Experiments cannot validate hypotheses, only falsify them. The statement above can be restated in which of the following ways?
A. Until disproved, an explanation for an observation is valid.
B. Certain concepts cannot be subjected to direct experimentation.
C. A hypothesis that has not been falsified remains provisional.
D. Proving a hypothesis exempts it from further testing.
Maybe A
Not B and not D.
I don't buy A. For example, I might observe that my clothes are wet and explain by saying I walked home in the rain. However I could have gotten wet by taking a shower with my clothes on. So I don't think just any explanation can go with just any observation.
The correct restatement of the statement would be C. "A hypothesis that has not been falsified remains provisional."
Let me explain why the correct answer is C and why the other answer choices are not the best restatements of the statement.
A. "Until disproved, an explanation for an observation is valid." This restatement is not accurate because experiments cannot actually prove or validate hypotheses. They can only provide evidence either in support or against them. So, it is not appropriate to say that an explanation is valid until it is disproved.
B. "Certain concepts cannot be subjected to direct experimentation." This restatement is not correct because it is overly broad. While there may be some concepts that are difficult or impossible to directly test through experiments, it is not true for all concepts.
C. "A hypothesis that has not been falsified remains provisional." This restatement is the most accurate because it acknowledges that experiments cannot definitively prove hypotheses. Instead, experiments can only provide evidence either for or against a hypothesis. As long as a hypothesis has not been proven false by experimental evidence, it remains a tentative explanation.
D. "Proving a hypothesis exempts it from further testing." This restatement is incorrect because it suggests that once a hypothesis is proven, it no longer needs to be tested. In science, we continually test and refine hypotheses, even if they have supporting evidence, to ensure accuracy and reliability. So, a hypothesis is never exempt from further testing, even if it has been proven to some extent.