What Does "Responding Variable" Mean?

A responding variable is part of a chemistry experiment.

Variables represent values in mathematical equations or chemistry experiments you can alter to verify how they change when you alter a set of assumptions. A variable in an experiment is defined as a property or condition that can be changed.

Manipulating Variables

The goal of an experiment is to handle different variables to observe the resulting effect on one single variable. The variables that are handled are called the manipulated variables. By changing the properties or values of the manipulated variables, you get a better idea of their effects on the responding variable.

Responding Variable

The responding variable is the one variable that changes as a result of altering the manipulating variables. In an experiment, different conditions of the responding variable can be observed, such as quantity, quality, time, distance and height.

Example

If you wanted to observe the effect of a certain fertilizer on different groups of plants, your experiment would consist of manipulated variables (amount of fertilizer, water and a time factor). The responding variable would be the height growth of the plant.

References

• Robert Sweetland's Notes: Variables and Graphing
• Greater Philadelphia Home school Science Fair: The Scientific Method