A. Identify independent and dependent variables
(Reporting Category 1: Function Relations
Practice Questions
1. Aretha is planning on inviting some friends to go to the beach with her family. The number of friends Aretha can invite is limited by the number of extra seats in the family's car.
f = the number of friends Aretha can invite
s = the number of extra seats
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) s is the independent variable and a is the dependent variable
2. Harry is making fresh tomato juice. The amount of juice he can make depends on how many tomatoes he has.
a = the amount of juice Harry can make
t = the number of tomatoes Harry has
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) t is the independent variable and a is the dependent variable
3. The electric company charges its customers based on usage. The quantity of electricity consumed determines the billing amount.
q = the quantity of electricity consumed
b = the billing amount
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) q is the independent variable and b is the dependent variable
4. Scarlett is packing clothes for a vacation. The number of shirts she packs depends on the length of the vacation.
s = the number of shirts Scarlett packs
l = the length of Scarlett's vacation
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) s is the independent variable and l is the dependent variable
5. Prospero is wrapping gifts to earn money for camp. He calculates the amount of wrapping paper he needs based on the number of gifts.
r = the number of rolls of wrapping paper
g = the number of gifts
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) r is the independent variable and g is the dependent variable
6. Katrina is having the carpets in her house cleaned. The area of the carpets is used to calculate the cost of the cleaning.
a = the area of the carpets
c = the cost of the cleaning
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) c is the independent variable and a is the dependent variable
7. Customers of the water company are billed based on consumption. The billing amount is determined by the amount of water consumed.
b = the billing amount
w = the amount of water consumed
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) b is the independent variable and w is the dependent variable
8. The Adams farm sells eggs to local restaurants. The number of hens on the farm varies from month to month. The greater the number of hens on the farm, the more eggs the farm is able to produce in a month.
h = the number of hens on the farm
g = the number of eggs produced by the farm in a month
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) g is the independent variable and h is the dependent variable
9. Taye has a summer job mowing lawns. The amount of money he earns is determined by how many lawns he mows.
m = the amount of money Taye makes
l = the number of lawns Taye mows
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) l is the independent variable and m is the dependent variable
10. A wind farm in California produces much of its output during the summer, when the winds are fastest. The greater the average wind speed, the more power is produced.
w = the average wind speed
p = the amount of power produced
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) p is the independent variable and w is the dependent variable
Test Questions
1. Riley is scheduling wrestling matches for a tournament. The number of competitors registered for the tournament dictates how many matches will take place.
c = the number of competitors
m = the number of matches
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) m is the independent variable and c is the dependent variable
2. The members of Dustin's orchestra are planning a performance tour of France, during which they will stay in hotels. The number of hotel rooms they will need to reserve depends on the number of orchestra members who go on tour.
r = the number of hotel rooms they will need to reserve
m = the number of orchestra members who go on tour
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) m is the independent variable and r is the dependent variable
3. The manager of a restaurant uses the number of reservations made for a particular night to determine how many servers to schedule for that night.
r = the number of reservations
s = the number of servers scheduled to work
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) r is the independent variable and s is the dependent variable
4. Lashane is participating in a walkathon to raise money for local literacy programs. The amount of money Lashane will raise depends on the distance she walks.
m = the amount of money Lashane will raise
d = the distance Lashane walks
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) d is the independent variable and m is the dependent variable
5. Mali goes running every morning. The number of calories she burns during a run depends on the distance she runs.
c = the number of calories Mali burns during the run
d = the distance Mali runs
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) c is the independent variable and d is the dependent variable
6. Danny is raking lawns to earn spending money. The fee he charges for raking a lawn is calculated based on how long it takes to rake it.
f = the fee Danny charges for raking a lawn
t = the amount of time Danny spends raking a lawn
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) t is the independent variable and f is the dependent variable
7. Lola and Ethan are raising money to purchase books for their school's library. The number of books they will be able to purchase for the library depends on the amount of money they raise.
b = the number of books Lola and Ethan will be able to purchase
m = the amount of money Lola and Ethan raise
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) m is the independent variable and b is the dependent variable
8. Adalia is filling water bottles for a bicycle race. The number of water bottles she prepares is calculated based on how many hours she expects to be on the course.
w = the number of water bottles Adalia prepares
h = the number of hours Adalia expects to be on the course
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) w is the independent variable and h is the dependent variable
9. In the United States House of Representatives, the number of Representatives from a state is calculated based on its population.
r = the number of Representatives
p = the population of a state
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) r is the independent variable and p is the dependent variable
10. Xavier is buying birthday candles for his grandmother's birthday cake. The number of boxes of candles he will purchase is based on her age, in years.
b = how many boxes of candles Xavier will purchase
y = Xavier's grandmother's age, in years
Which of the variables is independent and which is dependent?
( ) b is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable