Suppose that a botanist is interested in the effect of light on plants. In an experiment she conducts, 50 individuals of a single species of flowering plant are grown for 60 days under different lengths of artificial daylight. The plant species has flowers that can be either white or pink, depending on the genetics of the parent plants. The amount of water and fertilizer provided to each plant is constant. At the end of the experiment, the size of each leaf of every plant is measured. The dependent variable in this experiment is the
A) duration of artificial daylight.
B) flower's color.
C) leaf's size.
D) duration of the experiment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this experiment is the leaf's size, as it is the variable being measured and ultimately affected by the different lengths of artificial daylight. The other variables listed (duration of artificial daylight, flower's color, and duration of the experiment) are either independent variables or extraneous variables that are being controlled or observed in the experiment.

Suppose That a Botanist Is Interested in the Effect of Light