[Campbell Biology P.75] In the context of scientific inquiry, how does a scientific theory ... | Practice Question

In the context of scientific inquiry, how does a scientific theory fundamentally differ from a hypothesis?

  • A: A theory is an educated guess, while a hypothesis is a proven fact.
  • B: A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a narrow set of observations, whereas a theory is a broad, well-substantiated explanation supported by extensive evidence.
  • C: Hypotheses are tested once, while theories are continually re-evaluated and can never be disproven.
  • D: Theories are only formed in applied science, while hypotheses are limited to basic research.

Explanation

A scientific hypothesis is a testable, proposed explanation for a specific observation, typically narrow in scope. A scientific theory, on the other hand, is a broad, well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Theories are more comprehensive and have greater explanatory power than hypotheses.