Question

Mrs. Jones's class conducted an experiment on the effects of sugar and artificial sweetener on the cookies recipe's overall color when baked. What would be the independent variable in the cookie experiment?

A. The students would use the same ingredients in both recipes, but bake the cookies with sugar at 450° and those with artificial sweetener at 475°. They should increase the baking time on the artificial sweetener cookies, since the package instructs them to do so.
B. The students should use the same. ingredients in both recipes, but increase the baking time on the artificial sweetener cookies, since the package instructs them to do so.
C. The students should use the same ingredients, same baking temperatures, and same baking times for both recipes.
D. The students should use the same ingredients and making times in both recipes, but bake the cookies with sugar at 450° and the artificial sweetener cookies at 475°.

Answer 1

The independent variable in the cookie experiment is the type of sweetener used, which should be the only factor varied to observe its effect on the cookies' color.

Step-by-step explanation:

The independent variable in the cookie experiment is the type of sweetener used: sugar or artificial sweetener. This is because the independent variable is the factor that is changed by the scientists to observe how it affects the dependent variable, which in this case could be the overall color of the cookies when baked. Options A and D suggest changes in temperature and baking time which are variables that could confound the results related to the type of sweetener used. Therefore, the correct way to set up this experiment would be to keep all other conditions constant—same ingredients, baking temperatures, and baking times—while only varying the type of sweetener used.

In a scientific experiment, it's crucial to change only one variable at a time (the independent variable) to see its direct effect on the outcome (the dependent variable). By keeping the baking temperature and time the same for both types of cookies, any changes in color can be more confidently attributed to the sweetener itself rather than other factors.