Question

What is the key difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

• A. A scientific theory can eventually become a scientific law if it is proven true through repeated experimentation.
• B. Scientific laws are absolute truths that cannot be challenged, whereas scientific theories are merely educated guesses that are not yet fully supported by evidence.
• C. A scientific law explains the underlying mechanisms of a phenomenon, while a scientific theory only describes its observable patterns.
• D. A theory is an explanation of why a phenomenon occurs, while a law describes a consistently observed phenomenon.

Answer 1

Answer:

D. A theory is an explanation of why a phenomenon occurs, while a law describes a consistently observed phenomenon.

• This is the core distinction.

• For example, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation describes the force of gravity, while the Theory of General Relativity explains why gravity works the way it does.