When a hypothesis is repeatedly confirmed, what can it then become?

• Correct Answer: theory
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Explanation: When a hypothesis is confirmed repeatedly, it eventually becomes a theory – a general principle that is offered to explain natural phenomena. Note a key word – explanation. The theory offers a description of why something happens. A law, on the other hand, is a statement that is always true, but does not explain why. The law of gravity says a rock will fall when dropped, but does not explain why (gravitational theory is very complex and incomplete at present). The kinetic-molecular theory of gases, on the other hand, tells what happens when a gas is heated in a closed container (the pressure increases), but also explains why (the motions of the gas molecules are increased due to the change in temperature). Theories do not get “promoted” to laws because laws do not answer the “why” question.

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