Question

Albert is conducting an experiment with candles. He takes three candles with a length of 5 cm, made of the same type of wax, and places them in holders on a table. He lights each candle and lets the first one burn for 4 minutes, then the second one for 8 minutes, and the third one for 10 minutes. Then, he measures the height of each candle.

What is the independent variable in Albert's experiment?
a) The length of the candles
b) The type of wax
c) The time each candle burns
d) The height of the candles

Answer 1

The independent variable in Albert's experiment is the time each candle burns, as it's the condition being manipulated to observe its effect on the height of the candles.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Albert's candle experiment, the independent variable is c) The time each candle burns. The independent variable is the one that is changed or controlled in an experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable. In contrast, the dependent variable is the one that is observed or measured for change and is expected to change as a result of the independent variable's alteration. For example, in another experiment where a scientist is testing the growth of bacteria on different types of gel, the type of gel would be the independent variable, and the quantity of bacteria growth measured after 24 hours would be the dependent variable.