what is the independent variable

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or varied in an experimental study to explore its effects. It is not influenced by any other variables in the study. Some common independent variables include time, space, density, mass, fluid flow rate, and previous values of some observed value of interest. In contrast, the dependent variable is the variable whose variation is being studied, by altering inputs. It is something that depends on other factors. For example, a test score could be a dependent variable because it could change depending on several factors such as how much you studied, how much sleep you got the night before, etc. .