Jillian walked 0.5 miles before she started jogging at an average pace of 5 miles per hour. The equation d = 0.5 + 5t can be used to relate the total distance, d, in miles to the time, t, that Jillian spent jogging. What are the independent and dependent variables? The independent variable is distance and the dependent variable is time. The independent variable is time and the dependent variable is distance. The independent variable is distance and the dependent variable is speed. The independent variable is speed and the dependent variable is distance.

1 answer

In the equation \( d = 0.5 + 5t \), the total distance \( d \) that Jillian travels is determined by her jogging time \( t \). Here, \( t \) is the independent variable because it is the variable you can control (the amount of time she jogs), and \( d \) is the dependent variable because it depends on that jogging time.

Thus, the correct answer is: The independent variable is time and the dependent variable is distance.