A
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WHAT IS HAPPENING?
SHEET 3
Match each of the following seven scenarios with the most appropriate graph given. As you
look at each graph from left to right, remember that time is advancing.
1. We rode the roller coaster steadily to the top, then went faster and faster as we
went down the other side. The speed of the roller coaster is the dependent vari-
able of the graph, that is, the variable on the vertical axis.
2. The kettle heats before the corn begins to pop. The corn starts to pop and contin-
ues popping until almost all the corn had popped. The amount of unpopped corn
in the kettle is the dependent variable.
3. A balloon was blown up in class and then let go. It flew around the room. The
amount of air in the balloon is the dependent variable.
4. At the beginning of spring, the grass grew slowly and I seldom had to mow the
lawn. By midsummer it was really growing, so I mowed twice a week. In fall, I
only mow once in a while. The number of lawn mowings to date is the dependent
variable.
5. I turned the oven on. When it was hot, I put in the cake. The cake baked for about
thirty minutes. I turned the oven off and removed the cake. The oven temperature
is the dependent variable.
6. We bought a pair of rabbits last year. They have had several litters, and we have so
many rabbits that the pens are full. If more are born, we will have to give some away
or find room for the new ones. The number of rabbits is the dependent variable.
7. I put water in the ice-cube tray and placed it in the freezer. The temperature of
the water in the ice-cube tray is the dependent variable.






From the Mathamation Teachon April 1999