Today we’re going to be talking about a response variable vs. an explanatory variable.

The response variable is the variable in an experiment that is the dependent variable.  It is what is going to be measured or observed and once those values are obtained and ready to be graphed they go on the y axis usually.

The explanatory variable is the independent variable. it is the variable that has been intentionally manipulated/changed. It is typically graphed on the X axis.

So an example experiment would be if a researcher wanted to know the effectiveness of a drug on males and females. The explanatory variable is the drug treatment.  So the amount of drug given to different test groups. The response variable would be the measure of effectiveness of the drug in response to the amount drug received by the individual.  And one way to remember these two is the phrase DRY- MIX… the dependent variable is the response variable and on the y axis. and MIX, the manipulated variable is the independent variable and on the x axis.
In summary, there are two variables in an experiment. The response variable is dependent variable  which is measured/observed in response to the changes of the Explanatory variable or independent variable that is manipulated.  And DRY MIX is short phrase to remember which is which.
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