A manipulated variable, also known as an independent variable, is a variable that is changed or manipulated in an experiment to analyze its effect on a dependent variable. It is the variable that the researcher controls or changes to observe the effect on the dependent variable. The dependent variable is the variable that changes as a result of the manipulated variable being changed. In an experiment, there are generally three types of variables:

• Manipulated variable: The independent variable that is changed or manipulated in the experiment.
• Controlled variable: The variable that is intentionally kept constant in the experiment.
• Dependent variable: The variable that changes as a result of the manipulated variable being changed.

Manipulated variables are used to understand the cause-effect relationships between the elements being studied. In order to identify and try out a manipulated variable, there has to be research or a hypothesis that backs the idea that this variable has a correlation with the dependent variable. The researcher must be able to control the input of the manipulated variable for the experiment to work.