a law. The words “theory,” “facts,” “laws” and “hypothesis” have a very specific meaning in the scientific world that doesn’t quite match the ones we use in everyday language. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation of an observation that can be tested. It acts as a starting point for further explanation. Theory, on the other hand, is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that’s well-justified by facts, tested hypotheses, and laws. Let us look at more differences between hypothesis and theory given in a tabular column below.

Theory vs Hypothesis

From the above differences, we can infer that a hypothesis might change significantly as the testing occurs. A hypothesis can either be right or wrong. When a hypothesis is tested and proved true, it becomes a theory. At BYJU’S, learn more differences like the difference between asteroid and comet.

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Theory and Fact

One source of confusion about the status of the science or theory of evolution stems from the difference between the "everyday" meaning of the word "theory" and the scientific meaning the word.

Below we list some common misconceptions about the term "theory" and describe a classroom activity that can help students rethink their understanding of this term.

Misconception 1 "Evolution is 'just a theory'".

Misconception 2 "Theories become facts when they are well supported and/or proven."

There are three important misconceptions propagated in the above statements. The first statement implies that a theory should be interpreted as just a guess or a hunch, whereas in science, the term theory is used very differently. The second statement implies that theories become facts, in some sort of linear progression. In science, theories never become facts. Rather, theories explain facts. The third misconception is that scientific research provides proof in the sense of attaining the absolute truth. Scientific knowledge is always tentative and subject to revision should new evidence come to light.

Classroom Activity

“Fact-Hypothesis-Theory Word Jumble”

• Provide students with some examples of a theory, fact, hypothesis, and law.
• Discuss each example with students, focusing on whether the statement is based on evidence and under what conditions the statement is true.
• Ask students to organize these statements in some type of relative order, from that which they most readily accept to that which they consider most tentative.

Fact: In science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true”. Truth in science, however, is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow.

Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the natural world leading to deductions that can be tested. If the deductions are verified, the hypothesis is provisionally corroborated. If the deductions are incorrect, the original hypothesis is proved false and must be abandoned or modified. Hypotheses can be used to build more complex inferences and explanations.

Law: A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances.

Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.

• Ask students to identify each of the original statements as a Fact, Hypothesis, Law, or Theory and to revisit the arrange of statements, from that which they would most readily accept to that which they consider most tentative, and make any changes deemed necessary.
• Did the order change? If so, how and why?

Recommended Resources:

Understanding Evolution and UC Museum of Paleontology

From the PBS Evolution series "Evolving Ideas: Isn’t Evolution Just a Theory?"

"Theory in Theory and Practice" (pdf) by NCSE's Glenn Branch and Louise Mead Evol Edu Outreach 1:287-289, 2008

"Evolution as Fact, Theory, and Path" by Ryan Gregory, Evo Edu Outreach 1:46-52, 2008.

"The Role of Theory in Advancing 21st Century Biology ", a special brief report from the National Academies of Science, 2007 (pdf)

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• Featured Answers

What is the relationship between a hypothesis and a theory?

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When does a theory become a fact and who decides?

29 December 2021

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Wolf Kirchmeir

Blind River, Ontario, Canada

A theory never becomes a fact. It is an explanation of one or more facts.

Narberth, Pembrokeshire, UK

A well-supported evidence-based theory becomes acceptable until disproved. It never evolves to a fact, and that’s a fact.

Nick Canning

Coleraine, County Londonderry, UK

Many scientists, including the late Stephen Hawking, are happy to say that a theory never becomes a fact. It is always an interpretive structure that links facts, which are themselves reproducible experimental observations.

The “truth” of a theory is determined by its usefulness in linking the largest number of facts and predicting new ones that haven’t been observed yet. Discovery of facts that don’t fit the theory will lead to the search for a new theory.

Matt Chamings

Barnstaple, Devon, UK

This question misunderstands what a theory is in the same way that creationists dismiss evolution as “just a theory”.

A theory isn’t speculation about what might be true. It is a set of propositions that seek to explain a particular phenomenon or set of facts. A theory can be tested and shown to be accurate or modified as the evidence requires. Even when a theory is accepted as fact, it remains a theory.

Alan Harding

While a scientific theory such as Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation makes an infinite number of predictions, it can only be verified by a finite number of observations, so it can never be seen as irrefutably correct. In philosophy, this is the problem of induction.

The fact that science rests on rather fragile epistemological foundations opens it to attack from anti-science movements, for example when creationists claim that Darwinian evolution is “only a theory”. All science is, to some extent, “only a theory”, but its great strength is that theories that don’t fit real world observations are eventually discarded. This has happened with Newton’s theory of gravitation, now seen to be a special case of general relativity.

So in reality, in science we do not have facts or proof, all we have is the best-available, most widely accepted theory at the time.

John Wallace

Liverpool, UK

Evolutionary pressures have favoured some organisms that are aware of their surroundings and able to react to them. Humans have become rather good at this.

We also have curiosity, which leads us to look hard at our surroundings and try to make sense of what we find. So, we gather information, and try to invent theories that could explain what we see. The better theories don’t just explain all the data so far observed, they enable predictions. If confirmed by data, this strengthens our reliance on the theory,

Take satnav systems, for example. These rely on the predictions of relativity and quantum theories. Every time a satnav system is used, the theories it was based on are tested again. But, until we know “everything”, theories, even the successful ones, will still be theories.

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email [email protected] .

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How a hypothesis becomes a theory?

A hypothesis become a theory if it is proved by experimental data.

tested; conclusion (apex)

By being proven... a hypothesis is only a prediction of what you believe will happen... when it is proven false, it does not become a theory. if it is proven true, it then becomes a theory.

