Final answer:
A hypothesis is a tentative explanation tested against empirical evidence, aiming to reject the null hypothesis. While supportive evidence makes a hypothesis more likely to be correct, it can never be proven conclusively due to the possibility of future contradictory evidence. Science accepts hypotheses based on the degree of support they receive and remains open to revision.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hypothesis is a provisional explanation for a phenomenon, which scientists test against empirical evidence. The core principle in science called falsifiability implies that rather than proving a hypothesis absolutely true, researchers aim to reject the null hypothesis and reduce the probability that the observed effects occurred by chance. When evidence is supportive of a hypothesis, the probability that the hypothesis is correct increases, but it can never reach absolute certainty because of potential undiscovered evidence or alternative interpretations.
When you form a hypothesis, such as 'A candidate's ethnicity influences election outcomes,' you make predictions that can be observed and tested. If results consistently support this prediction, the hypothesis becomes more likely to be correct. However, since all possible evidence cannot be examined, and future observations may contradict current support, the hypothesis cannot be conclusively proven. Instead, hypotheses are considered supported or unsupported to various degrees based on the weight of the evidence.
Importantly, drawing conclusions from evidence involves statistical analysis to estimate the likelihood that observed patterns could arise by chance. Hypothesis testing in science thus involves repeating experiments and comparing observations to predictions to determine if the support for a hypothesis increases. If experimental outcomes align with hypothesis predictions, it earns greater credibility. However, science maintains that any hypothesis could be refuted by future evidence, therefore staying open to revision or rejection.
In conclusion, a careful and systematic approach to evaluating evidence against a hypothesis leads to a scientific consensus, which is not the absolute truth but the current understanding based on the best available evidence.