Independent, Dependent, and Controlled Variables

Sally is doing an experiment to see which brand of sunscreen works best. What is not a controlled variable for this experiment?

• The time of day she is in the sun

• The amount of time she is in the sun

• The amount of sunscreen she uses.

• The brand of sunscreen.

Beth wants to know if increasing her exercise will decrease the time it takes her to run a mile. What is the independent variable?

• Distance

• amount of exercise

When experimenting with the growth of a plant, a scientist uses three (of the same type of) plants, two different fertilizers, equal light, and equal water. What type of variable is the fertilizer?

• Dependent

• Independent

• Control

• Compound

This variable in an experiment is the one being deliberately changed by the scientist. 

• dependent variable

• independent variable

• data

• control group

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Research question: does the distance a person kicks a soccer ball effect how well they will do on their math test.  What is the dependent variable?

• How far they kick the soccer ball

• who the person is

• how well they do on the math test

• Type of soccer ball.

Which variable depends on what is done at the beginning of an experiment?

• Dependent

• Independent

• Control

• Following

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

What would the INDEPENDENT variable be in an experiment testing which types of paper airplane goes furthest?

• the paper used

• the type of paper airplane

• the distance of each plane's flight

• how hard the plane is thrown

In a controlled experiment, how many variables can be worked with at a time? 

• one

• none

• two or more

• how ever many makes sense.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

Mr. S. sets up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp.  Identify the independent variable.

• distance traveled by the ball

• height of the ramp

• mass of the ball

• weight of the ball

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Research Question: Does the type of gasoline put in a car effect how fast the car can drive. What is the independent variable?

• Type of gasoline

• which car the gas is put into

• how fast the car can drive

• how much gas is put into the car

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1