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Understanding_Variables_in_an_Experiment

The document explains the three types of variables in a science experiment: independent variables (what you change), dependent variables (what you measure), and controlled variables (constants kept the same). It emphasizes the importance of changing only one variable at a time to ensure fair and reliable results. An example is provided to illustrate these concepts using an experiment on how water temperature affects sugar dissolution.

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6 views2 pages

Understanding_Variables_in_an_Experiment

The document explains the three types of variables in a science experiment: independent variables (what you change), dependent variables (what you measure), and controlled variables (constants kept the same). It emphasizes the importance of changing only one variable at a time to ensure fair and reliable results. An example is provided to illustrate these concepts using an experiment on how water temperature affects sugar dissolution.

Uploaded by

calvinaungcheinthmuu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Understanding Variables in an Experiment

In a science experiment, we have three types of variables:

1.​ Independent Variable – This is what you change in the experiment.


○​ It is the factor that the scientist chooses to test.
○​ Example: If you are testing how light affects plant growth, the amount of light is
the independent variable.
2.​ Dependent Variable – This is what you measure in the experiment.
○​ It is the outcome that depends on the independent variable.
○​ Example: In the plant experiment, the height of the plant is the dependent
variable because it changes based on how much light the plant receives.
3.​ Controlled Variables (Constants) – These are the things you keep the same
throughout the experiment.
○​ They ensure a fair test so that only one factor is affecting the results.
○​ Example: In the plant experiment, you would keep the type of plant, amount of
water, type of soil, and temperature the same.

2. Why Do We Change Only One Variable?

●​ If we change more than one variable at a time, we won’t know which one caused the
results.
●​ Keeping all other factors constant ensures that only the independent variable affects
the dependent variable.
●​ This makes the experiment fair and reliable.

3. Example Experiment

Question: How does water temperature affect the time it takes for sugar to dissolve?

●​ Independent Variable: Water temperature (cold, warm, hot).


●​ Dependent Variable: Time taken for sugar to dissolve.
●​ Controlled Variables: Type of sugar, amount of sugar, amount of water, type of cup.

If we also changed the amount of sugar along with the temperature, we wouldn’t know if the
sugar dissolved faster because of the heat or because there was less sugar!

4. Quick Analogy

Think of baking a cake:

●​ If you want to test whether baking time affects the cake’s fluffiness, you should only
change the time.
●​ If you also change the flour type and oven temperature, you won’t know which factor
affected the fluffiness.

Key Takeaway

●​ Independent Variable = What you change.


●​ Dependent Variable = What you measure.
●​ Controlled Variables = What you keep the same.
●​ Change only one thing at a time to make the experiment fair and get reliable results.

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