Which term describes an explanation that attempts to account for observations using theory and reasoning, rather than direct experiment?

• A. theoretical explanation
• B. empirical knowledge
• C. Planet
• D. Food chain

Answer: (A)

Using theory and reasoning to explain observations means building an explanation from ideas, models, and established principles instead of relying solely on direct measurements. This is a theoretical explanation. It helps connect what we see to broader ideas and often makes predictions that experiments can later test. Empirical knowledge is what we get from careful observations and experiments, without necessarily appealing to deeper theoretical frameworks. For example, proposing that gravity is an attractive force based on the observed motion of planets is a theoretical explanation grounded in a theory. A planet is just a celestial object, and a food chain is a concept about how energy moves through an ecosystem, not a method of explaining observations via theory and reasoning.