4. Heather earns $\$ 0.02$ for every aluminum can that she collects. In this situation, what does the independent variable represent?
the amount of money she earns
$\$ 0.02$
The number of cans she collects.
Answer
\(\boxed{\text{The independent variable represents the number of cans Heather collects.}}\)
Step 1 ：The independent variable in this situation is the factor that is manipulated or changed and affects the dependent variable.
Step 2 ：In this case, the number of cans Heather collects is the independent variable because it affects the amount of money she earns.
Step 3 ：The more cans she collects, the more money she earns.
Step 4 ：Therefore, the independent variable is the number of cans she collects.
Step 5 ：\(\boxed{\text{The independent variable represents the number of cans Heather collects.}}\)
