What Is a Scientific Concept?

A scientific concept is a scientific theory or law that explains why and how a natural event or process occurs. Scientific concepts include mathematical formulas that explain or consistently describe natural phenomena.

Some examples of simple scientific concepts include organization, diversity and change. Organization refers to the ability to classify natural objects. Scientists classify objects by criteria such as size and complexity. Diversity refers to the wide variety of living and nonliving natural components of the environment and the importance of that diversity to survival. Change refers to the how everything in the natural environment changes continually. Plants and animals grow, rocks diminish as they weather and stars get larger and then smaller as the chemicals in them burn.