Hypothesis, Theory, and Law in Science
Explore the distinct meanings and relationships between hypothesis, theory, and law in scientific inquiry for 7th graders.
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Hypothesis, Theory, and Law in Science
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. This worksheet will test your understanding of scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.
1. A scientific is a testable explanation for an observation.
2. A scientific 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 experiment.
3. A scientific describes an observed phenomenon but does not explain why the phenomenon exists.
4. The Law of describes how objects are attracted to each other based on their mass.
5. The Big Bang explains the origin of the universe.
6. Which of the following is usually the first step in the scientific method, often leading to a hypothesis?
Forming a theory
Making an observation
Establishing a law
Conducting an experiment
7. Which statement best describes the relationship between a hypothesis and a theory?
A hypothesis is a proven theory.
A theory is an unproven hypothesis.
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation, while a theory is a well-supported explanation.
They are the same thing.
8. A scientific law can be proven wrong if new evidence is discovered.
True
False
9. The Theory of Evolution is just a guess because it's called a 'theory'.
True
False
10. Explain the main difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law. Provide an example of each.
11. Imagine you observe that your plants grow taller when you play music for them. Formulate a hypothesis that you could test.