Methyl mercury is a toxic substance that can harm the nervous system. Some fish are contaminated with high levels of methyl mercury. In many places, these fish are an important food source. Experiments are being conducted to determine how many meals of contaminated fish can be safely consumed. The table below shows the concentration of methyl mercury in the fish and the number of meals that can be safely consumed per month.
*conectration of methyl mercury in fish (ppm)
*number of meals safely consumed per month
which is the dependent and independent
is number of meals the independent (x axis)
and concentration.. the dependent or the y-axis
In this scenario, the concentration of methyl mercury in fish is the independent variable, and the number of meals safely consumed per month is the dependent variable.
The independent variable, also known as the predictor variable, is the variable that is manipulated or controlled in an experiment. In this case, the concentration of methyl mercury in fish is being measured and varied.
The dependent variable, also known as the response variable, is the variable that is being observed or measured as a result of changes in the independent variable. In this case, the number of meals safely consumed per month is the observed variable, which changes depending on the concentration of methyl mercury in fish.
In this context, the dependent variable refers to the variable that is being measured or observed, while the independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.
In the given table, the concentration of methyl mercury in the fish is measured in parts per million (ppm), which is the independent variable. This means that the concentration of methyl mercury is controlled or manipulated in the experiment to determine its effect.
The number of meals that can be safely consumed per month is the dependent variable because it is the variable that is being measured or observed. The number of meals is dependent on the level of mercury contamination in the fish.
To create a graph, you would typically plot the independent variable (number of meals) on the x-axis and the dependent variable (concentration of methyl mercury) on the y-axis.