AP Statistics : Dependence and Independence

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Statistics

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Example Questions

Example Question #193 : Ap Statistics

A group of student researchers want to test the impact of temperature and lighting on the amount of food laboratory rats will eat. 

To do this, they will first vary the room temperature (Hot or Cold) and see how much the lab rats eat at each temperature.

They will then vary the lighting (On or Off) and see how much the lab rats eat during each lighting state.

 

Which of the following is the Dependant Variable?

Possible Answers:

Room Temperature

Mouse Food Intake

Room Lighting 

The number of rats

None of the other answers

Correct answer:

Mouse Food Intake

Explanation:

A Dependent variable is what changes based on the independent, manipulated variable.

The Independent variables are the Room Temperature and the Lighting state, which the researchers were manipulating themselves.

The Dependent variable is the Mouse Food Intake, which is the variable that changed based on how the independent variables changed.

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