Which statement best illustrates a falsifiable hypothesis?

• A. Plants require sunlight to grow
• B. Plants might grow better with fertilizer
• C. A plant will grow taller than a cat
• D. If fertilizer is applied, plants will flourish

Answer: (C)

A falsifiable hypothesis makes a precise, testable prediction that could be proven false by evidence. The statement that a plant will grow taller than a cat provides a clear, observable outcome you can measure: compare heights and see whether the plant exceeds the cat. If the data show otherwise, the hypothesis is falsified. This kind of definite, measurable claim is exactly what allows experiments to confirm or reject a hypothesis.

The other options are less ideal because they rely on vague or subjective terms. Plants needing sunlight is testable, but it’s a broad principle rather than a crisp prediction you can easily measure in a single experiment. Saying plants might grow better with fertilizer introduces vagueness with “might” and “better,” which depends on how you define “better.” The conditional about fertilizer and flourishing uses a subjective measure of flourishing without a specific metric, making it harder to test consistently.