Scientific Hypothesis, Theory, Law Definitions
Words have precise meanings in science. For example, ‘theory’, ‘law’, and ‘hypothesis’ don’t all mean the same thing. Outside of science, you might say something is ‘just a theory’, meaning it’s supposition that may or may not be true. In science, a theory is an explanation that generally is accepted to be true. Here’s a closer look at these important, commonly misused terms. Hypothesis A hypothesis is an educated guess, based on observation. Usually, a hypothesis can be supported or refuted through experimentation or more observation. A hypothesis can be disproven, but not proven to be true. Example: If you see no difference in the cleaning ability of various laundry detergents, you might hypothesize that cleaning effectiveness is not affected by which detergent you use. You can see this hypothesis can be disproven if a stain is removed by one detergent and not another. On the other hand, you cannot prove the hypothesis.
