Question

Consider the following situation: The number of bacteria in a petri dish on the first day is 2, and the number doubles every day. The variables in this situation are as follows: Time (measured in days) Number of bacteria (measured in number). Which variable is the dependent variable? Which is the independent variable? Provide a convincing explanation.

Answer 1

The number of bacteria in a petri dish that doubles each day is the dependent variable, affected by the passage of time, which is the independent variable.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the situation described where the number of bacteria in a petri dish doubles every day, the dependent variable is the number of bacteria, and the independent variable is time (measured in days). The independent variable is what is manipulated or changed in an experiment, and the dependent variable is what is being measured or affected as a result of that manipulation. In this case, as time progresses (the independent variable), the effect on the number of bacteria is observed and recorded (the dependent variable).