In an experiment, which term best describes the variable measured to observe effects?

In an experiment, which term best describes the variable measured to observe effects?

• A. Independent variable
• B. Dependent variable
• C. Control variable
• D. Parameter

Answer: (B)

In experiments, the outcome you measure to see the effect of what you changed is called the dependent variable because its value depends on the conditions you set. You deliberately modify the independent variable to test a hypothesis, and you keep other factors constant as control variables to avoid confounding. A parameter, on the other hand, is a fixed property of a population or model, not the result you observe in a single experiment. So the variable measured to observe effects is the dependent variable.

In experiments, the outcome you measure to see the effect of what you changed is called the dependent variable because its value depends on the conditions you set. You deliberately modify the independent variable to test a hypothesis, and you keep other factors constant as control variables to avoid confounding. A parameter, on the other hand, is a fixed property of a population or model, not the result you observe in a single experiment. So the variable measured to observe effects is the dependent variable.