James investigates which type of material has more frictional force on a ball. He chooses concrete, carpet, wood flooring, and grass as his different materials. He describes the texture of each of these materials with words such as hard, soft, rough, and smooth. Before he rolls the ball on the material, the ball rolls down a ramp. This is done to make sure that the ball rolls with the same amount of force.
What is the independent variable?
type of ball
the ramp
material of floor
how far the ball travels
The independent variable in this experiment is the material of the floor.
The independent variable in this experiment is the material of floor.
The independent variable is the variable that the researcher intentionally changes or manipulates during an experiment, in order to observe its effects on the dependent variable. In James' investigation, the independent variable is the material of the floor.
To identify the independent variable, we can ask the question: "What is being intentionally changed by James?" In this case, James is intentionally choosing and changing the different materials of the floor (concrete, carpet, wood flooring, and grass). Therefore, the material of the floor is the independent variable in this experiment.