A class is learning about acceleration due to gravity. Their plan is to climb a ladder and drop different kinds of balls from the same height at the same time. They will repeat this for ten trials, recording the data after each test. A video will be made of the activity to verify the results.
What is the independent variable in this experiment?
A. the size and type of the balls
B. the speed at which the balls fall
C. the number of balls that are dropped
D. the height from which the balls are dropped
Remember that the dependent variable depends on the independent variable. Speed at which the balls fall depends on the height from which the balls are dropped.
The independent variable in this experiment is the height from which the balls are dropped.
To determine the independent variable, you need to identify the factor that the researchers are intentionally manipulating or changing in the experiment. In this case, the researchers are intentionally changing the height from which the balls are dropped. They will be dropping the balls from the same height during each trial.
The other options - the size and type of the balls, the speed at which the balls fall, and the number of balls that are dropped - are not being intentionally manipulated by the researchers. The size and type of the balls may vary, but that is not what the experiment is focusing on. The speed at which the balls fall will be determined by gravity and their respective heights, not something the researchers control. The number of balls may vary, but it does not have a direct impact on the experiment's goal of investigating the acceleration due to gravity.