Independent and Dependent Variables

An independent variable is a variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable.

A dependent variable is a variable that depends on other factors; it is what you measure in the experiment.

In the equation s = 8t, 't' is the independent variable.

The x-axis represents the horizontal part of a graph.

The dependent variable is the number of books they can purchase.

The independent variable is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

An example of an independent variable could be the amount of sunlight the plants receive.

An example of a dependent variable could be the height of the plants.

The dependent variable is usually the outcome or effect that is being measured.

A controlled variable is kept constant to ensure that the results are due to the independent variable.