What is a scientific hypothesis, a scientific law and a scientific theory?

Question

I'm not asking because I don't know. I do know. I'm wondering what answers other people come up with. I'm asking in the R&S section so that I can get responses from the religious types as well as the secular.

Answer 1

Lay people often misinterpret the language used by scientists. And for that reason, they sometimes draw the wrong conclusions as to what the scientific terms mean.

Three such terms that are often used interchangeably are "scientific law," "hypothesis," and "theory."

In layman’s terms, if something is said to be “just a theory,” it usually means that it is a mere guess, or is unproved. It might even lack credibility. But in scientific terms, a theory implies that something has been proven and is generally accepted as being true.

Here is what each of these terms means to a scientist:

Scientific Law: This is a statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions. It is generally accepted to be true and univseral, and can sometimes be expressed in terms of a single mathematical equation. Scientific laws are similar to mathematical postulates. They don’t really need any complex external proofs; they are accepted at face value based upon the fact that they have always been observed to be true.

Some scientific laws, or laws of nature, include the law of gravity, the law of thermodynamics, and Hook’s law of elasticity.

Hypothesis: This is an educated guess based upon observation. It is a rational explanation of a single event or phenomenon based upon what is observed, but which has not been proved. Most hypotheses can be supported or refuted by experimentation or continued observation.

Theory: A theory is more like a scientific law than a hypothesis. A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers. One scientist cannot create a theory; he can only create a hypothesis.

In general, both a scientific theory and a scientific law are accepted to be true by the scientific community as a whole. Both are used to make predictions of events. Both are used to advance technology.

The biggest difference between a law and a theory is that a theory is much more complex and dynamic. A law governs a single action, whereas a theory explains a whole series of related phenomena.

An analogy can be made using a slingshot and an automobile.

A scientific law is like a slingshot. A slingshot has but one moving part--the rubber band. If you put a rock in it and draw it back, the rock will fly out at a predictable speed, depending upon the distance the band is drawn back.

An automobile has many moving parts, all working in unison to perform the chore of transporting someone from one point to another point. An automobile is a complex piece of machinery. Sometimes, improvements are made to one or more component parts. A new set of spark plugs that are composed of a better alloy that can withstand heat better, for example, might replace the existing set. But the function of the automobile as a whole remains unchanged.

A theory is like the automobile. Components of it can be changed or improved upon, without changing the overall truth of the theory as a whole.

Some scientific theories include the theory of evolution, the theory of relativity, and the quantum theory. All of these theories are well documented and proved beyond reasonable doubt. Yet scientists continue to tinker with the component hypotheses of each theory in an attempt to make them more elegant and concise, or to make them more all-encompassing. Theories can be tweaked, but they are seldom, if ever, entirely replaced.

Answer 2

Your sequence needs to be adjusted: hypothesis ----> theory -----> law.

A hypothesis is an educated guess. Experiments are then conducted to test that guess. If the data/results support the hypothesis, it becomes a theory (not to be confused with the every-day usage of the term, which is really hypothetical). If the theory stands for a long time (maybe 100 + years), it is then upgraded to a law.

According to this, there is no Theory of Evolution. And THAT is a scientific conclusion. Charles Darwin used the word "theory" with its original, every-day, non-scientific meaning, i.e. hypothetical. After more than 150 years, the word has taken on a scientific meaning. The "Theory of Evolution" is merely a scientific hypothesis because it has never been proven experimentally.

Answer 3

a Hypothesis is a unproven theory . a could be that still needs to be put to the test.
a Scientific law is a theory that has been proven and can be reproduced over and over again.
a scientific Theory is a idea of what could be . but has not been repeatable or prove able yet.

Answer 4

hypothesis is a educated guess, law is a proven hypthosis (i think), theory is a well tested hypothesis that is supported after numberous experiments.

Answer 5

Hypothesis - educated guess
Theory - founded on evidence
Law - accepted as true

Answer 6

hypothesis: God exists because the bible is written.
Scientific Law: All matter moves from a concentration of energy to a lower concentration.
Scientific Theory: If god ever existed, he no longer has any power and we should move on.