Equations with Independent and Dependent Variables Common Core Standard: Use variables to represent two quantities in a real-world problem that change in relationship to one another; write an equation to express one quantity, thought of as the dependent variable, in terms of the other quantity, thought of as the independent variable. Analyze the relationship between the dependent and independent variables using graphs and tables, and relate these to the equation. Dependent variable – is a variable that changes because of the other variable or depends on the other variable Independent variable –is a variable that is not impacted by other variables Dependent and independent variables are very common in the real world Example: Most coaches will say that the longer a player practices a sport the better the player will be at the sport. o The dependent variable is the player’s ability, as it relies on the length of a practice o The independent variable is the number of hours the player practices, because the player’s ability does not impact the amount of time the player practice
