a. Experimental variable
An aspect of an experiment that changes during the course of the experiment
b. Control (of an experiment)
The variable or the part of the experiment to which all others will be compared
c. Blind experiments
Experiments in which the participants do not know whether or not they are a part of the control group.
d. Double-blind experiments
Experiments in which neither the participants nor the people analyzing the results know who is in the control group.
An experimental variable is good when you are using it to learn something from the experiment. An experimental variable should be reduced or eliminated when it affects the results of the experiment but you do not learn anything from it.
The shirt that is being washed with no laundry detergent at all
The type of detergent used.
The washers are different, water can be at different temperatures, the shirts are different, the amount of grass stain will be different in each shirt.
The experimental variable of the washers can be reduced by making sure all washer are the same brand and model.
The data being collected are subjective
Surface tension
reduces