What term in science describes not just a guess, but a well-formed set of explanations for a phenomenon?
biosphere
hypothesis
concept
theory
Some ideas in science gain the status of theories. Scientists use the term "theory" differently than it is used in everyday language. You might say, "I think the dog ate my homework, but it’s just a theory. " In other words, it’s just one of many possible explanations for the missing work. However, in science, a theory is much more than that.