Independent and Dependent Variable

The variable that you may change in the experiment

• Independent Variable

• Dependent Variable

Variable measured during the experiment

• Independent Variable

• Dependent Variable

Your neighbor believes that the height of a person determines how much food they eat. He measured how many ounces of food people ate who were 4 feet tall, 5 feet tall, and six feet tall?

What is the independent variable?

• ounces of food

• height

Your aunt believes the color of your hair determines how fast you can run. She gathered 3 blond haired boys, 3 brown haired boys, and 3 red haired boys and forced them to race each other.

What is the independent variable?

• hair color

• speed

The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment.

• Controlled Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Independent Variable

The variable that is measured.

• Controlled Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Independent Variable

The factors that stay the same or are constant throughout the experiment.

• Controlled Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Independent Variable

In a controlled experiment, how many independent variables can be tested at a time?

• one

• none

• two or more

• how ever many makes sense.

Why is it important to have only one independent variable and to control the other variables when performing science experiments?

• So you can tell which factor is causing the change in the experiment.

• It does not matter, you can have as many independent variables as you want.

Ben makes five paper helicopters with different wing lengths. He drops them the same way from a height of two meters for five trials each. He records the amount of time it takes for each helicopter to fall to the ground.

What is the independent variable?

• Dropping the same way

• Wing Length

• Amount of time it takes the helicopter to hit the floor

• Dropping from the same height