Name________________________________Date_________
Independent and Dependent Variables Scenarios
(Manipulated) (Responding)
www.biologycorner.com
1. A cow is given a growth hormone and
then compared
to another cow that was
not given a growth hormone. Both cows
were weighed at 2
years.
2. Mosquito repellent is sprayed on one
arm and the other arm is not
sprayed.
The number of mosquito bites is counted
after 2 hours.
3. One grape is
placed in tap water and
another grape is placed in salt water.
The change in
their mass is measured
after a day.
4. Two different cars are traveling at
60
mph. At a certain point, both cars slam
on the brakes. The distance it takes
for
each car to stop is then measured.
5. Pillbugs are placed in a container
where
they have a choice of a wet or a
dry environment. Researchers record
how much time
was spent on each side.
6. A stapler is used to staple 100
papers, it
jams 5 times during the trial. A
different brand of stapler performs the
same test; it
jams 22 times.
7. Cockroaches are exposed to a
pesticide. After 3 hours, 95% of
the
insects are dead.
if the arm was
sprayed with
repellent or not
time it took for
the car to stop
Amount of
dead
cockroaches
What are some examples of independent and dependent variables?
The type of soda – diet or regular – is the independent variable. The level of blood sugar that you measure is the dependent variable – it changes depending on the type of soda.
What are some examples of dependent and independent variables in the real world?
In a study to determine whether how long a student sleeps affects test scores, the independent variable is the length of time spent sleeping while the dependent variable is the test score. You want to know which brand of fertilizer is best for your plants. The brand of fertilizer is the independent variable.
What are some examples of independent and dependent variables and control?
Example: a car going down different surfaces. Independent variable: the surface of the slope rug, bubble wrap and wood. Dependent variable: the time it takes for the car to go down the slope. Controlled variable: the height of the slope, the car, the unit of time e.g. minutes and the length of the slope.
How do you identify independent and dependent variables?
An easy way to think of independent and dependent variables is, when you're conducting an experiment, the independent variable is what you change, and the dependent variable is what changes because of that. You can also think of the independent variable as the cause and the dependent variable as the effect.