Identifying Variables
Independent Variables
The independent variable is the one that is manipulated or changed by the
scientist. A change in the independent variable directly causes a change in
the dependent variable.
Dependent Variables
A dependent variable is the variable that you observe and measure.
Controlled Variables
Experiments also have controlled variables. There are many factors in an
experiment that could affect the dependent variable. In an ideal
experiment, you only want to see the effect of the one variable (the
independent variable) that you are trying to test so you should keep all
other variables the same (you control them). Some people refer to
controlled variables as constant variables.
Directions: Read through each scenario and identify the independent variable,
dependent variable, and the control. Beware- not all experiments will have a control!
1. Sara wants to see if a new brand of hair dye lasts longer than the brand, she
currently uses. She puts the new hair dye on the left side of her head and the old
brand on her right side. After 2 weeks she observes which side of her head has
more grey hair showing through.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
2. Rob is in charge of waxing the floor at the local mall. He wants to test a new
brand of floor wax called Squeaky Clean. Rob waxes 20 floor tiles with Squeaky
Clean and 20 tiles with the original wax brand. After one week he counts the
number of scratches on the floor.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
3. Chris wants to see if his basil plants grow better in full sunlight or partial sunlight. He
plants 5 basil plants on the east side of his house that only receives light in the
morning, and 5 more plants on the south side of his house that receives light all
day. After a month Chris measures the height of each plant.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
4. Shannon wants to see if the amount of time she studies will affect her grades. She
normally studies for 30 minutes a night, but decides to double her study time to
one hour per night. Over the next three weeks Shannon sees her science grade
raise 10%.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
5. Eric wants to see if a Shark vacuum works better than his current Oreck. He makes
sure both of the vacuum canisters are empty, and then vacuums half of the living
room with the Oreck and the other half with the Shark. After vacuuming he
measures the amount of dust in each canister.
a. Independent Variable = ________________________________________
b. Dependent Variable = _________________________________________
c. Control = ___________________________________________________
Cite:
© 2014 Science Rocks
HYPOTHESIS:
Now it's time to state your hypothesis. The hypothesis is an educated guess as to what will
happen during your experiment.
The hypothesis is often written using the words "IF" and "THEN." For example, "If I do not
study, then I will fail the test." The "if' and "then" statements reflect your independent and
dependent variables.
The hypothesis should relate back to your original question and must be testable.
Part 1 A student is interested in designing several experiments to test the factors that affect
how quickly an Alka-Seltzer® tablet dissolves in water (solution rate). For each question,
write an appropriate hypothesis that could be tested with an experiment. Be sure each
hypothesis is in the proper “If…, then… , because…” format. Example: Question: What
effect does stirring have on solution rate? Hypothesis: If the water is stirred, then the tablet
will dissolve faster because stirring increases solution rate.
1. Question: What effect does the water temperature have on solution rate?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
_ ______________________________________________________________________
2. Question: What effect does crushing the tablet have on solution rate?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
_
_______________________________________________________________________
___________
3. Question: What effect does adding soda to the water have on solution rate?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
_
_______________________________________________________________________
___________
Part 2 The next three questions are about factors affecting plant growth. For each
question, write an appropriate hypothesis that could be tested with an experiment. Be
sure each hypothesis is in the proper “If…, then…, because…” format.
4. Question: What effect does the amount of light have on plant growth?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Question: What effect does the amount of water have on plant growth?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. Question: What effect does using plant food (Miracle Grow®) have on plant growth?
Hypothesis:
_______________________________________________________________________
