VARIABLES

LEARNING COMPETENCY:
Identify Variables in a Problem.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Differentiate dependent, independent and control variables.

• Describe the independent variable, the dependent variable and the
monitor in the experiment.
• Build persistence in the recognition and definition of variables by
referring correctly to events.
VARIABLES
• Any parameter in the experiment that can alter is a variable.

• It could be a metric such as temperature, weight, or height, or

could be more complicated, such as life expectancy or growth
rate.

• Depending on how you set up your experiment, you can use a

number of variables.
BASIC TYPES OF VARIABLES
Independent Variable

• Factor that is being manipulated during the experiment.

• Example: When playing about how fertilizer influences plant

development, the fertilizer is an independent variable since
that is the variable you alter.

• It could enable us to think of an independent variable as the

cause of change in the experiment.
BASIC TYPES OF VARIABLES
Dependent Variable

• Factor that is influenced by the experiment.

• In the fertilizer experiment, the dependent variable will be

plant growth, because it is influenced by the amount of
fertilizer used

• If you think of an independent variable as the source, the

result is the dependent variable.
BASIC TYPES OF VARIABLES
Control Variable
• Variable that is monitored between and after tests.
• In the fertilizer experiment, we will monitor the amount of
sunlight each plant gets.
• Control variables are really useful when they allow a scientist
to realize that the experiment is only measuring what they
want to test.

• Based on the difficulty, some tests will have a number of

control variables, and others will have zero.
EXAMPLE
1. A study was done to find if different tire treads affect the
braking distance of a car.
• Independent Variable: tire treads

• Dependent Variable: braking distance

• Control Variable: type of car

EXAMPLE
2. The time it takes to run a mile depends on the person’s running
speed.
• Independent Variable: running speed

• Dependent Variable: time

• Control Variable: terrain

EXAMPLE
3. The height of bean plants depends on the amount of water they
receive.
• Independent Variable: the amount of water

• Dependent Variable: height

• Control Variable: sunlight, soil

EXAMPLE
4. The higher the temperature of the air in the oven, the faster a
cake will bake.
• Independent Variable: temperature

• Dependent Variable: speed

• Control Variable: type of pan

EXAMPLE
5. Lemon trees receiving the most water produced the most
lemons.
• Independent Variable: amount of water

• Dependent Variable: number of lemons

• Control Variable: sunlight, soil

ACTIVITY 1
Identify the word in each item based on the given definition.

1. Factors in an experiment that change or potentially change.

2. Factor that is being manipulated during the experiment.

3. Something that might be affected by the change and

measured.

4. A variable that is not changed and stays the same.

ACTIVITY 2
Identify the types of variables in each written statement. READ
CAREFULLY!

EXAMPLE: A study was done to find if fuel types affect the

engine’s performance in a car.

• Independent Variable: fuel type

• Dependent Variable: engine performance

• Control Variable: car, driver, driving location, and speed

ACTIVITY 2
Identify the types of variables in each written statement. READ
CAREFULLY!
1. An experiment was performed to determine the health effects
of different amounts of second-hand smoke on one-year old
hamsters.
• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

2. A study was conducted to determine the effect of climbing to

high altitudes on a climber’s memory.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

3. Students of different ages were given the same math test.

Researchers looked at the number of correct answers on the test.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

4. A study was done to see the effect of different cancer drugs on

tumor size in male patients.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

5. Mad scientists looked at the growth of claw size in mutant

lobsters due to drinking different amounts of seawater
contaminated with Pepsi.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

6. Global researchers monitored the levels of carbon dioxide in

the atmosphere each month of the year.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

7. Mr. Spock examined the changes in intelligence due to

performing different numbers of mind melds on the people in the
crew of the Enterprise.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

8. NASA astronauts collected data on the effect of weightlessness

on the growth rate of tomato plants compared to tomato plants
growing on Earth (no weightlessness).

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

9. A study was done to determine the effect of eating different

amounts of twinkies on energy levels in 7th-grade students.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable:
ACTIVITY 2

10. Scientists monitored the rainfall levels at a research station in

Washington every day in the month of April.

• Independent Variable:

• Dependent Variable:

• Control Variable: