In a well-designed experiment, which term describes factors kept constant to isolate the effect of the independent variable?

In a well-designed experiment, which term describes factors kept constant to isolate the effect of the independent variable?

• A. The independent variable
• B. The dependent variable
• C. Controlled Variables
• D. The measurement unit

Answer: (C)

In a well-designed experiment, factors kept constant are used to make sure that only the thing you change (the independent variable) is responsible for any observed effect. Those unchanging factors are called controlled variables. They’re kept the same across all trials so they don’t influence the outcome, allowing a clear link between the independent variable and the dependent variable. For example, if you’re studying how fertilizer amount affects plant growth, you’d keep light, water, soil type, temperature, and pot size constant while varying only the fertilizer amount. The independent variable is what you deliberately change (fertilizer amount), the dependent variable is what you measure (plant growth), and the measurement unit is just the way you quantify the result (like centimeters or grams).

In a well-designed experiment, factors kept constant are used to make sure that only the thing you change (the independent variable) is responsible for any observed effect. Those unchanging factors are called controlled variables. They’re kept the same across all trials so they don’t influence the outcome, allowing a clear link between the independent variable and the dependent variable.

For example, if you’re studying how fertilizer amount affects plant growth, you’d keep light, water, soil type, temperature, and pot size constant while varying only the fertilizer amount. The independent variable is what you deliberately change (fertilizer amount), the dependent variable is what you measure (plant growth), and the measurement unit is just the way you quantify the result (like centimeters or grams).