What independent and dependent variables mean in algebra.?
The dependent variable ‘depends’ on an independent variable by means of a given function. Usually the independent variable is given as x and the dependent variable is y, though any labels can be applied ( t for time and v for velocity, for example). You can think of a function in terms of input and output. The independent variable is what you input The function acts on the independent variale The dependent variable is the resulting output. As an example suppose the function is the equation y = x^2 + 3 y depends on x through the function x^2 + 3. So for any specific value of x (the input) you get a value for y (the output). So for x = 1, say y = 1^2 +3 = 4 For x = 5, y = 5^2 +3 = 28 By means of arbitrary values of x, you can plot a graph of the y values and thus generate a graph of the function. This shows you how the function behaves. I hope that the above explanation and examples help.
