2006-11-29 12:38:57 · 5 answers · asked by aaron a 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
A variable is something that changes. In a science project, the independent variable is the thing you are changing. For example, if you are experimenting on the growth of plants with different types of liquids (like water, orange juice, whatever), the independent variable would be the liquid you feed the plant. The dependent variable in the same experiment would be the growth of each plant. The dependent variable is always something you can measure (temperature, height, mass, etc.)
2006-11-29 12:45:24 · answer #1 · answered by Annie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are constants and variables.
The variables VARY, or change.
If you have a ballon filled with air,
and you take the measure of the weight
and size, you have fixed numbers.
If you change the temperature,
the weight of the ballon remains the same,
and is a constant, but the size varies.
the same would be true of a bowl of water
moving from the counter to the freezer.
The water remains the same amount,
but it expands as it freezes.
If water didn't act differently than the air,
which doesn't expand as it gets colder,
then our oceans would be filled with ice
as more and more water froze, and sank,
(because ice floats because it swells,
taking up more water than it weighs).
2006-11-29 20:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by dj_of_raleigh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the thing you are experimenting on; what will change in an experiment. You can have a independent variable and dependent variable. The dependent relies on the independent.
2006-11-29 20:43:05 · answer #3 · answered by ♫♪♫♪♥ 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A variable is any factor in an experiment that can be altered, or could remain constant. There are three types of variables, namely:
1.) manipulated variable
2.) constant variable
3.) responding variable
(there are other terms used for these)
2006-11-29 20:45:32 · answer #4 · answered by Ryan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The changed criterea you are testing for. For example- you know a certain amount of chalk and a certain amount of vinegar make bubbles. But is it the chalk, or the vinegar that is responsible?
Take one cup of vinegar, put one ounce of chalk in it. (I suggest doing this in the sink :)
Take another cup of vinegar, put two ounces of chalk in it.
The amount of bubbles will (hopefully) be visibly different. Since the amount of vinegar was the same, the only variable was the amount of chalk.
2006-11-29 20:45:11 · answer #5 · answered by cpvolz 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