I hypothesize that if i stick this Pizza in the oven while it is on, it will get hot.

Proceed to put pizza in hot oven.

Conclusion: as predicted the pizza is now hot, therefore the theory that cold pizzas that are put in a hot oven get hot is correct. or The hypothesis must be well-tested and supported by much evidence.

Anonymous ∙

In everyday use, the term theory is often used as a synonym for hypothesis.

In science, a Theory a broad explanation of a variety of phenomenon.

A hypothesis is usually a possible specific phenomenon, so a hypothesis does not usually become a Theory.

A theory is usually proposed for a known set of laws or phenomenon. Predictions are made based on this theory, and then experiments are designed to test those predictions (hypothesis).

To be accepted as true, a proposed theory must be tested multiple times by many researchers. Eventually the weight of this evidence is enough to convince most scientists of the truth (or at least the usefulness) of the Theory.

A scientific hypothesis is an untested "what if?" question - it is a proposed explanation of an observation or abstract idea. A scientific theory is a widely accepted general explanation of an observed phenomenon. For a hypothesis to progress to a theory, it must be validated in numerous independent experiments over several centuries.

To use a famous (and hotly debated) example, Charles Darwin initially proposed the scientific hypothesis of evolution to explain how the various species of finches on the Galapagos Islands had developed such different beaks even though they were obviously very similar in many regards to each other. Since Darwin's initial proposal, there have been numerous experiments, both in nature and in laboratories, that have confirmed and refined Darwin's initial hypothesis. Some parts of Darwin's original hypothesis have been proven false, but the core idea of evolution was found to be accurate. Since thousands of experiments and observations in the last 100+ years have supported Darwin's hypothesis, and there has been no serious evidence against the hypothesis, Darwin's original hypothesis is now accepted as Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It is considered true and valid throughout the scientific world, just as the Heliocentric Theory of the Solar System (the idea that the earth revolves around the sun) is.

A hypothesis is an untested guess. You come up with a hypothesis when you're faced with a situation you don't understand. You make a guess about what's going on. Your guess will have logical implications. "If my guess is right, then if I do this, that will happen." This provides you with an experiment you can perform. If you do this, and that does NOT happen, your guess was wrong. On the other hand, if you do this and that DOES happen, this does not necessarily prove your guess was right. As a practical matter, it is rarely possible to absolutely prove a lot of hypotheses. It's only possible to absolutely disprove them, by coming up with an experiment that contradicts some logical implication of them. But once a hypothesis has been tested to some considerable degree, and has never failed, people gain confidence in it. They probably can't say it's been absolutely proven, but they can say that lots of people have tried to disprove it, and nobody has been able to (so far). So they upgrade it to a theory. It's really still a guess, but it's one that's been checked out quite a bit. It's always possible that someone will manage to disprove it later on, maybe even after hundreds of years, but that's just how it goes.

They hypothesis has to be tested thoroughly, and if the hypothesis is correct according to the many experiments, then it becomes a theory. After a theory has been tested with generations of scientific experimentation, it becomes a scientific law.

First you test your hypothesis with an experiment. Based on your findings you can revise your hypothesis and test it again. Eventually you will develop a theory that explains all your findings. This is how the theory of gravity, evolution, etc were all developed.

To become a theory, the hypothesis must be well supported.

If you are using the Biology book, look at

Mainly the topic 'How a Theory Develops'

hindi ko alam eh.............................................. maghanap ka na lang.

Add your answer:

Which comes last in the scientific method a developing a theory b proposing a hypothesis c conducting an experiment d testing a hypothesis?

Testing experimentally a hypothesis is the last step.

Is the statement An atom consists of a dense nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons best described as a law or hypothesis or a theory?

A theory. Its the Atom Theory. The old theory used to be that an atom was just like a billiard ball.

Why is this experiment being done?

To confirm or deny the theory of hypothesis associated with the subject being studied.

What is made at the beginning of the scientific process?

Well, the scientific process starts with an observation or an idea, then a hypothesis "To guess what happens when its putted to the test" which is the next step, and finally if the hypothesis is correct it changes the original theory, if wrong you have to start over :)

A chemical theory that has been known for a long time becomes a law?

Yes after a long time it can become a law

What will a hypothesis become if its is supported by repeated experimentation?

A scientific theory

What must happen before a hypothesis becomes a theory?

The Hypothesis Must Be Supported In Order For It To Become A Theory

What will a hypothesis become is it is supported by repeating experimentation's?

A proven hypothesis becomes a theory.

What is needed for a hypothesis to develop into theory?

many differnet scientists doing expiraments that prove the hypothesis to be true-then it becomes a theory

When can a theory be changed?

whenever an experiment fails to confirm the theory it is no longer a theory ... it becomes a hypothesis

When can scientific theory be change?

When the data seems to support your hypothesis it becomes a.

Theory. APEX -&gt; conclusion

If a hypothesis is supported by new data gathered over a period of time it may become a what?

Confirmed hypothesis becomes a theory.

When can a scientific theories be changed?

What must happen for a hypothesis to become s theory.

as evidence from numerous investigations builds up a particular hypothesis my become so wellsupported that it becomes a theory

A theory that stands the test of time and becomes the basis for a field of study?

What is a scientist hypothesis.

A hypothesis is a temporary explanation for some observation. It is then tested and, if is found to be incorrect, a new one has to be formed. If found to be correct, it becomes a theory. If that theory is later found to have a counter-example it is modified (hypothesis -&gt; theory - same process) or a completely new hypothesis proposed and tested. The hypothesis alwasy comes before the theory. it is a practical explanation that the scientist develops that accounts for a theory.

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