The options are properly listed below:
A. a proven scientific fact
B. an instrument that is used to examine environmental conditions
C. a testable proposition that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question
D. the design of an experiment that can be used in scientific inquiry
E. a prediction about something that has not yet been observed
ANSWER:
C. a testable proposition that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question
Step-by-step explanation:
HYPOTHESIS is a proposed explanation for an observable fact, but that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories. It is based on the information acquired from a primary source or data collected during a scientific activity.
Also, for a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that it is testable.
It is also a trial solution to a question.
Hypothesis can be provisionally accepted as a starting point for further research.