Which of the following is stronger than a hypothesis but not as strong as a law?

A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that incorporates a wide range of facts, tested hypotheses, and laws. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding phenomena and is based on a significant body of evidence. The key distinction between a theory and a hypothesis is that while a hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction, a theory is broader and has undergone extensive validation through experimentation and observation.

In comparison, scientific laws describe specific relationships or phenomena under certain conditions and are often expressed mathematically. A theory can evolve into a law if it demonstrates strong predictive power and consistency across various contexts, but it is not yet at that level when it is merely a theory. Principles and facts also represent knowledge in science, but they do not encapsulate the broader explanatory framework that theories provide.

This hierarchy of scientific understanding clearly places theories above hypotheses, as they consolidate numerous hypotheses into a cohesive explanation while still being less definitive than laws, which articulate established facts in the scientific community.