In an experiment, the variables used can be classed as either dependent or independent variables. The "dependent" variable is the possible outcome of the experiment; the effect. It depends on what happens to other variables in the experiment. The dependent variable is basically the part that you are changing. For example, if you want to know how much light a plant needs to grow, the amount of growth is the dependent. If you wanted to see if a plant would grow better in hot or cold areas your independent variable would be the temperature of the air.