Final answer:
In the experiment determining if hot water will freeze faster, the dependent variable is the rate of freezing, which is measured as water transitions from liquid to solid in the freezer.
Step-by-step explanation:
When conducting an experiment to determine if hot water will freeze faster than water at room temperature, the dependent variable is the aspect of the experiment that is observed or measured as a response to the independent variable. In this case, the dependent variable is option 4: The rate of freezing of the water, which refers to how quickly the water transitions from liquid to solid state in the freezer.
An experiment is a procedure carried out under controlled conditions to discover, demonstrate, or test a hypothesis, which usually includes an independent variable that is changed by the experimenter and a dependent variable that is measured. For example, in an experiment where a scientist grows bacteria on two types of gel to compare growth rates, the independent variable would be the type of gel used while the dependent variable would be the amount of bacteria growth observed.