The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
A dependent variable is the variable which expresses the results of a function. In a normal algebraic function such as y = 3x or y = x2 + 6, "y" is the dependent variable. In the usual method of graphing a function, the dependent variable will be the one that is indicated as the height of the graph. The shape of the function thus indicates the behavior of the dependent variable. The use of inverse functions or algebraic manipulation often can easily make the dependent variable in one equation look like the independent variable in a different way of writing the same relationship. However, there are significant differences in how the dependent variable is treated in experimental and functional situations. The dependent variable is the one whose derivative is taken in calculus, for example, and the independent variable is the one with respect to which the derivative is taken. Similar actions upon functions are taken upon dependent variables with respect to independent ones.
In scientific experiments, the dependent variable is the "experimental" variable. The independent variable is the "control" variable. For example, the current sent through a circuit (the independent variable) could determine the voltage output of that circuit (the dependent variable). The dependent variable is thus the important variable for interesting, sometimes surprising, results in any experiment.