Scientific law

A scientific law is a short and clear statement, often using math, that describes something in nature that always happens the same way. It is based on many careful experiments and real-world observations over time. Scientific laws tell us what happens, not why it happens. They are usually written as equations or general rules and help us understand how nature works.^[1][2]

Scientific laws are created using the scientific method. This starts with observing something, then making a guess (called a hypothesis), testing it with experiments, and seeing if the same pattern happens again and again. If many tests in different places and times show the same result, scientists may call it a law. Some famous examples are Newton's laws of motion, Boyle's law in chemistry, Mendel’s laws of inheritance in biology, and the laws of thermodynamics in physics. These laws are very important in science because they help people make predictions and build new technology.^[3]

It is important to know that a scientific law is not the same as a scientific theory or a hypothesis. A law tells what happens; a theory explains why it happens. For example, Kepler’s laws describe how planets move, but Newton’s theory of gravity explains why they move that way. Later, Einstein’s theory of relativity gave an even better explanation. This shows that even scientific laws can change or improve if new information is found. Scientific laws are usually true in all places and times, but they can sometimes be changed if new discoveries are made. In modern science, like in quantum physics or cosmology, scientists have learned that some laws work only in certain conditions. For example, the rules we use for large objects may not work the same way for tiny particles or at very high speeds. In these cases, scientists may use probability instead of exact answers.^[3][4]

Related pages

• Formula
• Scientific method
• Scientific theory