A theory is best described as:

• A. An interrelated set of concepts that explains data and makes predictions about future experiments
• B. A single hypothesis about one outcome
• C. A collection of unrelated facts
• D. A rigid law that cannot be tested

Answer: (A)

A theory in science is a comprehensive framework that ties together a broad range of observations and experiments into interrelated concepts. It explains data and provides predictions about what we should observe in future experiments or observations. This makes it more than a single guess or a set of isolated facts.

The other descriptions fall short because a theory is not just one hypothesis about a single outcome, and it isn’t a random collection of unrelated facts. It also isn’t a rigid law that cannot be tested; scientific ideas are always open to testing and revision in light of new evidence.