They all tend to agree that a theory needs to be
(a) substantiated, (b) explanatory
, (c) predictive, and (d) testable.
What are three things must happen in order for a theory to be formed?
- First, theory is logically composed of concepts, definitions, assumptions, and generalizations.
- Second, the major function of theory is to describe and explain – in fact, theory is a general explanation, which often leads to basic principles.
What are the two requirements for a good scientific theory?
Theories are concise, coherent, systematic, predictive, and broadly applicable, often integrating and generalizing many hypotheses.” Any scientific theory must be based on
a careful and rational examination of the facts
. Facts and theories are two different things.
What is one of the requirements of a good theory?
One lesson is that the reason a “good” theory should
be testable, be coherent, be economical, be generalizable
, and explain known findings is that all of these characteristics serve the primary function of a theory–to be generative of new ideas and new discoveries.
What are the 3 characteristics of a scientific theory?
- Testable: Theories can be supported through a series of scientific research projects or experiments. …
- Replicable: In other words, theories must also be able to be repeated by others. …
- Stable: Another characteristic of theories is that they must be stable. …
- Simple: A theory should be simple.
What is the scientific law?
In general, a scientific law is
the description of an observed phenomenon
. It doesn’t explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of a phenomenon is called a scientific theory.
What is the big BNAG theory?
At its simplest, it says the universe as we know it started with an infinitely hot, infinitely dense singularity, then inflated — first at unimaginable speed, and then at a more measurable rate — over the next
13.8 billion years
to the cosmos that we know today.
What is the first step in the scientific method?
The first step in the Scientific Method is
to make objective observations
. These observations are based on specific events that have already happened and can be verified by others as true or false. Step 2. Form a hypothesis.
What must a hypothesis be to be valid?
1. The most essential condition for a valid hypothesis is that it
should be capable of empirical verification
, so that it has to be ultimately confirmed or refuted. Otherwise it will remain a proposition only.
What is the steps in the scientific method?
Form a hypothesis
, or testable explanation. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis. Test the prediction. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.
What’s a good theory?
A good theory in the theoretical sense is
(1) consistent with empirical observations
; is (2) precise, (3) parsimonious, (4) explanatorily broad, and (5) falsifiable; and (6) promotes scientific progress (among others; Table 1.1).
How do you identify a scientific fact?
Scientific facts are
verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by experiments or other means
. For example, “This sentence contains words.” accurately describes a linguistic fact, and “The sun is a star” accurately describes an astronomical fact.
What do all theories have in common?
Although theories can take a variety of forms, one thing they have in common is that
they go beyond the phenomena they explain
by including variables, structures, processes, functions, or organizing principles that have not been observed directly.
What makes a theory interesting?
Davis takes a theory to be interesting
” if it has been given ‘wide circulation. ‘
” (e.g., is cited in textbooks, taught in courses). In general terms, he finds that, “A new theory will be noticed only when it denies an old truth, proverb, platitude, maxim, adage, saying, commonplace, etc.)”
What makes a theory true?
A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts. … A theory not only explains known facts; it also
allows scientists to make predictions of what they should observe if a theory is true
. Scientific theories are testable.
What are the four main criteria or conditions that form a scientific idea?
Scientific theories all have common characteristics which differentiate them from unscientific ideas like faith and pseudoscience. Scientific theories must be:
consistent, parsimonious, correctable, empirically testable/verifiable, useful, and progressive
.
