Which statement correctly describes the dependent variable?

Which statement correctly describes the dependent variable?

• A. The dependent variable is a constant controlled by the experimenter.
• B. The dependent variable is measured and observed; it depends on the independent variable.
• C. The dependent variable is the same as the independent variable.
• D. The dependent variable is the baseline.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the dependent variable is the outcome you measure to see how it responds when you change something else in the experiment. It is observed and recorded, and its value depends on the level of the independent variable. For example, if you vary light exposure (the thing you change on purpose), you measure how tall a plant grows (the thing you observe). That growth depends on the amount of light, which is why the dependent variable fits this description. The statement that it is measured and observed and depends on the independent variable is the best description. The dependent variable is not a constant you control; that would be a controlled variable. It’s not the same as the independent variable, which is the factor you deliberately change. It isn’t just a baseline, either—baseline is a reference point, while the dependent variable is the actual outcome you track.

The main idea is that the dependent variable is the outcome you measure to see how it responds when you change something else in the experiment. It is observed and recorded, and its value depends on the level of the independent variable. For example, if you vary light exposure (the thing you change on purpose), you measure how tall a plant grows (the thing you observe). That growth depends on the amount of light, which is why the dependent variable fits this description.

The statement that it is measured and observed and depends on the independent variable is the best description. The dependent variable is not a constant you control; that would be a controlled variable. It’s not the same as the independent variable, which is the factor you deliberately change. It isn’t just a baseline, either—baseline is a reference point, while the dependent variable is the actual outcome you track.