The relationship between these variations may, however, be direct or indirect. These two variables are used alongside each other, and a change in the independent variable will translate to a change in the dependent variable. That is, they are similar in the sense that they change at the same time. These changes may, however, occur in the opposite direction to each other. Dependent variables and independent variables can both take multiple variables.
For example, when dealing with a 3-dimensional problem in mathematics, we can have the function:. It is, however, important to note that the multi-variation of these variables do not necessarily have to be of the same dimension. Consider the example function below:. In this case, y is 1-dimensional, while X is 3-dimensional. Since dependent and independent variables are used alongside each other, it is clear that they can jointly be used to solve a research problem.
For example, when investigating the amount of force needed to push a truck, the dependent variable the distance moved by truck after pushing and the independent variable the force needed to push the truck are both used in this investigation.
As stated earlier, dependent and independent variables have similar uses, which is due to their common identity as a variable. We have highlighted some of these uses below:.
Dependent and independent variables are relevant in all fields of mathematics and statistics, and are used to solve complex problems. When dealing with a particular problem, researchers break down the problem into mathematical terms so that it can be easily solved using mathematical techniques. This can be seen in the case of ordinary differential equations that are used to derive a formula for the rate of change of price, in a market, and also predict future changes.
A similar thing can be seen in statistics, where analysts plot dependent variables against independent variables and use the result to analyze trends and inform decisions. When behavioural psychologists study human behaviour, they identify particular traits in an individual, then investigate the reason why the trait is being exhibited. This is sometimes done using the brute force approach, where the psychologist will identify particular causes, take them away, then study whether there will be a change in behavioural patterns.
For example, there is a consensus that a person's behaviour depends on the kind of environment independent variable he or she is being brought up in. That is why a larger percentage of the people that deal in hard drugs are from the slums. This conclusion should, however, be made carefully, as it leads to many cases of wrong profiling.
When studying the effect of sunlight on plant pigmentation, biologists take sunlight as the independent variable and plant pigmentation as the dependent variable. The subject of research, in this case, is the plant. Usually, different samples of the same plant will be exposed to different levels of sunlight over a particular period.
The levels of pigmentation, the amount of sunlight exposure, and the duration of the study will be recorded. All this will be done provided that all other factors that may affect the plant pigmentation, like water and time of observation are equal. Dependent and Independent variables are used to carry out laboratory experiments in chemistry, and recorded to be used for further research in other fields.
Let us consider the study of the amount of heat required to melt gold, which is an element from the periodic table. Chemists subject gold to a very high temperature until they were able to arrive at the melting point of gold.
The dependent variable, in this case, is the state of the gold which changes from solid to liquid, while the independent variable is the temperature.
Today, this information is used by jewellery manufacturers to melt gold and remake them into attractive jewellery. Some even go as far as using it for interior decoration, as there is no limitation on what can be made from hold. These variables are generally used for research purposes, and no research can be carried out without using dependent and independent variables.
This is the reason why dependent and independent variables can be found in every field. Even during our daily life as an individual, there is always a reason for what we do, and even having no reason is a reason itself.
It is a predefined element of nature. Therefore, whether directly or indirectly, researchers make use of dependent and independent variables. Variables are generally important for both personal uses by individuals and scientific experiments by researchers. They are one of those things that we use in our daily activities either consciously or unconsciously.
However, a lack of proper understanding will lead to it being misused and may have negative effects. Therefore, to make proper use of variables and inform better decisions, one may need to know what variables are, how, and when you use them. Variables are divided into dependent and independent types, and understanding the similarities and differences between these 2 variables are the key to their proper use. Collect data for different kinds of variables in your research project on Formplus.
Every research paper builds on a central argument that reflects the position of the researcher—this is known as the thesis statement.
The primary objective of any study is to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables. Hence in Every research effort focuses on a particular group, based on its aims and objectives—this focus group is commonly referred to as the Sometimes, researchers resort to collecting data from the most accessible variables in the population of interest—this process is known as Pricing Templates Features Login Sign up.
What are Dependent Variables? What are Independent Variables? Other Names Dependent variables are often referred to as the predicted variable, while the independent variables are the predictors or regressors. Examples An example of a dependent variable is a student's class of degree, which depends on the student's CGPA and the school's grade or rating scale.
