Types of Variables

An experiment is performed on plants to see how different liquids affect plant growth. Each plant in the experiment is given a different liquid; water, apple juice, or milk. Each plant has the same amount of soil, sunlight, and listens to the same music. In this investigation, the independent variable is ...

• The type of plant
• The amount of sunlight
• The type of music
• The type of liquid

An experiment is performed on plants to see how different liquids affect plant growth. Each plant in the experiment is given a different liquid; water, apple juice, or milk. Each plant has the same amount of soil, sunlight, and listens to the same music. In this investigation, what are the controlled variables?

• Type of plant, amount of music, and sunlight
• Water, apple juice, milk
• Plant growth

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Mr. S set up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp. Identify the independent variable.

• Distance traveled by the ball
• Height of the ramp
• Mass of the ball

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The librarians want to know which students are checking out what types of books. They are testing "Which type of book do 7th graders check out most often: fiction or nonfiction?" The genre of the book is

• the independent variable
• the dependent variable
• a constant variable
• a waste of money

An experiment is set up with ten pots to test the effective of fertilizer on plant growth. 5 pots have fertilizer added to the soil, 5 pots do not have fertilizer added to the soil. Each pot has 1 spider plant and 5 cups of soil. The pots are watered once a week with 1/2 cup of water. What is something that would need to be true of the spider plants?

• The plants should not be the same size
• The plants should be the same species
• The plants cannot grow with fertlizer
• The plants are the independent variable

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

A study was done to find if different tire treads affect the braking distance of a car. 
What is the independent variable (what is changed)?

• Tire tread
• Car
• Braking distance
• Duck sauce

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The height of bean plants depends on the amount of water they receive.
What is the independent variable?

• Height of plants
• Condition of soil
• Salt or fresh water
• Amount of water

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

The higher the temperature of the air in the oven, the faster a cake will bake.
What is the independent variable?

• Time to bake a cake
• Type of cake
• Place in the oven
• Temperature of the oven

Students measured the temperature of the water at different depths in Lake Skywalker and found that the temperature varied.
What is the independent variable?

• Lake location
• Depth of the measurement
• Temperature of the water
• Measuring device

Four groups of rats are first massed and then fed identical diets except for the amount of vitamin A they receive. Each group gets a different amount. After 3 weeks on the diet, the rats’ masses are measured again to see if there has been a decrease
What is the independent variable?

• Food they received
• Type of vitamin
• Amount of Vitamin A
• Rats masses