What is a hypothesis?

What is a hypothesis?

• A. An untestable statement.
• B. A testable explanation or educated guess about what will happen in an experiment.
• C. A final conclusion of an experiment.
• D. A measurement instrument.

Answer: (B)

In science, a hypothesis is a testable explanation or educated guess about what will happen in an experiment. It’s a statement you can check with data: it connects a variable you change (the independent variable) to a result you measure (the dependent variable) and makes a specific prediction you can test. It isn’t just a guess without basis, and it isn’t something you can’t test. It isn’t the final conclusion, and it isn’t a tool or instrument used to measure things. For example, if you give plants more sunlight, then they should grow taller within a couple of weeks, because plants use sunlight to make food and grow. This kind of statement can be tested by an experiment and supported or challenged by the data you collect.

In science, a hypothesis is a testable explanation or educated guess about what will happen in an experiment. It’s a statement you can check with data: it connects a variable you change (the independent variable) to a result you measure (the dependent variable) and makes a specific prediction you can test. It isn’t just a guess without basis, and it isn’t something you can’t test. It isn’t the final conclusion, and it isn’t a tool or instrument used to measure things.

For example, if you give plants more sunlight, then they should grow taller within a couple of weeks, because plants use sunlight to make food and grow. This kind of statement can be tested by an experiment and supported or challenged by the data you collect.