Final answer:
The dependent variable is what the researcher measures in an experiment to determine the effects of the independent variable. It's also known as the outcome variable and is typically plotted on the y-axis of a graph.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dependent variable is the variable that a researcher measures in an experiment to see how much effect the independent variable had on it. It is also called the outcome variable. This is in contrast to the independent variable, which is the variable that the researcher manipulates or changes to explore its effects on the dependent variable. In a controlled experiment, all other variables are held constant to ensure that any observed effects can be attributed directly to the manipulation of the independent variable.
For example, if a researcher is studying the impact of different types of fertilizer on plant growth, the type of fertilizer used would be the independent variable, while the plant growth, which is measured in terms of height or biomass, would be the dependent variable.
In graphical representations of data, the dependent variable is commonly plotted along the y-axis, while the independent variable is plotted along the x-axis.