Question

Which of the following describes the variable that is changed in order to observe a response?
A. Independent variable
B. Dependent variable
C. Control variable

Answer 1

The independent variable is changed. When you change something, its result is the dependent variable because it "depends" on the independent variable. Control variables are just variables that remain constant throughout the experiment. If you want to think about it mathematically, on a graph, the "x" value is the independent variable, because you dictate what the value will be. After plugging this value into an equation, you get a "y" value; this is the dependent variable because it "depends" on the independent variable (the x value that you chose). Hope this helps!