Uses I n a scientific experiment, the dependent variable is directly used to inform the conclusion of the experiment, while the independent variable is used to determine the values of the dependent variable. By comparing the difference in outcomes between the two states and accounting for other factors , you can investigate whether the change in minimum wage had an effect on employment rates. These are known as confounding variables. In types of research where the exact relationship between variables is less certain, you might use different terms for independent and dependent variables.
Sometimes, the variable you think is the cause might not be fully independent — it might be influenced by other variables. In this case, one of these terms is more appropriate:.
See an example. Researchers often use charts or graphs to visualize the results of their studies. For instance, how might a graph look from our example study on the impact of a new medication on blood pressure? Frequently asked questions What are independent and dependent variables?
You can think of independent and dependent variables in terms of cause and effect: an independent variable is the variable you think is the cause , while a dependent variable is the effect. In an experiment, you manipulate the independent variable and measure the outcome in the dependent variable.
For example, in an experiment about the effect of nutrients on crop growth:. Defining your variables, and deciding how you will manipulate and measure them, is an important part of experimental design.
Determining cause and effect is one of the most important parts of scientific research. You want to find out how blood sugar levels are affected by drinking diet soda and regular soda, so you conduct an experiment. The value of a dependent variable depends on an independent variable, so a variable cannot be both independent and dependent at the same time.
It must be either the cause or the effect, not both! Yes, but including more than one of either type requires multiple research questions. For example, if you are interested in the effect of a diet on health, you can use multiple measures of health: blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, pulse, and many more. Each of these is its own dependent variable with its own research question. You could also choose to look at the effect of exercise levels as well as diet, or even the additional effect of the two combined.
Each of these is a separate independent variable. To ensure the internal validity of an experiment , you should only change one independent variable at a time.
Have a language expert improve your writing. In experiments, you have to test one independent variable at a time in order to accurately understand how it impacts the dependent variable. Constant variables are important because they ensure that the dependent variable is changing because, and only because, of the independent variable so you can accurately measure the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.
If you didn't have any constant variables, you wouldn't be able to tell if the independent variable was what was really affecting the dependent variable. For example, in the example above, if there were no constants and you used different amounts of water, different types of plants, different amounts of fertilizer and put the plants in windows that got different amounts of sun, you wouldn't be able to say how fertilizer type affected plant growth because there would be so many other factors potentially affecting how the plants grew.
If you're still having a hard time understanding the relationship between independent and dependent variable, it might help to see them in action. Here are three experiments you can try at home. One simple way to explore independent and dependent variables is to construct a biology experiment with seeds. Try growing some sunflowers and see how different factors affect their growth.
For example, say you have ten sunflower seedlings, and you decide to give each a different amount of water each day to see if that affects their growth. The independent variable here would be the amount of water you give the plants, and the dependent variable is how tall the sunflowers grow.
Explore a wide range of chemical reactions with this chemistry kit. Build and test a range of simple and complex machines with this K'nex kit. How does increasing a vehicle's mass affect its velocity?
Can you lift more with a fixed or movable pulley? Can you identify the independent and dependent variables for each of the four scenarios below? The answers are at the bottom of the guide for you to check your work.
Scenario 1: You buy your dog multiple brands of food to see which one is her favorite. Scenario 2: Your friends invite you to a party, and you decide to attend, but you're worried that staying out too long will affect how well you do on your geometry test tomorrow morning. Scenario 3: Your dentist appointment will take 30 minutes from start to finish, but that doesn't include waiting in the lounge before you're called in.
The total amount of time you spend in the dentist's office is the amount of time you wait before your appointment, plus the 30 minutes of the actual appointment. Scenario 4: You regularly babysit your little cousin who always throws a tantrum when he's asked to eat his vegetables. Over the course of the week, you ask him to eat vegetables four times. Knowing the independent variable definition and dependent variable definition is key to understanding how experiments work.
The independent variable is what you change, and the dependent variable is what changes as a result of that. When graphing these variables, the independent variable should go on the x-axis the horizontal axis , and the dependent variable goes on the y-axis vertical axis. Constant variables are also important to understand. They are what stay the same throughout the experiment so you can accurately measure the impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
Independent and dependent variables are commonly taught in high school science classes. Read our guide to learn which science classes high school students should be taking. Scoring well on standardized tests is an important part of having a strong college application. Interested in science? Science Olympiad is a great extracurricular to include on your college applications, and it can help you win big scholarships.
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