Final answer:
A fact is a verifiable statement based on evidence and data, while an opinion is a personal belief or judgment that cannot be proven universally true or false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between fact and opinion is that a fact is a statement that can be proven or whose truth can be inferred from evidence and data. A fact is a piece of information established by experiment or observation and is true under specific conditions. Notable researchers often use empirical research to establish facts. On the other hand, an opinion is a belief or a judgment that reflects someone's personal feelings and may or may not be based on factual information. Opinions can be about any topic and are subjective, meaning they are not universally accepted as true or false. In argumentative writing, opinions form the basis of claims that are supported by evidence, but in informative and analytical writing, opinions should generally be avoided in favor of facts.