Variables Quiz

The variable that is measured during the experiment. 

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• constants

The parts of the experiment that must be kept the same.

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• constants

The variable that is tested/intentionally changed in an experiment.

• constants

• independent variable

• dependent variable

How many variables can be tested in a controlled (fair) experiment?

• one

• two

• three

• no limit

An experiment is conducted to test how different cleats change an athletes running speed.  Six different types of cleats are tested and the 100m run time is recorded.  What is the independent variable?

• type of cleat

• distance traveled

• run time

• the athlete

An experiment is set up to test which brand of soda creates the biggest foam explosion when adding a Mentos candy.  

Three different sodas were tested. They measured the height of the foam eruption.   What is the dependent variable?

• brand of soda

• number of Mento candies used

• height of foam eruption

• temperature of soda

Mr. Edgewood wanted to know if different types of music affected people's heart rates, so he played different music and checked their pulses.  What is the dependent variable?

• type of music

• heart rate (pulse)

• length of time music was played

Identify the independent variable. ​

• length of clipping

• lamp power

• % of light reaching the plant

• # of oxygen bubbles formed in 10 minutes

Sam performs an experiment in which she measures the height of three male and two female students from her class each month during the school year to determine how height changes based on gender. What is wrong with her experiment that makes it unreliable?

• she does not have an independent variable

• she has too small of a sample size in her experiment

• she does not have a dependent variable

• she didn't record measurements often enough

You want to determine if amount of fertilizer affects the growth of sunflowers. Materials that are available to you include: garden space, 100 sunflowers, water, fertilizer, and soil.

Identify two variables listed below that are constants in this experiment.

(don't forget to pick 2)

• the fertilizer

• growth of plants

• amount of sun

• amount of water