Dual Enrollment Biology Practice Test

In science, a hypothesis is a testable explanation for an observed pattern that can be investigated with experiments or further observations. Here, the scientist notices that ornamental grass is taller in a creek bed and proposes that water availability is responsible. That proposed explanation is a hypothesis because it makes a specific, testable claim about cause and effect that researchers can evaluate by manipulating water levels and controlling other factors to see if growth changes. If more water consistently leads to taller grass under controlled conditions, the hypothesis gains support; if not, it would be revised or rejected. This idea differs from a fact, which is an observed statement that is verified, and from a theory, which is a broad, well-supported framework that explains many related phenomena after extensive testing.