Which term is the experimental factor that is manipulated by the researcher?

• A. Dependent Variable
• B. Independent Variable
• C. Observation
• D. Hypothesis

Answer: (B)

In experiments, the factor you deliberately change to see its effect is the independent variable. You set or manipulate this value, and it’s what you vary to observe how the outcome changes. The result you measure to see that effect is the dependent variable—the amount you record or observe after changing the independent variable. Observations are the data you collect, not the thing you manipulate. A hypothesis is a proposed statement about what you expect to happen, not the variable you control. For example, if you test how light exposure affects seed germination, the amount of light is the independent variable, germination rate is the dependent variable, and your observations would be the recorded germination data.