Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi! So I am just starting on my Science Fair and my topic is 'Does magnetizing seeds affect plant growth?' and I need help with what the independent and dependent variables would be for that experiment. Please reply sooner. Thanks!

Hello!

So, the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable is that the former will affect the outcome of the latter and not the other way around. In this case, you are trying to see whether magnetizing the seeds will result in altered growth of the plants. Thus, your dependent variable could be the amount of growth with/without magnetizing the plants. Your independent variable would be whatever you would like to do to the seeds to change that growth----in this case the magnetization. You could play with different ways of magnetizing the seed or the amount of time you spent magnetizing the seed.

Hope this helped and let us know how it goes!

-crystalball

Hi!

The previous expert already gave you a great answer, and in addition to his/her comment, I would like to add that Science Buddies has a page that explains pretty well how to define independent and dependent variables in your experiments, and thought that this would serve as a really great resource as you plan this as well as future experiments!

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... evariables

I think your question is very interesting--how did you come up with the idea that magnetizing seeds may affect plant growth, and how do you plan on magnetizing them?

Let us know if you have anymore questions as you continue on with this project!

Connie