What do scientists use to test the cause-and-effect relationship in an experiment?
a. hypothetical law and scientific theory
b. dependent variable and independent variable
c. background research and scientific question
d. scientific hypothesis and peer-reviewed inference
b. dependent variable and independent variable
The correct answer is b. dependent variable and independent variable.
Scientists use these variables in an experiment to test the cause-and-effect relationship. The independent variable is the factor that is purposely changed or manipulated by the researcher, while the dependent variable is the factor that is being measured or observed and may change as a result of the independent variable. By manipulating the independent variable and observing the changes in the dependent variable, scientists can determine the cause-and-effect relationship between the two.