Question

What is a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question?

Answer 1

`"An hypothesis........."`

Explanation:

And as per the dictionary definition.......

`".........a supposition or proposed explanation made on the"` `"basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further"` `"investigation."`

And practically, an hypothesis is used as the basis for further experiments, where the hypothesis is rigorously tested under varying conditions. The hypothesis that is tested and modified under different conditions may become a general `"theory"`.

According to the wiki page an hypothesis displays both `"testability"`, and `"parsimony"`. `"Testability"` or `"falsifiability"` means that there exist experiments whose results COULD BE either CONSISTENT with the hypothesis (and thus the hypothesis is retained for further verification and experiment), or INCONSISTENT with the hypothesis, and thus the hypothesis is rejected.

`"Parsimony"` applies `"Occam's razor"`, ................. `"entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity"`. More colloquially this is known as the `"KISS"` injunction: `"Keep it simple Sh..head!"`

The hypothesis that has the least number of variables sufficient to explain the phenomenon is preferred.