Is/are the variable(s) that are observed and that change in response to the manipulated variable.

Types of Variable > Manipulated Variable


What is a Manipulated Variable?

A manipulated variable is the independent variable in an experiment. It’s called “manipulated” because it’s the one you can change. In other words, you can decide ahead of time to increase it or decrease it. In an experiment you should only have one manipulated variable at a time.

Is/are the variable(s) that are observed and that change in response to the manipulated variable.
The manipulated variable is the independent variable in an experiment.

An experiment generally has three variables:

  1. The manipulated or independent variable is the one that you control.
  2. The controlled variable is the one that you keep constant.
  3. The responding variable or variables is what happens as a result of the experiment (i.e. it’s the output variable).

Example: You want to find out what the effect is of changing lesson lengths is on student exam performance. The manipulated variable would be the lesson times, as that’s what you’re going to change. Controlled variables would be things like ensuring the exam times are the same, or that the students aren’t hungry (perhaps they should all be tested at the same time). The responding variable is exam success, measured by actual scores on exams.

Manipulated Variables in Process Control

In process control there are two types of input variables: manipulated variables and disturbance variables. In this context, the manipulated variable is the input that is controlled by the process operator or control system. The manipulated variables are adjusted by the process operator (or control system) to keep the controlled variables in the system at constant settings. The disturbance variable is a second type of input, and it affects the process outputs. However, unlike manipulated variables they can’t be adjusted by the control system.

As a simple example, let’s say you wanted to keep speed constant in a car. External factors like acceleration, friction or tire pressure cause it to change. An accelerator (gas pedal) can keep the speed constant — figuring out when to use the accelerator is the control. The state of the accelerator is the manipulated variable. The process is speeding up, via the accelerator and the speed itself is the controlled variable.

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Is/are the variable(s) that are observed and that change in response to the manipulated variable.

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In any scientific experiment, the scientist controls for the variables within the experiment. If more than one variable influences the experiment, the outcome becomes difficult to determine. For example, if one set of plants grows inside and another set of plants grows outside, many variables (including light, temperature and humidity) impact plant growth. Without controlling for these variables, the results cannot be compared. Scientists therefore control for all except one variable in experiments.

Experimental Control

The control in an experiment is the version of the experiment that can be used for comparison. In many cases, the control is the unmanipulated version of the experiment, or the "normal" condition of the subject of the experiment. If experimenting to determine the effect of salt on freezing point of water, the control version of the experiment would be freezing water without any salt. If experimenting to determine if plants grow faster in red light, the control version would be plants grown in full-spectrum light.

Controlled Variables

Unfortunately, experimental terminology can get a little confusing. The control in an experiment isn't the same as the controlled variables. The controlled variable definition science uses essentially states that controlled variables include all the variables the experimenter controls or keeps constant to prevent interference with the experimental results.

For example, in the water-and-salt freezing experiment controlling the variables would mean using the same type of water for all experiments, using the same amount of water, the same size and shape of container to freeze the water, the same freezer, and the same measurement tool and technique. Every factor of the control (plain water) and the experiment (water with salt) would be exactly the same except the salt.

Manipulated Variable

The manipulated variable in an experiment is the one variable of the experiment that the scientist decides will change. The manipulated variable may also be called the independent variable. In a properly designed experiment, there will be only one manipulated variable. In the salt and water experiment, for example, the manipulated variable is the amount of salt added to the water. In the plant experiment, the manipulated variable is the light. Every other aspect of the experiment should be exactly the same between experimental groups and between test or trial runs.

Responding Variable

One responding variable definition says the responding variable is what will be measured in the experiment. The responding variable, also called the dependent variable, is what the scientist measures as the experiment progresses. The responding variable is the response of the experimental subject to the manipulated variable. The dependent variable depends on what happens during the experiment. The two terms, responding variable and dependent variable, describe the same aspect of the experiment.

Although the experiment should only have one manipulated variable, there may be more than one responding variable. For example, the addition of salt to water may change the freezing temperature or the freezing time or both, or neither. The effect of changing the light wavelength on plant growth might be plant height, chlorophyll production, new leaf production or a combination of these factors. The scientist may define what outcome will be observed, but a good scientist should also collect observations of other outcomes as well. For example, if the scientist sets out to test the effect of light color on plant growth, a lack of growth or negative result in the experimental group would be recorded, but if the experimental group also has reduced leaf growth (all compared to the control group, of course), the researcher should also record this data.

Responding variables need to be measured using objective criteria. Results must be taken without bias or speculation by the scientist. Saying that the plants in full-spectrum light "look healthier" than plants grown in red light doesn't provide a measurable or objective outcome. Without objective and measurable outcomes, the experiment's results can't be authenticated.

Reporting Experimental Results

Scientists report experimental results in written format, data tables and graphs. The standard format for graphing experimental results shows the manipulated variable on the x-axis of the graph and the responding variable on the y-axis of the graph. In the salt and water experiment, the amount of salt (manipulated variable) would be shown on the x-axis, and the freezing temperature (responding variable) would be shown on the y-axis. A graph showing plant height under different light conditions would show the light color or wavelength (the manipulated variable) on the x-axis and the plant height (responding variable) on the y-axis.

What type of variable is being change or manipulated in an experiment?

A manipulated variable is the independent variable in an experiment. It's called “manipulated” because it's the one you can change. In other words, you can decide ahead of time to increase it or decrease it.

What is the name of the variable that is changed or manipulated?

A manipulated variable, also known as an independent variable, is a part of an experiment that you can change to see how other variables respond. Here are the three types of variables in an experiment: Manipulated variable: The variable that you control and change based on the experiment.

Which variable is the variable that is manipulated?

The independent variable, also known as the manipulated variable, is the factor manipulated by the researcher, and it produces one or more results, known as dependent variables.