What is a dependent variable?
A variable (often denoted by y ) whose value depends on that of another.
If you write:
cows(farms) = 5 * farms
then
the number of cows DEPENDS on the number of farms.
cows depends
farms is independent
A dependent variable is a variable in an experiment or study that is observed or measured in order to determine the effect or outcome of changes made to another variable, known as the independent variable. The dependent variable "depends" on the independent variable, as the changes in the independent variable are expected to have an impact on the dependent variable.
To identify the dependent variable in a study or experiment, you need to analyze the research question or hypothesis. Ask yourself, "What is the main outcome or response variable that I want to measure or observe?" This variable will be your dependent variable.
For example, let's say you are conducting an experiment to determine the effect of different fertilizers on plant growth. In this case, the plant growth is the main outcome or response you want to measure. Therefore, "plant growth" would be your dependent variable.
In summary, the dependent variable is the variable that is observed or measured to see how it changes in response to variations in the independent variable. To identify the dependent variable, focus on the main outcome or response variable of the experiment or study.