What term refers to factors kept constant to ensure a fair test?

What term refers to factors kept constant to ensure a fair test?

• A. Constant
• B. Dependent Variable
• C. Control Variables
• D. Independent Variable

Answer: (C)

Controlling variables means keeping certain factors the same so the test measures only one variable at a time. The factors that are kept constant to prevent them from affecting the outcome are control variables. By holding these steady—such as temperature, time, or amount of material—you isolate the effect of the variable you’re testing, which is the independent variable, and you can compare results fairly across trials. If these other factors varied, they could influence the outcome and make it unclear whether changes were due to the variable you’re studying. For example, when testing how plant growth changes with different light levels, you would keep water, soil type, pot size, and room temperature the same in every trial to ensure that any differences in growth are caused by light rather than other factors.

Controlling variables means keeping certain factors the same so the test measures only one variable at a time. The factors that are kept constant to prevent them from affecting the outcome are control variables. By holding these steady—such as temperature, time, or amount of material—you isolate the effect of the variable you’re testing, which is the independent variable, and you can compare results fairly across trials. If these other factors varied, they could influence the outcome and make it unclear whether changes were due to the variable you’re studying. For example, when testing how plant growth changes with different light levels, you would keep water, soil type, pot size, and room temperature the same in every trial to ensure that any differences in growth are caused by light rather than other factors.