Final answer:
The best description of what happens to a theory as new technology is developed is that it changes over time. It remains a theory, potentially becoming more refined as it incorporates new evidence but never becoming a law or reverting to a hypothesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
When new technology helps to study theories in novel ways, the theory itself doesn't necessarily change into a different category of scientific understanding such as a law or a fact. Rather, it is more accurate to say that the theory changes over time. A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is supported by a vast body of evidence. It remains a theory even as new evidence is found and incorporated into its framework, making it more comprehensive and refined. In contrast, a scientific law describes a pattern observed in nature, often formulated mathematically, and does not evolve into a theory.
Unlike a hypothesis, which is a tentative explanation that can precede a theory, a theory does not revert to being a hypothesis. It does not become a law either, because laws and theories represent different types of knowledge. A law predicts what happens under certain conditions, but it does not explain why it happens. The theory provides the explanatory context. As understanding increases and new technologies emerge, scientific theories may be modified or expanded to explain new observations, but the core concept of a theory as an explanation does not change.