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Difficulty: EasyIdentifying Independent, Dependent, and Controlled Variables

A student conducts an experiment to determine how the mass of a toy car affects the distance it travels after rolling down a ramp. The student releases cars of different masses (50 g50\text{ g}, 100 g100\text{ g}, 150 g150\text{ g}, and 200 g200\text{ g}) from the same release height on the same ramp and measures the distance each car travels in meters. Which of the following is the independent variable in this experiment?

  1. A
    The distance the car travels
  2. The mass of the toy carAnswer
  3. C
    The height of the ramp from which the car is released
  4. D
    The angle of the ramp

Answer

The mass of the toy car
In a scientific experiment, the independent variable is the factor that is systematically altered or manipulated by the experimenter to observe its effects. In this scenario, the student changes the mass of the toy car (50 g50\text{ g}, 100 g100\text{ g}, 150 g150\text{ g}, and 200 g200\text{ g}) to see how it affects performance. Therefore, the mass of the toy car is the independent variable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the factor that the student intentionally changes across the experimental trials.
The student varies the mass of the toy car using values of 50 g50\text{ g}, 100 g100\text{ g}, 150 g150\text{ g}, and 200 g200\text{ g}.
The variable manipulated directly by the experimenter is the independent variable.
2
Determine what outcome is measured at the end of each trial.
The student measures the distance each car travels in meters.
The variable that responds to the independent variable and is measured is the dependent variable.
3
Identify the factors that are kept constant to ensure that only the independent variable is being tested.
The release height and the ramp itself are kept the same.
These are controlled variables, which must be kept constant to prevent them from confounding the results.

Key Concept

The independent variable is the variable that is intentionally changed by the researcher, whereas the dependent variable is the measured outcome.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Identifying Independent, Dependent, and Controlled Variables

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