Question

A discount store has a special: 8 cans of juice for a dollar. A shopper decides that since the number of cans purchased is 8 times the number of dollars spent, the cost is the independent variable and the number of cans is the dependent variable. Do you agree? Explain

Answer 1

Independent variable effects (or affects?) the value of the dependent variable
any change in the indepdent vairable forces a change on the depdent variable
it doesn't always go either way

number of cans=8 times dollars spent
the number of cans does effect the amount you have to pay
but the amount you have effects the number of cans you can buy
the amount you pay effects how many cans you can buy

normally, independent is input and depdendent is output
input x money, get y cans
not
input y cans, get x money
it could be argued that
input y cans, have to pay x money
but it is more of an ouput, more than a bill


so I do not agree

Answer 2

Nope. Number of cans is independent variable & the cost is dependent variable on it.

Let the number of cans = x
Then, y = 8x
where, y = 1 dollar, 

Here, we can see, y (cost) is dependent on x (number of cans)

Hope this helps!