Which word refers to a quantity that can change and is not fixed in an analysis?

Which word refers to a quantity that can change and is not fixed in an analysis?

• A. Constant
• B. Variable
• C. Unit
• D. Parameter

Answer: (B)

A variable is a quantity that can change and is not fixed in an analysis. This lets you see how changing one value affects the outcome, like in y = mx + b where x can take different values and y responds accordingly. A constant stays the same within a problem, a unit is just the measurement label (like meters or seconds), and a parameter defines a family of problems but is typically held fixed in a given calculation. So the term that describes a changing quantity most directly is the variable.

A variable is a quantity that can change and is not fixed in an analysis. This lets you see how changing one value affects the outcome, like in y = mx + b where x can take different values and y responds accordingly. A constant stays the same within a problem, a unit is just the measurement label (like meters or seconds), and a parameter defines a family of problems but is typically held fixed in a given calculation. So the term that describes a changing quantity most directly is the variable.