What makes a good hypothesis?

What makes a good hypothesis?

• A. It is interesting.
• B. It is testable.
• C. It is complicated.
• D. It is not verifiable.

Answer: (B)

A good hypothesis is testable. In scientific inquiry, a hypothesis is a statement that makes a clear, observable prediction about what will happen under certain conditions. It should be specific and measurable so you can design an experiment or observation to gather data that would support or refute it. If a claim can’t be tested or measured in some way, you can’t evaluate its truth with evidence, which is why testability is essential. For example, predicting that using a certain fertilizer will increase plant height under controlled conditions gives you concrete measurements to compare and a definite test. Being merely interesting, or overly complex, or not verifiable, doesn’t provide that clear route to testing and evidence.

A good hypothesis is testable. In scientific inquiry, a hypothesis is a statement that makes a clear, observable prediction about what will happen under certain conditions. It should be specific and measurable so you can design an experiment or observation to gather data that would support or refute it. If a claim can’t be tested or measured in some way, you can’t evaluate its truth with evidence, which is why testability is essential. For example, predicting that using a certain fertilizer will increase plant height under controlled conditions gives you concrete measurements to compare and a definite test. Being merely interesting, or overly complex, or not verifiable, doesn’t provide that clear route to testing and evidence.