Which of the Following is an Appropriate Scientific Hypothesis

Question

Which of the following is an appropriate scientific hypothesis?
A) Bad people catch more colds than good people.
B) Cold viruses should be allowed to reproduce just like anything else.
C) It is unethical to go to school when you have a cold.
D) People catch colds because of exposure to cold temperature.

Accepted Answer

An appropriate scientific hypothesis should be testable and based on empirical observations or previous research. Choice D meets these criteria by proposing a cause and effect relationship between exposure to cold temperatures and getting a cold. Choices A, B, and C do not meet these criteria and are not appropriate scientific hypotheses. Choice A is based on a subjective moral judgment about good and bad people, and choice B proposes no testable prediction or cause and effect relationship. Choice C is based on an ethical judgment rather than a scientific one.