Experimental Design Process – Variables

The dependent variable is the variable that is not changed within the experiment and is measured. E.g. measuring time taken for a freestyle swimmer to complete one lap.

The independent variable is the variable that is changed within the experiment. E.g. kick rate of the swimmer swimming freestyle completing one lap of a swimming pool.

The controlled variables are other variables which may impact on the result of the experiment, but are kept constant and controlled for all tests. E.g. crowd size, length of pool, temperature of water, time of day, etc.

Using the list below, identify which variable in the bungee experiment is the independent variable, the dependent variable, and which are the controlled variables.

Hint: There is one Dependent and one Independent variable in the list below, as they relate to the experiment you have been asked to design!