Question

q2. (s c.6.n.3.1)
a student argues that newtons law of gravity is \better\ than the theory of plate tectonics because it is a law. which statement best corrects the students misunderstanding?
theories become laws once proven true.
theories are guesses, but laws are facts.
laws are tested by experiments, but theories are not.
theories and laws serve different purposes: laws describe patterns, while theories explain why they occur.

Explanation:

Theories and laws are distinct in science. Laws describe natural - occurring patterns (e.g., Newton's Law of Gravity describes the gravitational force), while theories explain the 'why' behind those patterns (e.g., Theory of Plate Tectonics explains the movement of Earth's plates). They are not hierarchical in terms of 'better' or 'worse'. The first three options are misconceptions about theories and laws. Theories do not become laws upon being proven true, theories are not just guesses, and both theories and laws are tested by experiments.

Answer:

Theories and laws serve different purposes: laws describe patterns, while theories explain why they occur.