Anita was using steel to make rusted sculptures. After building each sculpture, she caused the steel in the sculpture to rust by placing it into a tub filled with salt water for eight hours. Anita wondered if steel would rust faster submerged in vinegar instead of salt water. To find out, Anita cut ten squares of

steel sheet metal and split them into two equal groups. She put one group of squares into a tub filled with salt water and the other group of squares

into a tub filled with vinegar. Once an hour for eight hours, Anita counted the number of rusted steel squares in each group.

What is the manipulated independent variable in Anita's experiment?

The type of liquid in the tub (salt water or vinegar)

Explanation:

The manipulated independent variable in Anita's experiment is the type of liquid in the tub.

The independent variable is the controlled or manipulated variable in the course of an experiment. It can also be referred to as the 'cause' variable which has the capacity to produce 'effects' on another variable - the dependent variable.

In this case, the type of liquid the tub is filled (salt water or vinegar) will hypothetically affect the rusting period of the steel. Hence, the dependent variable is the type of liquid the tub is filled while the dependent variable would be the time it takes for the steel to get rusted.