Question

List the independent and dependent variables for each situation:

(a) my height depends on my age.
(b) the amount of sleep I get determines what mood I am in.
(c) the amount of water in a bathtub is a function of the amount of time the water has been running.
(d) my distance from home varies with my speed.
(e) the amount of homework I do affects my average speed.
(f) the amount of homework I do depends on how much is assigned.

Answer 1

Part (a)

Independent variable = age
Dependent variable = height

"depends on age" indicates that age is independent.

-----------------------------------
Part (b)

Independent variable = amount of sleep
Dependent variable = mood

The key word is "determines". The stuff before this word is the independent variable which affects the dependent variable.
-----------------------------------
Part (c)

Independent variable = time water has been running
dependent variable = amount of water in the tub

Time is usually the independent variable
-----------------------------------
Part (d)

Independent variable = speed
dependent variable = distance from home

-----------------------------------
Part (e)

Independent variable = amount of homework done
dependent variable = speed

This seems like an odd pairing of homework and speed. Could there be a typo? I noticed that part (f) is very similar

-----------------------------------
Part (f)

Independent variable = amount of hw that is assigned
dependent variable = amount of homework done

Like with part (a), the stuff before "depends" is the dependent variable