What distinguishes scientific evidence from personal opinion?

• A. Scientific evidence is data that can be observed, tested, and replicated.
• B. Personal opinions are formed only from textbooks.
• C. Opinions can be proven, but evidence cannot.
• D. Scientific evidence is data obtained from observations and experiments that can be tested; opinions are beliefs not tested by data.

Answer: (D)

Scientific inquiry relies on data gathered from careful observations and controlled experiments that can be tested and repeated. That means scientific evidence is information that can be checked by others through repeatable procedures. Personal opinions are beliefs that aren’t tested by data, reflecting individual views rather than verifiable evidence. The description that ties these ideas together—evidence coming from observations and experiments that can be tested, while opinions are beliefs not tested by data—best captures the distinction. The other statements either miss the emphasis on testability and data-driven validation or mischaracterize how opinions and evidence relate.