Question
Complete the following sentence. A scientific theory is __ ...an idea, or group of ideas, that explains something , has been thoroughly tested.. ...a guess or speculation about why something happens. ...a st atement suggesting what will happen in the future. ...data which has been shown to be
Answer
4.5
(169 Votes)
Vianne
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
A
Explanation
In this question, we are being asked to complete a statement about the nature of scientific theory. There are four options provided. Scientific theories are not based on unproven speculations or assumptions; they are carefully reasoned and rigorously tested explanations of natural phenomena. As such, guesses or speculations, as well as statements predicting future occurances, do not accurately represent the nature of a scientific theory. Moreover, while data is an important part of building a theory, the theory itself is more of an interpretation and extrapolation of data, not the raw data itself. This leaves us with the first option indicating that a scientific theory is a set of ideas that explains something and has been thoroughly examined. Therefore, this answer fits the definition of a scientific theory and appropriately completes the statement.