Many learners struggle to distinguish between dependent and independent variables. An interesting article appeared on https://partnersindataliteracy.com/ in 2019 about this question. The discussion about the causal/non-causal relationship between variables is very useful. Click here to read the original article, or click here to read a pdf version.
This site is maintained by Henry Welman, former provincial co-ordinator (2017-2022) for physical and technical sciences in the Free State, South Africa. Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the posts.
Friday 16 July 2021
Reflections on the Teaching of Dependent and Independent Variables
Do you plot velocity on the y-axis and time on the x-axis of a graph for a velocity-time relationship or the other way round, and why? What about the relationship between pressure and volume of an enclosed gas? Which one of pressure or volume should be on the y-axis of a graph?