Which is the dependent variable in the following situation?:
A marine biologist wants to track the miles that a particular dolphin travels over the course of a year. The tracking system records the distance each week.
A. length of dolphin. B. number of dolphins C. weeks of tracking. D.miles traveled
I would use time as the independent variable (weeks) and distance as the dependent variable.
Correct! In this situation, the dependent variable is the variable that depends on or is influenced by the independent variable. The independent variable is the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher.
In this case, the independent variable is the weeks of tracking, as the researcher is controlling the duration of the tracking period. The dependent variable, on the other hand, is the miles traveled, as it depends on the duration of tracking. The tracking system records the distance each week, so the miles traveled is directly affected by the number of weeks the dolphin is tracked.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. miles traveled.