SCIENCE AND METHODOLOGY OF SCIENCE
FORMULATION OF THEORIES AND LAW IN SCIENCE
Theory is an organized set of reasoned ideas, intended to explain facts,
phenomena and events. It represents a coherent explanation of crux of one or
more hypotheses. It fits best to known facts, and remains valid so long as solid
evidences are absent to dispute or disprove it. Thus, theories are more
accurate and stable than hypotheses. However, they too are liable to
falsification (change or modifications). An accepted theory may be revised or
rejected whenever opposing evidences are adduced against it. Since scientific
investigation is an ongoing process, theories may be subjected to revision from
time to time to bring them into conformity with new findings. Some of the
well known scientific theories are Dalton’s atomic theory, Newton’s theory of
mechanics, Einstein’s theory of relativity, Darwin’s theory of organic evolution,
Oparin’s theory of chemical evolution, etc.
Some of the criteria for the validity or acceptability of a theory are the
following.
i)The theory must be logical and rational, without ambiguity.
ii) Confirmit with existing observations experimental evidences.
iii)Empirical or experimental falsifiability (testability or verifiability).
iv)Relevance, usefulness and effectiveness in explaining facts and solving
problems.
v)Capability for making predictions.
vi)Explicit explain (capability to explain all the data and also the past and the
present states of affairs).
Scientific law or principle is a universally applicable or universally accepted
theory, with capabilities for making true predictions. A law and a theory share
several common features. Both are widely accepted, rational and relevant,
empirically testable, and liable to revision or rejection. However, there are
subtle difference between them. A law is often a concise summary of a large
number of facts, whereas a theory is a generalisation which explains those
facts. Unlike a theory a law can be expressed in the form of a single statement,
or in the form of a mathematical equation. A law sates what is nature doing
under certain conditions, and predicts what will happen as long as those
FORMULATION OF THEORIES AND LAW IN SCIENCE
Theory is an organized set of reasoned ideas, intended to explain facts,
phenomena and events. It represents a coherent explanation of crux of one or
more hypotheses. It fits best to known facts, and remains valid so long as solid
evidences are absent to dispute or disprove it. Thus, theories are more
accurate and stable than hypotheses. However, they too are liable to
falsification (change or modifications). An accepted theory may be revised or
rejected whenever opposing evidences are adduced against it. Since scientific
investigation is an ongoing process, theories may be subjected to revision from
time to time to bring them into conformity with new findings. Some of the
well known scientific theories are Dalton’s atomic theory, Newton’s theory of
mechanics, Einstein’s theory of relativity, Darwin’s theory of organic evolution,
Oparin’s theory of chemical evolution, etc.
Some of the criteria for the validity or acceptability of a theory are the
following.
i)The theory must be logical and rational, without ambiguity.
ii) Confirmit with existing observations experimental evidences.
iii)Empirical or experimental falsifiability (testability or verifiability).
iv)Relevance, usefulness and effectiveness in explaining facts and solving
problems.
v)Capability for making predictions.
vi)Explicit explain (capability to explain all the data and also the past and the
present states of affairs).
Scientific law or principle is a universally applicable or universally accepted
theory, with capabilities for making true predictions. A law and a theory share
several common features. Both are widely accepted, rational and relevant,
empirically testable, and liable to revision or rejection. However, there are
subtle difference between them. A law is often a concise summary of a large
number of facts, whereas a theory is a generalisation which explains those
facts. Unlike a theory a law can be expressed in the form of a single statement,
or in the form of a mathematical equation. A law sates what is nature doing
under certain conditions, and predicts what will happen as long as those
