Theory vs. Law: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world; a law is a statement based on repeated experimental observations that describes an aspect of the world.
Key Differences
A theory in science is a thoroughly substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of evidence and repeatedly tested hypotheses. In contrast, a law is a concise statement or mathematical expression that predicts phenomena under certain conditions, often formulated based on repeated experimental observations.
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Theories are broader in scope and explain why phenomena occur, integrating various facts and observations into a coherent framework. Laws, however, do not explain why a phenomenon occurs but rather how it occurs, often under specific conditions.
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The development of a theory involves formulating hypotheses, extensive experimentation, and analysis to build a comprehensive explanation. Laws are derived from empirical data and are often expressed mathematically, summarizing patterns seen in nature without delving into the underlying reasons.
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Theories can evolve and be modified as new evidence emerges, reflecting science's adaptive nature. Laws, once established, remain consistent but may be reinterpreted in the light of new theories.
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Scientific theories are often misunderstood as being speculative or tentative, but in scientific terms, they represent the highest level of certainty. Laws, with their concise and often mathematical nature, are mistakenly assumed to be more 'rigorous' or 'certain,' but they too are subject to revision based on new evidence.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A substantiated explanation of a natural phenomenon.
A statement describing a consistent pattern in nature.
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Scope
Broad, explaining why things happen.
Specific, describing how things happen.
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Formulation Process
Based on hypothesis, testing, and evidence.
Derived from empirical observations and data.
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Flexibility
Can evolve with new evidence.
Remains consistent, but interpretation may change.
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Misconceptions
Often seen as speculative; actually represents high certainty.
Viewed as more certain, but also subject to change.
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Theory and Law Definitions
Theory
In science, a theory is the highest level of understanding.
The cell theory is fundamental in biology, explaining the properties of cells.
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Law
A law is a statement that describes observable phenomena in nature.
Newton's law of gravity describes the attraction between two masses.
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Theory
A theory integrates and explains a wide range of observations.
Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of space and time.
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Law
Scientific laws are based on consistent and repeated observations.
Mendel's laws of inheritance describe how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
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Theory
A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
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Law
A rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority.
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Theory
The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice
A fine musician who had never studied theory.
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Law
The body of rules and principles governing the affairs of a community and enforced by a political authority; a legal system
International law.
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Theory
A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
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Law
The condition of social order and justice created by adherence to such a system
A breakdown of law and civilized behavior.
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Theory
Abstract reasoning; speculation
A decision based on experience rather than theory.
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Law
A set of rules or principles dealing with a specific area of a legal system
Tax law.
Criminal law.
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Theory
A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment
Staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
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Theory
An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
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Theory
A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate.
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Law
The system of judicial administration giving effect to the laws of a community
All citizens are equal before the law.
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Theory
(sciences) A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena and correctly predicts new facts or phenomena not previously observed, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
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Theory
(uncountable) The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
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Law
An impromptu or extralegal system of justice substituted for established judicial procedure
Frontier law.
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Theory
(mathematics) A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
Knot theory classifies the mappings of a circle into 3-space.
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Law
An agency or agent responsible for enforcing the law. Often used with the
"The law ... stormed out of the woods as the vessel was being relieved of her cargo" (Sid Moody).
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Theory
A set of axioms together with all statements derivable from them; or, a set of statements which are deductively closed. Equivalently, a formal language plus a set of axioms (from which can then be derived theorems). The statements may be required to all be bound (i.e., to have no free variables).
A theory is consistent if it has a model.
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Theory
A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice; hypothesis; speculation.
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Theory
An exposition of the general or abstract principles of any science; as, the theory of music.
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Theory
The science, as distinguished from the art; as, the theory and practice of medicine.
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Law
Something, such as an order or a dictum, having absolute or unquestioned authority
The commander's word was law.
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Theory
The philosophical explanation of phenomena, either physical or moral; as, Lavoisier's theory of combustion; Adam Smith's theory of moral sentiments.
