Saturday, August 7, 2010

What is a controlled variable?

Please explain this well, because at the moment I'm extremely confused.


And independent and dependent variables.


Thank you for your contributionWhat is a controlled variable?
A dependent variable is one which shows changes when the independent variable is changed, for example the independents temperature or the effect of the amount of fertiliser used on plants (amount used would be the independent variable and the height/mass of the plant the dependent). The controlled variable is just another name used for the independent variable depending on the context.What is a controlled variable?
Dependent variables and independent variables refer to values that change in relationship to each other. The dependent variables are those that are observed to change in response to the independent variables. The independent variables are those that are deliberately manipulated to invoke a change in the dependent variables. In short, ';if x is given, then y occurs';, where x represents the independent variables and y represents the dependent variables.





Depending on the context, independent variables are also known as predictor variables, regressors, controlled variables, manipulated variables, explanatory variables, or input variables.





The dependent variable is also known as the response variable, the regressand, the measured variable, the responding variable, the explained variable, the outcome variable, the experimental variable or the output variable.
A variable that is controlled, basically. Like, the temperatures of water, if it's being monitored, and is the same, it's controlled. Otherwise, if it weren't, it'd be just a variable, and it would most likely be varied.
controlled variable is the thing in the experiment that will not be changed. like water on plants. its what you compare your results to.
The others are random variables and intervening variables...variables are those factors which influence your experimental results. In the case of controlled variables, you have them UNDER YOUR CONTROL such as age, gender. Ethnicity may or may not affect or influence your results, and may or may not have to be controlled (for). Random variables are NOT under your control, and in that case you'll have to rely on population statistics or assume a particular distribution. Intervening variables enter during the experimental procedure as for example when you make a measurement using an instrument which affects the results, that which you might call ';invasive';. You cannot control in the case of observations. There it is NOT 'cause and effect' BUT 'correlation'! In science there is usually the CONTROL group and the EXPERIMENTAL group that receives the treatment. You must check that variables are independent of one another and do not interact, which is to say confounded. You would employ the method for extracting the latent or eigen roots and orthogonalizing and uncoupling your variables. What you wish to do is to remove all unnecessary variation in your results.

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