Question

Alvin is running at a rate of 3 meters per second. The meters he runs, m, in s seconds is given by the equation m=3s. Identify the dependent and the independent variable. Explain your reasoning.

(A) Dependent variable: meters; Independent variable: seconds
(B) Dependent variable: seconds; Independent variable: meters
(C) Both variables are dependent variables.
(D) Both variables are independent variables.

Answer 1

In the equation m=3s, 'm' is the dependent variable representing meters, which depends on 's', the independent variable representing seconds Alvin runs.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the equation m=3s, which describes how many meters, m, Alvin runs in s seconds, we identify the dependent and independent variables. The independent variable is the one that is chosen by the experimenter or in this context, the measure of time that Alvin is running, which is s (seconds).

The dependent variable is the outcome of the experiment, or here, the distance Alvin runs, denoted by m (meters), which depends on the amount of time he runs. Therefore, the correct answer is (A) Dependent variable: meters; Independent variable: seconds. This makes sense because in many physics equations, especially those representing motion like velocity and displacement, time is usually the independent variable and is plotted along the x-axis when graphed.