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Law
A body of principles or precepts held to express the divine will, especially as revealed in the Bible.
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Theory
A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena;
Theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses
True in fact and theory
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Theory
A tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena;
A scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory
He proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices
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Theory
A belief that can guide behavior;
The architect has a theory that more is less
They killed him on the theory that dead men tell no tales
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Law
A rule or custom generally established in a particular domain
The unwritten laws of good sportsmanship.
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Theory
A theory is a scientifically accepted explanation of natural phenomena.
The theory of evolution explains the diversity of life.
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Theory
Theories are developed through extensive research and experimentation.
Quantum theory emerged from decades of research in physics.
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Law
A statement describing a relationship observed to be invariable between or among phenomena for all cases in which the specified conditions are met
The law of gravity.
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Theory
Theories are dynamic and can be modified with new evidence.
The germ theory of disease has evolved significantly since its inception.
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Law
A generalization based on consistent experience or results
The law of supply and demand.
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Law
(Mathematics) A general principle or rule that is assumed or that has been proven to hold between expressions.
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Law
A principle of organization, procedure, or technique
The laws of grammar.
The laws of visual perspective.
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Law
(usually with "the") The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.
The courts interpret the law but should not make it.
In theory, entrapment is against the law.
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Law
The body of such rules that pertain to a particular topic.
Property law
Commercial hunting and fishing law
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Law
A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way.
There is a law against importing wallabies.
A new law forbids driving on that road.
The court ruled that the executive order was not law and nullified it.
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Law
Any rule that must or should be obeyed, concerning behaviours and their consequences. mores.}}
"Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you" is a good law to follow.
The law of self-preservation
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Law
A rule or principle regarding the construction of language or art.
The laws of playwriting and poetry
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Law
A statement (in physics, etc) of an (observed, established) order or sequence or relationship of phenomena which is invariable under certain conditions. theory.}}
The laws of thermodynamics
Newton's third law of motion states that to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.
This is one of several laws derived from his general theory expounded in the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
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Law
A statement (of relation) that is true under specified conditions; a mathematical or logical rule.
Mathematical laws can be proved purely through mathematics, without scientific experimentation.
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Law
Any statement of the relation of acts and conditions to their consequences.
The law of scarcity
The law of supply and demand
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Law
(linguistics) A sound law; a regular change in the pronunciation of a language.
Grimm's law
Dahl's law
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Law
(cricket) One of the official rules of cricket as codified by the its (former) governing body, the MCC.
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Law
The control and order brought about by the observance of such rules.
They worked to maintain law and order.
It was a territory without law, marked by violence.
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Law
(informal) A person or group that act(s) with authority to uphold such rules and order (for example, one or more police officers).
Here comes the law — run!
Then the law arrived on the scene
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Law
The profession that deals with such rules (as lawyers, judges, police officers, etc).
He is studying for a career in law.
She has practiced law in New York for twenty years.
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Law
Jurisprudence, the field of knowledge which encompasses these rules.
She went to university to study law.
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Law
Litigation; legal action (as a means of maintaining or restoring order, redressing wrongs, etc).
They were quick to go to law.
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Law
An allowance of distance or time (a head start) given to a weaker (human or animal) competitor in a race, to make the race more fair.
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Law
(aviation) A mode of operation of the flight controls of a fly-by-wire aircraft.
Normal law; alternate law; direct law
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Law
(fantasy) One of two metaphysical forces ruling the world in some fantasy settings, also called order, and opposed to chaos.
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Law
An oath sworn before a court, especially disclaiming a debt. wager of law", "wage one's law", "perform one's law", "lose one's law".}}
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Law
In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts.
These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made.
The law of thy God, and the law of the King.
As if they would confine the Interminable . . . Who made our laws to bind us, not himself.
His mind his kingdom, and his will his law.
