Explain the difference between a theory and a law.

A law is defined as a description or a statement given after an observed phenomenon. A theory is a simplification of certain observational data as to how and why it happened.

Further Explanation:

Many people believe that when certain evidence supports a hypothesis, it is upgraded into a theory whereas when theory is proved to be correct, it is reformed into a law. But this is a misconception. The theories, laws, or hypotheses are all separate or different parts of a scientific procedure. They might evolve but do not get upgraded into one another.

A mathematical description of a phenomenon is termed as law. A law describes observable data and not how and why it occurred. For example, Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment. According to this law, the two genes governing two different traits are independent of each other and would express independently in different offspring. It gives a generalized statement according to the observations recorded and explains on what basis the observations are framed. Law is a universal fact that can never be denied with the passage of time.

The theory provides the most possible logical explanation about how and why the certain characteristic has been observed. It might explain how dominant and recessive genes play a role in determining the red hair color of a child of parents with brown hair. For example, Mendel’s laws were explained only after the discovery of chromosomes and DNA. The theory of chromosomal inheritance explains the outcome of the Law of Independent Assortment. This implies that the theory provides a generalized reason behind every law. A theory may be regarded as strong if it is supported by a large number of evidence whereas a weak theory is the one with the least accuracy in its prediction. A theory might become out-dated over a period of time and might be replaced by another theory with better evidence.

Learn More:

1. Learn more about meiosis link

2. Learn more about the process of molecular diffusion in a cell link

3. Learn more about human sperm and egg cell link

Answer Details:

Grade: High School

Chapter: Theory vs Law

Subject: Biology

Keywords:

Theory, explanation, evidence, law, description, observational data, universal, hypothesis.

any abiotic or biotic factor in an ecosystem that causes a population's size to slow or decrease is a limiting factor.

c. earths continental crust is thicker than its lithosphere.

because, the lithosphere is the outermost layer of the earth/ 100 km thick and is defined by its machanical properties.the lithosphere contains oceanic and continental crust that varies in age and thickness across locations and geologic time. the lithosphere is the coolest layer of the earth in terms of temperature. the term lithosphere should not be confused with the use of "geosphere" which is used to indicate all of earth systems, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere   and biosphere. the surface of the earth can be divided into the continental crust and the oceanic crust.   the continental crust is made mostly of granite while the oceanic crust is made of basalt. the average thickness of the continental crust is 25 miles and the average thickness of the oceanic crust is 5 miles.   three types of rock, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, make up the surface of the earth. that's why 3 option is preferable.