Independent and Dependent Variables

Dilcia wants to know how drinking milk affects how tall a Monica grows. Which is the independent variable?

• Monica's growth
• drinking milk

Ramone wants to know: does the distance a person kicks a soccer ball effect how well they will do on their math test.  What is the dependent variable?

• How far they kick the soccer ball
• who the person is
• how well they do on the math test
• Type of soccer ball.

What is the INDEPENDENT variable? You are testing which type of paper airplane goes furthest?

• the paper used

• the type of paper airplane

• the distance of each plane's flight

• how hard the plane is thrown

Marcos wants to know: Does the type of gasoline put in a car effect how fast the car can drive? What is the independent variable?

• Type of gasoline
• which car the gas is put into
• how fast the car can drive
• how much gas is put into the car

Angelina 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
• Who set up the experiment (Ms. S, etc)

Does the flavor of ice cream effect how fast the ice cream melts? The flavor of ice cream is the....

• independent variable

• dependent variable

Does the type of shoe worn during a 30 meter dash affect the speed of the runner? The speed of the runner is the...

• independent variable

• dependent variable

How does increasing the slope of a ramp affect how far a marble travels? Increasing the slope is the...

• independent variable

• dependent variable

What effect does decreasing the temperature of a room have on a lifespan of a battery? The temperature of the room is the...

• independent variable

• dependent variable

How does watching TV during studying affect a student’s test grades? Student's grades are the....

• independent variable

• dependent variable