Question

a student was measuring the height of plants grown with different types of fertilizer or with plain water. what is the independent variable in this experiment?

plant	measurement in inches	measurement in centimeters
b	5	?
c	7.2	?
d	2	?

multiple choice

• type of plant
• the plant watered with only water
• what the plant was watered with
• height of plant in centimeters
• height of plant in inches

Explanation:

The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated in an experiment. In this case, the student is changing what the plants are watered with (different fertilizers or plain water) to observe the effect on plant height. The "type of plant" is not the manipulated factor here. "The plant watered with only water" is a specific group, not the variable being manipulated. The height of the plant (in inches or centimeters) is the dependent variable, as it depends on what the plant was watered with. So the independent variable is what the plant was watered with.

Answer:

C. what the plant was watered with