What is a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is defined as a proposed explanation for a phenomenon that is set to be tested through experimentation. It represents an initial educated guess about what the researcher believes may be true based on existing knowledge or observations. Formulating a hypothesis is a critical step in the scientific method, as it guides the design of experiments and helps to focus the research on specific questions.

In scientific inquiry, a good hypothesis is testable, meaning that it can be supported or refuted through experimentation and observation. This essential quality distinguishes a hypothesis from a final conclusion, which is drawn after complete analysis of experimental results. A hypothesis is not a scientific law, which is a statement that describes an observed phenomenon and has been consistently supported by a body of evidence over time. Lastly, a hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable; assertions that cannot be tested do not qualify as hypotheses in the scientific context.