When conducting research to find out how pollution is affecting the number of ducks in a pond, which of the following would MOST likely be the independent variable in the study?
A. pollution because it is NOT affected by other variables
B. number of ducks because it is NOT affected by other variables
C. pollution because it is affected by other variables
D. number of ducks because it is affected by other variables
C. pollution because it is affected by other variables
In this study, the independent variable would likely be the pollution levels in the pond, as this variable is being manipulated or controlled by the researcher to see how it affects the number of ducks. The number of ducks would be the dependent variable, as it is the outcome being measured and is expected to be influenced by changes in pollution levels.