Final answer:
Theories do not turn into laws over time; they are distinct entities in science. A theory explains phenomena, and a law describes consistent patterns in nature. A well-supported theory remains a theory, and a law must be modified if new evidence contradicts it.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that theories will usually turn into laws after scientists come up with a detailed formula that shows the relationship between events is false. Scientific theories and laws represent two distinct types of knowledge. A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers. In contrast, a law is a description of an observed phenomenon in the natural world that hold true every time it is tested. It often can be expressed concisely as a mathematical equation.
Newton's second law of motion is an example of a scientific law; it can be succinctly expressed with the equation F=ma, which relates force (F), mass (m), and acceleration (a). Laws are based on empirical data and their validity is dependent on consistent experimental results. However, contrary to popular belief, when new evidence contradicts a well-established law, the law must be modified or completely overturned.
A theory, no matter how well substantiated, will not 'graduate' to become a law. Both are valuable scientific understandings but represent different aspects of the natural world. Laws describe patterns observed in nature, while theories provide the explanations for those patterns. The notion that a longstanding theory becomes a law is a misconception; each serves a different purpose in the scientific community and remains as its own entity.