A group of high school students are conducting a scientific investigation in their biology class to study the effect of different types of fertilizer on the growth of tomato plants. Which of the following statements about their investigation is correct?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The type of fertilizer is the dependent variable and the independent variable is the growth of the tomato plants.
The type of fertilizer is the dependent variable and the independent variable is the growth of the tomato plants.

The growth of the tomato plants is the dependent variable and the type of fertilizer is the independent variable.
The growth of the tomato plants is the dependent variable and the type of fertilizer is the independent variable.

The type of tomato plant is the dependent variable and the independent variable is the type of fertilizer
The type of tomato plant is the dependent variable and the independent variable is the type of fertilizer

The type of fertilizer is the dependent variable and the independent variable is the type of tomato plant.

Answer 1

The correct statement about their investigation is:

The growth of the tomato plants is the dependent variable and the type of fertilizer is the independent variable.

In this context, the independent variable is what the researchers are manipulating or changing (the type of fertilizer), and the dependent variable is what they are measuring or observing (the growth of the tomato plants).