Hypothesis, Theory, Fact, Law, and Belief

Hypothesis

A tentative statement about the natural world leading to deductions that can be tested. If the deductions are verified, the hypothesis is provisionally corroborated. If the deductions are incorrect, the original hypothesis is proved false and must be abandoned or modified. Hypotheses can be used to build more complex inferences and explanations

Fact

n science, an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true.” Truth in science, however, is never final and what is accepted as a fact today may be modified or even discarded tomorrow.

Law

A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances

Theory

In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.

A belief

a statement that is not scientifically-provable

Belief vs. Fact

A belief is a statement that is not scientifically-provable. In contrast, a fact is a basic statement that is established by experiment or observation. While all facts are true under the specific conditions of the observation, beliefs cannot be proved as either correct or incorrect.