What term describes a rigorous statement about what will happen under specific conditions?

• A. Inference
• B. Prediction
• C. Hypothesis
• D. Conclusion

Answer: (B)

A prediction is a statement about what will happen under specific conditions. In science, you use a hypothesis to describe a possible relationship, and from that you derive a specific outcome you expect to observe if you repeat the experiment under those conditions. This makes the statement testable and falsifiable. Inference involves drawing a conclusion from evidence you already have, not forecasting a future outcome. A conclusion is the final interpretation of data after an experiment. So the idea of predicting a future result under defined conditions is exactly what a prediction describes.