What is an independent variable?
2 Answers
The independent variable is the variable that the experimenter can most easily control.
Explanation:
The independent variable is the variable that the experimenter changes. The changes in the independent variable create changes in another quantity which is called the dependent variable.
An example would an experiment on Charles law. The experimenter can place a variable container like a large syringe into containers with different temperatures of water. The temperatures of the water are the independent variable. The experimenter can accurately determine the temperature of water and control the temperature.
The resulting volumes of the syringe are the dependent variable as the volumes are caused by the changes in the temperature of the water that is controlled by the experimenter.
As stated already, it's the variable's value that doesn't depend on any other variable and is (usually) manipulated by the experimenter.
Explanation:
The Independent Variable affects the Dependent Variable
(hence the name, it's what changes in result of altering the independent variable)
A few examples to sink it all in:
As you can see, the independent variable always goes on the x-axis, and the dependent on the y.
