Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

How do i pick my independent and dependdent variable


My hypothesis is:
If the volume of an X-Box 360 is off while a person plays MW2, then the KDR (Kill to Death Ratio) will go down.

Hey KCAND360,

The indpendent variable is the part of the experiment that you control or influence. The dependent variable is the outcome of the experiment which will (but not always) be affected by the independent variable.
Finally there are control variables that you as the person running the experment want to ensure are not changed. In your experiment:

Independent Variable = Volume of an X-Box 360 (suggestion instead of volume simply being off or on you may want to decrease volume from high to medium to low to off to get more data)

Dependent Variable = KDR (Kill to Death Ratio) in MW2

Example Control Variables = Skill level of video game player, amount of rest of video game player, distractions in the room, etc.

Here is a good website that explains the definitions:

http://www.cool-science-projects.com/in ... ables.html

Cool experiment. Have fun!

- jason