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Home Concept Builders Fundamentals: Relationships and Graphs Experiments and Variables Help Help 2

Experiments and Variables - Questions 2 Help

Experiments are commonly performed in order to determine the effect of one variable upon another variable. Those conducting the study will make changes in one of the variables, called the independent variable. They do so in order to determine what effect such changes have on the other variable, known as the dependent variable.

There are two nearly identical versions of this question. Here is one of those versions:
 

Version 1:

An experiment is being conducted with the following purpose:


 
What are the independent and dependent variables in this experiment?

Most physics experiments are about determining the relationship between quantities. In this case, the experimenters wish to determine the relationship between mass and acceleration. The purpose could be reworded as "to determine the effect that changing the mass has upon the acceleration." This implies that the mass will be changed by the experimenters. And as a result of those changes, the acceleration will change since the acceleration values will depend upon the mass.

As mentioned in the Fundamentals section (above), the independent variable is the variable that the experimenters are changing. The values of the dependent variable depend upon these changes. So re-read the first paragraph and then make your decision about the answers.

Sorry. We're pedaling as fast as we can but as of this writing we do not have any Tutorial information on the topic of experimentation and variables.

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