Final answer:
A principle or statement based on natural and physical phenomena that is supported by consistent data and repeated testing is known as a scientific theory. This differs from a scientific law, which describes behaviors in nature, and a hypothesis, which is a preliminary explanation that is yet to be thoroughly tested.
Step-by-step explanation:
An accepted principle or statement based on natural and physical phenomena that is supported by data from a collection of repeated tests by independent researchers is known as a scientific theory. A scientific theory is a well-established, comprehensive, testable explanation of a particular aspect of nature that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed through experimentation by the scientific community. In contrast, a scientific law describes the behavior of an aspect of nature, often in the form of a mathematical formula, and it summarizes a vast number of experimental observations. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation for observations that is tested through experimentation, whereas a fact is an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and is accepted as true. The scientific method involves a continuous process of hypothesis testing, data collection, and theory refinement to increase our understanding of the natural world.