Scientific theories and laws are both important in science, but they serve different purposes. Which of the following best describes the key difference between a scientific theory and a law?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Theories explain why something happens, while laws describe what happens under certain conditions.
Theories explain why something happens, while laws describe what happens under certain conditions.

Theories are more tentative than laws.
Theories are more tentative than laws.

Laws are usually expressed mathematically, while theories are not.
Laws are usually expressed mathematically, while theories are not.

Theories are always based on experiments, while laws can be derived from observations.

Answer 1

The best description of the key difference between a scientific theory and a law is:

Theories explain why something happens, while laws describe what happens under certain conditions.

This distinction highlights that theories provide explanations and understanding of phenomena, while laws summarize observed behaviors or patterns in nature without providing explanations.