What is scientific law? How does the scientific concept of law differ from how the term is used in a legal or a religious sense?
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A scientific law describes a basic and fundamental principle of science, a specific relationship or situation that holds true under all circumstances. Scientific laws are supported by the results of extensive testing and observation - they don't offer explanations for why or how the law works, but simply state its existence.
The term "scientific law" is traditionally associated with the natural sciences, though the social sciences also contain scientific laws. Laws can become obsolete if they are found in contradiction with new data, as with Bode's law or the biogenetic law.
Legal laws are guidelines or rules created and enforced by institutions. They may be developed or modified as the result of observed needs or conditions, but they are designed to govern the behavior of people in society and to impose penalties upon those who do not abide by the laws.
Religious laws derive from the moral and ethical principles taught by the Supreme Being or Power of a particular belief. In a theocracy, the legal laws of a country are based on the religious laws presented by the dominant religion of the country.
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