IDENTIFYING VARIABLES: ADDITIONAL NOTES

WHEN LOOKING FOR VARIABLES ASK YOURSELF…

INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT CONSTANT/CONTROL
1. What will be measured
or collected at the end of
the experiment?

2. What is the scientist

1. What are they doing
curious about? 1. What is being kept the
differently?
same all throughout the
2. What are they
experiment?
intentionally changing?
3. What is the scientist
looking for after
making their
intentional change?

EXAMPLE:

1. Mrs. Variable wants all her students to get an A on their

test. She normally doesn’t give out Hershey’s chocolate for
kids who get an A. However, she wants to know if a
Hershey’s chocolate reward would increase how many
students get an A.

2. Two groups of students were tested to compare their speed

in working math problems Dependent v.
 Each group was given the same problems. One group used
calculators and the other group computed without
calculators.  independent variable

Control v.  problem given to both groups

3. An experiment was performed to determine how the

amount of coffee grounds could affect the taste of
coffee. The same kind of coffee, the same percolator, the
same amount and type of water, the same perking time,
and the same electrical sources were used.
ACTIVITY: