What must a scientific hypothesis be?

What must a scientific hypothesis be?

• A. A claim that is always true.
• B. A guess based on superstition.
• C. A statement that cannot be tested.
• D. Testable.

Answer: (D)

A scientific hypothesis must be testable. It is a tentative explanation that makes specific predictions which can be measured or observed, so that experiments or careful observations can support or refute it. It should be falsifiable—there should be a possible result that could show it is wrong. This keeps science open to revision based on evidence, rather than relying on beliefs or untestable claims. So, a hypothesis isn’t just a guess or something guaranteed to be true; it’s a testable statement that can be evaluated with data.

A scientific hypothesis must be testable. It is a tentative explanation that makes specific predictions which can be measured or observed, so that experiments or careful observations can support or refute it. It should be falsifiable—there should be a possible result that could show it is wrong. This keeps science open to revision based on evidence, rather than relying on beliefs or untestable claims. So, a hypothesis isn’t just a guess or something guaranteed to be true; it’s a testable statement that can be evaluated with data.