Final answer:
The independent variable in the scenario is the time spent baking, and the dependent variable is the number of cookies baked. The size of the oven might be another independent variable if comparing productivity between different bakeries.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the question where a baker bakes 40 cookies in an hour, we are being asked to identify the dependent and independent variables in this scenario. First, let's define these terms:
- The independent variable is the variable that you change or control in an experiment to test the effects on the dependent variable.
- The dependent variable is what you measure in the experiment and what is affected during the experiment.
In this particular case, the independent variable could be the time spent baking, because it is what the baker controls. The dependent variable is the number of cookies baked, which depends on the amount of time the baker spends baking. If, for example, the baker decides to bake for two hours instead of one, we would expect the number of cookies baked to potentially double, assuming productivity remains constant.
In a different scenario, where comparing the productivity of bakers with different oven sizes – such as a Canadian worker with an industrial-size oven versus a U.S. worker with a smaller oven – the size of the oven could be seen as the independent variable affecting the dependent variable of productivity measured by the output of loaves of bread in an hour.