Question

You have run an experiment studying the effects of the molecular weight of a compound on the rate of diffusion in agar. Compound X has a molecular weight of 25.3 g/mol and compound Y has a molecular mass of 156.2 g/mol. On two separate agar plates, 0.1 g of each substance were transferred and allowed to diffuse for 2 hours. The results below were obtained. Use this information about this situation to answer the following three questions.

a. What was the independent variable in this experiment?
b. What was the independent variable in this experiment?
c. List two controls that were held constant for this experiment or that you would hold constant for this experiment

Answer 1

A) Molecular weight

B) Rate of diffusion

C) Agar plates

Time of diffusion

Step-by-step explanation:

A) The independent variable is the molecular weight because it is the variable that the researcher changes at will to aid his research. It doesn't depend on other variables.

B) The dependent variable is "Rate of diffusion because it depends on the molecular weight of the compound.

C) A control variable is one that would be held constant throughout the research.

In this case, the agar plates and the time of 2 hours diffusion remain the same throughout.