Final Answer:
A theory is a set of supported hypotheses that is supported again and again by multiple researchers. The reason for this is that a theory represents a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is substantiated through empirical evidence and repeated experimentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A theory is a comprehensive and systematically organized set of principles that explain a phenomenon. It is formed through rigorous testing and validation of hypotheses by multiple researchers across various experiments and studies. The process involves gathering empirical evidence that consistently supports the proposed hypotheses. This repeated validation establishes a robust foundation for the theory.
In scientific terms, a theory goes beyond individual hypotheses. It integrates and organizes these hypotheses into a coherent framework that not only explains observed phenomena but also predicts future outcomes. The substantiation of a theory involves statistical analyses, which quantify the likelihood of obtaining the observed results by chance. Through statistical significance tests, researchers determine the reliability of the data, ensuring that the theory is not based on random occurrences but is a consistent pattern observed across experiments.
The strength of a theory lies in its ability to withstand scrutiny and testing over time. As multiple researchers independently confirm the hypotheses within the theory, the confidence in its validity increases. The scientific community accepts a theory when it demonstrates a high level of empirical support, repeatability, and predictive power. Therefore, a theory, in the scientific context, represents a well-established and widely accepted explanation that has withstood the test of rigorous experimentation and scrutiny.