What do scientists call a possible explanation for observations they have made?

1 Answer
Jan 21, 2017

An #"hypothesis"# is a tentative explanation for a given set of facts.

Explanation:

An #"hypothesis"# (plural, #"hypotheses"#) is a proposed explanation for a given set of facts or observations. It is a starting point for scientific enquiry: the #"hypothesis"# may be right, it may be wrong, but it allows a basis for further experiments that test the correctness of the #"hypothesis"#.