Independent/ Dependent Variables HELP!!! PLEASE!!!?

Question

I am writing a formal lab report on the flour beetle. I must state the independent and dependent variables. I understand the difference but still have a hard time distinguishing the two.

For the experiment we had 4 jars filled with differenet amounts of food (40, 30, 20, 10 gm). We placed 10 beetles in each jar for seven weeks. The goal was to see how many beetles reproduced in each jar and if the food played a part in the reproduction. So, would the indepdent variable be the beetles since they depend on resource for food? Would the dependent variable would be the resource since it cannot be changed directly.

Please help and thanks in advance!!!

Answer 1

The independent variable is the variable that you control the values of.  The dependent variable, well, depends on the choices made for the independent variable.

The independent variable was the amount of food. You controlled that amount.  The number of beetles, while technically a variable, was held constant.  The dependent variable is how many beetles reproduced.

Answer 2

The independent variable (always goes on the "X" axis of the graph) is the variable that is pre-determined and will not change from doing the experiment.  In this case, you've pre-determined that amount of food and that is not going to change as a result of the experiment.

The dependent variable depends on how the independent variable varies and it (dependent variable) will change as the experiment progresses.  The dependent variable goes on the "Y" axis of a graph.  

The number of beetles will DEPEND on the amount of food so the number of beetles is the dependent variable.

Answer 3

Independent variable: 4 different amounts of food

Dependent variable: how many beetles reproduced per jar

The dependent variable is the "end result" that is measured.  The independent variable is what is varied.

(college psych prof)