Science Homework jargon - aargh - can we have a special Homework topic please...

[LIZS]

I think I may need it to stay sane ! ds just started year 7 ( but not yet at Secondary) and his science book has a whole different language to any that I am familiar with - "input variable" and "outcome variable" . Think I worked it out and explained , but this is only the first science homework of the year.

Input variable is also known as the independent variable. It's the thing you deliberately change in an experiment, and is plotted on the x-axis on a graph.

The outcome variable is the dependent variable - the thing that changes, the thing you measure - and it is the value on the y-axis.

/preens self with pride at mastering new language never used in the early '80s.

oh good, thank you. We had sort of worked it out from the context but it's a relief to know it was right. I'm dreading next week's now though !