Know Your Variables PDF
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This document provides a short lesson on independent, dependent, and controlled variables. It gives examples for each variable type and demonstrates how to identify variables in an experiment. This is a good resource for learning about scientific methodology.
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Know Your Variables A short lesson on Independent, Dependent, and Controlled variables. Consider the following descriptions of three types of variables… What’s this about a controlled variable?? ⚫ During an experiment, you want to know how the independent variable affects the dependent variab...
Know Your Variables A short lesson on Independent, Dependent, and Controlled variables. Consider the following descriptions of three types of variables… What’s this about a controlled variable?? ⚫ During an experiment, you want to know how the independent variable affects the dependent variable. ⚫ To make sure that it’s not really something else affecting the dependent variable, other factors should be kept constant, ie. Controlled. For example… ⚫ My hypothesis is that driving faster will use more fuel. ⚫ My experiment is to drive for exactly 50 km at different speeds (20 km/h, 40 km/h, 60 km/h, 80 km/h, and 100 km/h) and see how much fuel I use each trip… Identify the Variables ⚫ Independent ◦ Speed ⚫ Dependent ◦ Fuel used ⚫ Controlled ◦ Distance travelled ◦ Car used ◦ Weight in car ◦ Road travelled on
