An Independent Group Wants to Determine If the Consumption of Gasoline

An independent group wants to determine if the consumption of gasoline has increased due to changes in price.The group randomly selects 320 gas stations from 12 different states and collects data from the month of the year when gas is the cheapest and from the month of the year when gas is the most expensive.The data shows no significant difference in gas consumption between the two months. In this example,what is the variable being studied?

A) The 320 gas stations chosen.
B) The 12 different states.
C) The consumption of gasoline.
D) The price of gasoline.