Question

to find the total change in a dependent variable, multiply the by the change in the independent variable.

Explanation:

In the context of rates of change (often in calculus or related mathematical/ scientific contexts), the total change in a dependent variable is found by multiplying the rate of change (or derivative, in calculus terms, representing how the dependent variable changes with respect to the independent variable) by the change in the independent variable. For example, if \( y \) is dependent on \( x \), and the rate of change of \( y \) with respect to \( x \) is \( \frac{dy}{dx} \), then the total change in \( y \) (\( \Delta y \)) when \( x \) changes by \( \Delta x \) is approximately \( \Delta y \approx \frac{dy}{dx} \cdot \Delta x \) (from the concept of differentials or linear approximation). So the missing term here is "rate of change" (or "derivative" in a calculus - specific context, but "rate of change" is more general).

Answer:

rate of change