What Is the Difference Between a Dependent and an Independent

What is the difference between a dependent and an independent variable?

A) Independent variable is the cause, whereas a dependent variable is the effect.
B) Independent variable is called internal variable, whereas a dependent variable is known as external variable.
C) Independent variable has positive linear relationship, whereas dependent variable has negative linear relationship with other variables.
D) Independent variable has a curvilinear relationship, whereas dependent variable has a bi-axial relationship with other variables.