| Independent Variable |
Article Index for Independent |
Website Links For Independent |
Information AboutIndependent Variable |
|
More generally, the independent variable is the thing that someone actively controls/changes; while the dependent variable is the thing that changes as a result. In other words, the independent variable is the "presumed cause", while dependent variable is the "presumed effect" of the independent variable. This format is most used in Standard scientific experiments to help understand what is going on. EXAMPLES In a study of how different Dosage s of a Drug are related to the severity of Symptom s of a Disease , a researcher could compare the frequency and intensity of varying symptoms (the dependent variables) when varying dosages (the independent variable) are administered, and attempt to draw a conclusion. The independent variable is also called the predictor variable. MATHEMATICS USAGE When graphing a set of collected data, the independent variable is graphed on the ''x''-axis (see Cartesian Coordinates ). In Mathematics , in Functional Analysis , it was traditional to define the set of independent variables as the only set of variables in a given context which could be altered. For, even though any function defines a bilateral relation between variables, and it's even true that two variables might be connected by an implicit equation (for instance, cf. the definition of a circle, ), when computing derivatives it is nonetheless necessary to take a group of variables as "independent", or else the derivative has no meaning. SEE ALSO |
|
|