What is the primary distinction between a scientific law and a scientific theory?
Answer
A law typically summarizes *what* happens, while theories attempt to explain *why*.
Scientific laws are descriptive statements or mathematical relationships that summarize consistent observations under specific conditions, whereas theories focus on explaining the underlying mechanism or reason (the 'why').

Related Questions
What is the initial nature of a scientific hypothesis?What central characteristic must a scientific hypothesis possess to remain within the realm of science?What concept requires a hypothesis to be the simplest explanation that adequately accounts for observations without unnecessary complexity?Which statement is considered specific enough to form a testable hypothesis based on variable identification?In the structure of stating relationships, what does the dependent variable represent?What structure is often used as a common and helpful convention for stating a predictive hypothesis?How does a scientific theory differ fundamentally from a hypothesis?What is the primary distinction between a scientific law and a scientific theory?What are the two primary routes for subjecting a hypothesis to empirical testing?What is the strategic importance of the null hypothesis ($ ext{H}_0$) during hypothesis testing?