Scientific Theory - Examples of Scientific Theories

Examples of Scientific Theories

Note that many fields of inquiry do not have specific named theories, e.g. genetics and developmental biology. Scientific knowledge outside a named theory can still have a high level of certainty, depending on the amount of evidence supporting it. Also note that since theories draw evidence from many different fields, the categorization is not absolute.

  • Biology: cell theory, theory of evolution, germ theory
  • Chemistry: collision theory, kinetic theory of gases, Lewis theory, molecular theory, molecular orbital theory, transition state theory, valence bond theory
  • Physics: atomic theory, Big Bang theory, Dynamo theory, M-theory, perturbation theory, theory of relativity (successor to classical mechanics), quantum field theory
  • Other: climate change theory (from climatology), plate tectonics theory (from geology)

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