Theory

Theory is like a story that helps us understand things about the world. Let's say there's a toy car you're playing with. You can push it and see how it moves, and you might make up a story in your head about how the wheels spin and make the car go forward. That's a theory! It helps you explain what's happening when you push the car.

Scientists use theories too! They study all sorts of things, like animals or outer space. They use theories to explain what they observe. Let's say a scientist is studying how plants grow. They might make up a story about how plants need sunlight and water to grow. That's a theory! The scientist can test their theory by doing experiments to see if plants without sunlight or water grow differently.

Sometimes theories change! Just like how you might change your story about how the toy car works if you find out something new, scientists might change their theories if they learn something new that doesn't fit with their old theory. But that's okay! It's all part of trying to understand the world around us.