Flexi Says: The dependent variable in a scientific experiment is the variable that is affected by the independent variable. The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher to investigate its effect on the dependent variable. For example, in an experiment in which the size of the wheels is changed and the resulting speed of the skateboard down a ramp is measured, the size of the wheels can be manipulated and hence is the independent variable. The resulting speed of the skateboard will be the dependent variable.
