Identify the manipulated, responding and controlled variables in the experiment described above
Identify the manipulated, responding and controlled variables in the experiment described above.
Strength of Stimulus
Number of Muscle Fibre Stimulated
Mass Lifted by Muscle Contraction
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
In the experiment you mentioned, involving the strength of stimulus, number of muscle fibers stimulated, and mass lifted by muscle contraction, we can define the variables as follows:
- Manipulated Variable (Independent Variable):
- Strength of Stimulus: This is the variable that is deliberately changed or manipulated in the experiment to observe its effect on the other variables. The strength of the stimulus refers to the intensity or magnitude of the electrical signal delivered to the muscle. By varying the strength of the stimulus, you can observe how the muscle responds, in terms of the number of muscle fibers recruited and the mass that can be lifted.
- Responding Variable (Dependent Variable):
- Mass Lifted by Muscle Contraction: This is the variable that responds to changes in the strength of the stimulus. The amount of mass that the muscle can lift will vary depending on how strong the stimulus is, as stronger stimuli tend to recruit more muscle fibers, leading to stronger contractions capable of lifting heavier masses. This is the dependent variable because it depends on the manipulation of the stimulus strength.
- Controlled Variables (Constants):
- Number of Muscle Fibers Stimulated: This could be a controlled variable if it is kept constant in the experiment. While the number of muscle fibers that are recruited increases as the strength of the stimulus increases, controlling the initial muscle fiber type and size, as well as environmental conditions like temperature, would help ensure that any observed changes in the mass lifted are due to the manipulation of the strength of the stimulus rather than external factors.
- Other factors: Environmental conditions, equipment settings, and muscle type (e.g., fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch) could all be controlled to maintain consistency across trials.
By manipulating the stimulus strength and observing the responding mass lifted by the muscle, while controlling the fiber type and conditions, the experiment can reveal important insights into muscle physiology and the relationship between stimulus intensity and muscle contraction.
I will also generate an image to visually explain this setup!
Here is an image that visually explains the experiment, showing the setup with the manipulated, responding, and controlled variables. The strength of the stimulus is the manipulated variable, the mass lifted by the muscle contraction is the responding variable, and the number of muscle fibers and other environmental conditions are controlled variables. This visual should help clarify the relationship between the different components of the experiment.
