A student is studying the effect of fertilizer on fruit growth. He uses 6 tomato plants, placing each in a garden where they get equal amounts of sun and water. One plant is given no fertilizer, while the other 5 plants are given 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 grams of dissolved fertilizer each day for 3 weeks. At the end of the experiment the tomato fruits are weighed. What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

sun exposure

fruit weight

amount of water

amount of fertilizer

fruit weight

Explanation:

There are mainly two variables being considered in an experiment: independent variable and the dependent variable.

The "independent variable" is the variable that can be changed while the "dependent variable" is the variable that is affected by change.

Among the choices above, it is only the "fruit weight" that is affected by change. The weight of the fruit will largely rely on the absence or presence of the fertilizers in different quantities. Therefore, it is the dependent variable. The independent variable, on the contrary, is the amount of fertilizer given because it is being changed among the plants.