Understanding Independent and Dependent Variables

What is an Independent Variable?

• The result of an experiment.

• The thing you collect observations / data on in an experiment.

• What you control / change / adjust in an experiment.

• The neutral / unchanged set up.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

What is a Dependent Variable?

• The variable that you control or adjust or change.

• The result of the experiment.

• The neutral set up.

• The thing that is the same between different set ups.

Which type of Variable do you collect Observations / Data on, during an experiment?

• Independent

• Dependent

• Control

• Constant

Which type of Variable do you choose and adjust in an experiment?

• Independent

• Dependent

• Control

• Constant

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

What is a Constant?

• The variable you control or change in an experiment.

• The results in an experiment.

• The neutral set up in an experiment.

• The thing/s that are the same between different set ups in an experiment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

What is a Control?

• The variable you control or change in an experiment.

• The results in an experiment.

• The neutral set up in an experiment.

• The thing/s that are the same between different set ups in an experiment.

The purpose of a Control is to compare the results to it, to verify if the results occurred due to the Independent Variable or Random Chance.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

What do we call the things we adjust, control, and change at the beginning of an experiment?

• Constants

• Dependent Variables

• Independent Variables

• Controls

What do we call the things we record as observations and data at the end of our experiment?

• Controls

• Constants

• Dependent Variables

• Independent Variables

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

What do we call the set up that we don't do anything to, in an experiment?

• Independent Variable

• Constant

• Dependent Variable

• Control

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-5