Which statement best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and an independent variable in a scientific investigation?

The independent variable changes in response to changes in the dependent variable.

The dependent variable changes in response to changes in the independent variable.

The dependent variable and the independent variable each change separately due to controls.

Both the independent variable and the dependent variable are controlled by the experimenter.

The independent variable changes in response to the dependent variable.

Answer: The correct answer is the dependent variable changes in response to changes in the independent variable.

Explanation:

Dependent variable is defined as the variable which varies in accordance to the change in independent variable. For Example: Current is a dependent variable and voltage is the independent variable according to Ohm's law.

I ∝ V

Independent variable is defined as the variable which does not change in accordance to any other variable in a given scientific experiment. For Example: Time (as expressed in seconds)

Hence, the correct answer is the dependent variable changes in response to changes in the independent variable.