Which variable is the result measured to determine the effect of the independent variable?

Which variable is the result measured to determine the effect of the independent variable?

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

Answer: (B)

In an experiment, you change one factor and look at another factor to see if it responds. The factor you measure to determine that response is the dependent variable. It depends on what you change—the independent variable—so you can see how the outcome shifts as the cause changes. For example, if you change the amount of fertilizer (independent variable) and measure the plant height (dependent variable), the height tells you the effect of the fertilizer. Control variables are kept the same to keep the test fair, and a constant is simply something that doesn’t change.

In an experiment, you change one factor and look at another factor to see if it responds. The factor you measure to determine that response is the dependent variable. It depends on what you change—the independent variable—so you can see how the outcome shifts as the cause changes. For example, if you change the amount of fertilizer (independent variable) and measure the plant height (dependent variable), the height tells you the effect of the fertilizer. Control variables are kept the same to keep the test fair, and a constant is simply something that doesn’t change.