Which of the following does not describe the dependent variable?
A.
It is the range.
B.
It is the y-values.
C.
It is the output.
D.
It is the x-values.

Question

Which of the following does not describe the dependent variable?
A.
It is the range.
B.
It is the y-values.
C.
It is the output.
D.
It is the x-values.

e.mccormick · Answer

Do you know what the words dependent and variable mean?

anonymous · Answer

The answer should be A

e.mccormick · Answer

Nope.

e.mccormick · Answer

If b depends on a, then changes in a cause changes in b. This makes b the dependent variable of a.

e.mccormick · Answer

So on an x and y graph, what is the dependent variable?

anonymous · Answer

Isnt the dependent variable pretty much just the output?

e.mccormick · Answer

Yes.

e.mccormick · Answer

Misty, you may have missed one word in the question: not

Let me give another example of the meaning of dependent variable.  I'll also add a note on why this is important at the end.

If you have 7 chairs in a room, then 7 people can sit in chairs.  If I add a chair, now 8 can sit.  However, if I just say that 9 people can sit in chairs it does NOT change the number of chairs.

Changes in chairs causes a change in how many people can sit in chairs. This makes the chairs the independent variable and the people that can sit is the dependent variable.  

Trying to change the dependent variable does not make any real changes.  You have to actually change the independent variable to cause the resulting dependent variable to actually change.

This is as true in math as it is in anything else.  If you do something in chemistry, medicine, sociology, etc. they use these same basic definitions.  So by being clear on the meaning of dependent and independent you get better a more than math.