Question

A scientist hypothesizes that fertilizer containing 10 percent nitrogen will produce tomato plants with more leaves and blossoms than fertilizer containing 15 percent nitrogen. What is the independent variable?

A- Amount of nitrogen in fertilizer
B- Amount of fertilizer applied
C- Number of leaves and blossoms on plants
D- Number of tomatoes on plants

Answer 1

The correct answer is - A- Amount of nitrogen in fertilizer.

The independent variable, in mathematical terms, is the variable whose variation is not dependent on the variations of the another variables.

In this case, the independent variable will be the amount of nitrogen in the fertilizer, as it is not dependent on any other variable. Also, apart from not being dependent on other variables, it is a variable on which the other variables are dependent, which in this case will be the amount of leaves and the amount of blossoms on the tomato plant.