Discuss how a hypothesis can become a theory. Can a theory become a law? Explain.
Interpretation:
It needs to be discussed as to how a hypothesis can become a theory and a theory can become a law. It implies that we need to identify interrelationship or interdependencies between Hypothesis, Theory and Law.
Concept Introduction:
There is always interdependence between a Hypothesis, a Theory and a Law. A Hypothesis becomes a Theory and a Theory is made up of thousands of Laws.
A hypothesis is one that is untested and is mostly subjective. It describes the thought process of how a scientist thinks about a certain thing. However, a theory is tested and is mostly objective in nature. It helps one identify how one can confirm something to be, now or in the future. Theory is true all the time. Hypotheses transform into theories whenit is backed up with proper evidences.
Hypothesis can be a guess of any type. One can estimate events, facts, and eventheories. Theories are mostly well-defined sophisticated models that are built and undergo refined processes. A hypothesis is, however, made to be as precise as possible. Much of the hypothesizing can be transformed into a theory, and thre is no need for them to have a one-to-one correlation.
Hypothesis is only an idea or a proposal that one can come up with in order to try and elucidate a set of observations. A hypothesis, however, needs to always have the following characteristics:
Let us now discuss about how a theory transforms into a law:
Just as a building is made up of many bricks, nails, windows, cement, doors, concrete, etc and as an encyclopaedia is made up of thousands of different topics and information, a theory is also composed of scientific facts, laws, and other evidences.
In the case of a scientific law, it is always applies to all the situations, places, almost at all times. For instance, Ohm's Law is given by the formula I=V/R, which implies that in an electrical circuit, the current that flows through it is always equal to the ratio of voltage to the resistance. This law is significant in case one is working with electricity since it applies to any electrical circuit, but it does not divulge details on what the amperage is or why it is equal to voltage divided by resistance or what can be done with the given information.
To summarise, laws tell us what is most likely to or will definitely happen. Theories, on the other hand, explain how certain things happen and why.
There is always interdependence between a Hypothesis, a Theory and a Law. Hypothesis becomes a Theory and a Theory is made up of thousands of Laws.