What are the 3 variables in science?
These changing quantities are called variables. A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and controlled.
Example: Topic- Plants grow faster in warmer temperatures. Independent Variable: Temperature
Dependent Variable: Plant Growth
What is an example of a dependent variable in science?
Dependent variables depend on other variables. For example, if someone was studying the effects of pollution on asthma, the incidence of asthma would be the dependent variable. When you are searching for relationships between variables, you are trying to find what makes the dependent variable change.
Independent Variable
The variable that the scientist changes during their experiment are the independent variable. For example, take the experiment as a “cause and effect” exercise.
Here the independent variable is the “cause” factor. An independent variable is a variable that we can change or control in a scientific experiment. It will represent the cause or reason for an outcome.
Therefore, independent variables are the variables which the experimenter changes to test their dependent variable. A change in the independent variable will directly cause a change in the dependent variable. However, we can measure and record the effect of the dependent variable.
Independent Variable Examples
Suppose a scientist is conducting an experiment for the effect of light and dark on the behavior of moths. He is doing this by continuously turning a light on and off. Thus, here the independent variable is the amount of light and the moth’s reaction is the dependent variable.
This is the study to determine the effect of temperature on plant pigmentation. Here the independent variable (cause) is the temperature, while the amount of pigment or color is the dependent variable (the effect).