Key Stage 3
Meaning
A scientific theory is a set of scientific facts linked together to explain an observation.
About Scientific Theories
- A scientific theory should not be confused with a regular theory. Scientific theories are based on facts and have had hundreds of scientists performing investigations and experiments to prove it wrong. The idea is that if they can't prove it wrong, then it's probably true. A regular theory is just a guess made by someone who hasn't performed any investigations or experiments.
There are a number of scientific theories you may know:
- The Germ Theory of Disease - The scientific theory that many diseases are caused by micro-organisms.
- The Heliocentric Theory - The scientific theory that the Sun is at the centre of The Solar System.
- Newton's Theory of Universal Gravitation - The scientific theory that the planets are held orbiting the Sun by the force of gravity.
- The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection - That populations evolve new adaptations over time due to the natural environment.