Independent vs Dependent variable

Matt wants to test which liquid freezes first: Pepsi, milk, or apple juice.  He poured 50 mL of each into separate glasses and placed them in his freezer.  Every ten minutes, he checked his freezer and recorded his observations.  Pepsi froze first, followed by apple juice and then milk.  What is his dependent variable?

• type of liquid
• length of time until frozen
• amount of liquid
• location of freezer

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

Betty wants to test which type of phone has the longest battery life.  She is comparing iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung S5,  and a Droid.  She bought each phone new and charged them completely to 100%.  Then, she turned each phone on and timed how long until the battery ran out.  What is the independent variable in her experiment?

• brand of phone
• time until battery ran out
• time it took to charge to 100%
• outlet used for charging

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

A bug repellent was sprayed on one arm. On the other arm, the bug repellent was not sprayed. After 2 hours, the number of bug bites are recorded. What is the independent variable?

• The type of bug repellent

• If an arm was sprayed with bug repellent or not

• The number of bug bites

The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment. (It affects the results of the experiment).

• Controlled Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Independent Variable

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Sabrina wants to test which brand of popcorn pops the most kernels.  She picked a store brand, Orville Redenbacher, and PopSecret.  All three bags started with the same number of kernels.  She popped each for 3 minutes in the same microwave, and then counted the number of kernels left over.  What is her independent variable?

• Number of kernels left over
• Brand of popcorn
• number of kernels before popping
• length of time cooking

The variable that is measured. It is the result of the experiment.

• Controlled Variable

• Dependent Variable

• Independent Variable

One chicken is injected with a growth hormone while another chicken is not injected with a growth hormone. After one year, both chickens are weighed. What is the independent variable?

• If a chicken was injected with a growth hormone or not

• The weight of the chicken

• The type of chicken

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Kira wants to test which type of soda creates the biggest foam explosion when adding a Mentos candy.  She chose Sprite, Coke, and Mountain Dew.  One at a time, she added a single Mentos candy and measured the height of the foam eruption.  Mountain Dew created a foam eruption of 7 inches.  Coke and Sprite tied at 5 inches.  What is her dependent variable?

• Brand of soda
• number of mentos candies used
• height of foam eruption
• temperature of soda

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Javier and his twin sister both have the same science exam. Javier sleeps for 9 hours the night before the exam and his sister sleeps for 6 hours. After they take the test, they both compare their test grades. What is the independent variable?

• The number of hours of sleep they had

• The type of test

• The test grades

A testable answer to a scientific question

• Question
• Observation
• Hypothesis
• Experiment

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-PS1-2