Final answer:
A scientific theory is a comprehensive and predictive explanation for natural phenomena, supported by extensive evidence and scientific validation. It explains a broad range of observations, including those previously unexplained, and aligns with established knowledge, offering simpler and more parsimonious explanations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A scientific theory is an explanation for a broad set of natural phenomena that is backed by a substantial amount of evidence and is predictive.
This explanation is not just a guess but a well-substantiated account, supported by a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation. Theories are powerful because they provide explanations that:
- Explain a wider variety of observations.
- Account for observations that were previously unexplained.
- Generate expectations and are thus more testable.
- Are consistent with well-established theories and are therefore more reliable.
- Are more parsimonious, meaning they offer simpler explanations without unnecessary complexity.
Theories in science are different from hypotheses, which are tentative explanations; theories have undergone much more rigorous testing and verification.
High scientific standards ensure that theories that are ultimately published have the best fit with facts and rely on reason and evidence to support physical claims.
As robust explanations of natural phenomena, theories can indeed be facts but are open to revision should new evidence arise that they cannot explain, although such a process is lengthy and challenging.