Variables can be measured and can vary, while constants do not change. In science experiments, variables are grouped as discrete or continuous. Discrete variables have a limited number of values, while continuous variables have an infinite number. Both types of variables can be independent or dependent in an experiment. An example of an independent variable is the amount of light shining on a plant, while the dependent variable is the plant’s response.
Variable is a term used to describe something that can be measured and can also vary. The opposite of a variable is a constant. A constant is a quantity that does not change within a specific context. In science experiments, variables are used to group data. Variables can be grouped as discrete or continuous variables.
Generally, variables are characteristics of a group of objects or events that can be measured on a number of different numerical values. Discrete variables can only have a certain number of different values between two data points. For example, there may be one, two, or three children in a family, but there cannot be a continuous scale of 1.1, 1.5, or 1.75 children.
Continuous variables can have an infinite number of different values between two data points. As shown above, there cannot be a continuous scale of children within a family. If you were measuring height, however, the variables would be continuous since there are an unlimited number of possibilities just looking at between 1 and 1.1 metres.
It is important to remember that both types of variables are thus grouped according to the scale used to measure them and what is being measured. In most scientific experiments, a discrete scale is used to measure both types of variables. Since there is an infinite amount of possibilities, this means that continuous variable measurements are often rounded to make it easier to work with the data.
Both discrete and continuous variables can take on one of two roles in a scientific experiment. During an experiment, the scientist often wishes to observe the results of changing one variable. Often only one variable is changed, as it would be difficult to determine what caused the relevant response if multiple variables were affected.
The variable that is manipulated by the scientist is the independent variable, while the dependent variable is the one that responds to change. In other words, the response of one variable depends on changes to the other variable. If there were initially no changes to any of the variables, there would be no response from the dependent variable.
For example, during one experiment, the amount of light shining on a plant is changed. The amount of light would be the independent variable. To make measurements that can be repeated, the independent variable is likely to be a discrete variable, such as one hour, two hours, or three hours of daylight. The plant’s response, how much it grows or the direction it grows, will be the dependent variable. Since the amount of plant growth can be an infinite number of outcomes, it is a continuous dependent variable.
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