Which variable is changed or manipulated in an experiment?

Which variable is changed or manipulated in an experiment?

• A. Dependent variable
• B. Prediction
• C. Experimenter variable
• D. Independent variable

Answer: (D)

In an experiment, you actively change one factor to see its impact on something else. that factor you deliberately manipulate is the independent variable. For example, if you’re testing how different amounts of fertilizer affect plant growth, the fertilizer amount is the independent variable. You then observe or measure the result—the dependent variable (plant growth). A prediction is just a guess about what will happen, not a variable you manipulate. The term “experimenter variable” isn’t a standard label for the manipulated factor; what matters is that you control or hold constant all other factors so that any observed effect can be attributed to the independent variable.

In an experiment, you actively change one factor to see its impact on something else. that factor you deliberately manipulate is the independent variable. For example, if you’re testing how different amounts of fertilizer affect plant growth, the fertilizer amount is the independent variable. You then observe or measure the result—the dependent variable (plant growth). A prediction is just a guess about what will happen, not a variable you manipulate. The term “experimenter variable” isn’t a standard label for the manipulated factor; what matters is that you control or hold constant all other factors so that any observed effect can be attributed to the independent variable.