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Question

A scientist makes the following prediction:

This chemical will lower freezing points of certain liquids.

Extensive testing on various liquids supports the prediction. Over many years, multiple scientists repeat
the experiment and get the same results. How has the categorization of this prediction changed?

Answers:

The prediction has become a hypothesis.

The theory has become a hypothesis.

The hypothesis has become a theory.

The theory has become a prediction.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

The hypothesis has become a theory.

In scientific terminology, a hypothesis is an initial prediction that can be tested through experiments. As the prediction about the chemical lowering freezing points is repeatedly tested and supported by extensive evidence from multiple scientists over many years, it can be elevated to the status of a theory, which is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that incorporates facts, laws, and tested hypotheses.