A student is planning an experiment to find out how the height from which she drops a ball affects how high the ball bounces. What is the dependent variable in this experiment?
A
the ball used
B
the height the ball bounces
C
height of the ball being dropped
D
a meter stick
B
the height the ball bounces
The dependent variable in an experiment is the variable that is being measured or observed and is expected to be affected by the independent variable. In this case, the independent variable is the height from which the ball is dropped. The student is interested in studying how this independent variable affects the bounce height of the ball.
Out of the given options, the dependent variable would be the height the ball bounces (option B). This is because the student wants to investigate how the height the ball is dropped affects the resulting bounce height of the ball. The student would measure and record the height that the ball bounces for different drop heights to determine the relationship between the independent variable (height the ball is dropped) and the dependent variable (height the ball bounces).