an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

(neurophysiology) a nerve impulse resulting from a weak stimulus is just as strong as a nerve impulse resulting from a strong stimulus

a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system

(hydrostatics) the apparent loss in weight of a body immersed in a fluid is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid

the principle that equal volumes of all gases (given the same temperature and pressure) contain equal numbers of molecules

(statistics) law stating that a large number of items taken at random from a population will (on the average) have the population statistics

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena