Independent & Dependent Variables

Dependent Variables

A dependent variable is a variable whose value relies on the values of one or more independent variables.

For example:

1. In p = 4q, p is the dependent variable, because its value depends on the value of q.

2. In z = 3x2 - 2y3, z is the dependent variable.

Example What is the dependent variable in the function y = 3 - x?

The value of y depends on the value of x therefore, y is the dependent variable.