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Law
In morals: The will of God as the rule for the disposition and conduct of all responsible beings toward him and toward each other; a rule of living, conformable to righteousness; the rule of action as obligatory on the conscience or moral nature.
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Law
The Jewish or Mosaic code, and that part of Scripture where it is written, in distinction from the gospel; hence, also, the Old Testament.
What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law . . . But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
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Law
An organic rule, as a constitution or charter, establishing and defining the conditions of the existence of a state or other organized community.
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Law
In philosophy and physics: A rule of being, operation, or change, so certain and constant that it is conceived of as imposed by the will of God or by some controlling authority; as, the law of gravitation; the laws of motion; the law heredity; the laws of thought; the laws of cause and effect; law of self-preservation.
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Law
In mathematics: The rule according to which anything, as the change of value of a variable, or the value of the terms of a series, proceeds; mode or order of sequence.
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Law
In arts, works, games, etc.: The rules of construction, or of procedure, conforming to the conditions of success; a principle, maxim; or usage; as, the laws of poetry, of architecture, of courtesy, or of whist.
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Law
Collectively, the whole body of rules relating to one subject, or emanating from one source; - including usually the writings pertaining to them, and judicial proceedings under them; as, divine law; English law; Roman law; the law of real property; insurance law.
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Law
Legal science; jurisprudence; the principles of equity; applied justice.
Reason is the life of the law; nay, the common law itself is nothing else but reason.
Law is beneficence acting by rule.
And sovereign Law, that state's collected willO'er thrones and globes elate,Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill.
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Law
Trial by the laws of the land; judicial remedy; litigation; as, to go law.
When every case in law is right.
He found law dear and left it cheap.
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Law
Legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity;
There is a law against kidnapping
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Law
The collection of rules imposed by authority;
Civilization presupposes respect for the law
The great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order
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Law
A generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature;
The laws of thermodynamics
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Law
A rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society
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Law
The learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system;
He studied law at Yale
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Law
The branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that lead courts to make the decisions they do
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Law
Laws are often expressed in mathematical terms.
Ohm's law, V=IR, describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.
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Law
A law summarizes patterns observed in the natural world.
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed.
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Law
Laws do not explain why phenomena occur, only how they occur.
Hubble's law describes the rate of expansion of the universe.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can a theory be changed?
Yes, theories can evolve with new evidence and understanding.
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What is a scientific law?
A statement based on repeated observations that describes a pattern in nature.
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Are laws absolute and unchangeable?
Laws are consistent, but their interpretations can change with new theoretical insights.
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What is a scientific theory?
A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world.
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Is a theory less credible than a law?
No, both are credible; a theory explains phenomena while a law describes them.
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What forms the basis of a scientific law?
Empirical data and consistent observations.
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Do theories become laws when proven?
No, theories and laws are distinct and serve different purposes in science.
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Do all scientific fields have laws?
Many do, but not all scientific phenomena are described by laws.
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How do theories contribute to scientific knowledge?
They integrate and explain a wide range of observations.
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What makes a law reliable?
Its consistency and repeatability in observations.
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Can a law explain why something happens?
No, laws describe how things happen, not why.
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Are all theories widely accepted?
No, acceptance depends on the strength of the evidence.
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How is a theory developed?
Through hypothesis testing, experimentation, and evidence gathering.
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How does a theory differ from a fact?
A theory explains facts; it is not a simple statement of a fact.
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Are laws applicable in all circumstances?
They generally apply under the conditions for which they were formulated.
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Are theories speculative?
Not in science; they are well-substantiated explanations.
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Can a law ever be disproven?
Laws can be reinterpreted or modified in light of new theories or evidence.
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Can theories predict future events?
Yes, if they are well-established, they can predict phenomena under specific conditions.
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Is a theory the same as a hypothesis?
No, a hypothesis is a tentative assumption, while a theory is a substantiated explanation.
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Why are mathematical expressions used in laws?
To precisely describe relationships in nature.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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