Why is plate tectonics given the status of theory while continental drift attained only the status of hypothesis?

Question

I need this answered for one of my Geology classes. Thank you.

Answer 1

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's lithosphere is composed of tectonic plates that have been moving for billions of years. It builds upon continental drift, the hypothesis that the continents have drifted across the ocean relative to each other. Satellite data was used to detect seafloor spreading, a finding that validated the plate tectonics model for scientists. Plate tectonics explains why Earth's continents move at all, whereas continental drift does not provide this explanation. The former gives a complete picture of interactions among lithospheric plates and is widely accepted by the scientific community.