Simon is selling candles for a school fundraiser. For each candle he sells, the school will earn a profit of $2.50
If C is the number if candles Simon sells and p is the amount of profit the school earns, which is the independent variable and which is the dependent variable? Explain how you determined which variable is the independent and which is the dependent.
The independent variable is the variable that can be manipulated or controlled in an experiment, while the dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or observed and is expected to change as a result of manipulating the independent variable.
In this case, the number of candles sold (C) is the independent variable because Simon can control or manipulate the number of candles he sells. He can choose to sell more or fewer candles.
On the other hand, the amount of profit the school earns (p) is the dependent variable because it depends on the number of candles sold. The profit earned by the school will change as Simon sells more or fewer candles. The school cannot directly control the profit earned; it is determined by the number of candles sold by Simon.