Question

A water truck arrives at the maintenance yard with water still in its tank. The truck is then filled at a rate measured in cubic meters per hour. What is the independent quantity for this situation?

1) The amount of water in the truck's tank
2) The rate at which the truck is filled
3) The time it takes to fill the truck
4) The size of the truck's tank

Answer 1

The independent quantity when filling a water truck at a measured rate is the time it takes to fill the truck, as this is the variable that would typically be controlled or changed in the situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The independent quantity in the situation where a water truck is filled at a certain rate is defined as the variable that is changed or controlled by the person setting up the situation. In the context of a water truck being filled, the independent quantity would typically be the time it takes to fill the truck. This is because the rate at which the truck is filled (cubic meters per hour) and the size of the truck's tank are factors that influence the dependent variable (the amount of water in the tank), but they are not changed throughout the filling process. Therefore, the independent quantity is not the amount of water in the truck's tank (1), the rate at which the truck is filled (2), or the size of the truck's tank (4), but rather the time it takes to fill the truck (3).