Control Group vs Experimental Groups

Which group is the control group?

Some teachers think that students learn best in rooms with music. They teach the same

lesson, but one class plays music in the background and the other is not. They give a test and compare the results. which is the experimental group?

Anna is doing an experiment about friction. She measures the force needed to pull a toy car up a ramp three times. Then she attaches plastic wrap to the ramp and

measures the force needed to pull the car up three times. Next, she puts water on the ramp and measures the force three times. Finally, she puts oil on the ramp and measures the force three times.

What is the independent variable in Anna’s experiment?

Chissy is doing an experiment to see the way rocks are affected by tumbling in water. She started by breaking up a soft rock.

Cherise puts most of the pieces of rock in a jar with some water. She shakes the jar and removes pieces of rock after 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 shakes. The other rocks sit in the jar without shaking.

Does she have an experimental group

Zack is testing whether temperature affects the distance a rubber band can be stretched before it breaks. He heats three rubber bands in a microwave oven. He puts

three in a jar on the kitchen counter. He puts three in the refrigerator and three in the freezer.

Which is the control group?

A gardener is doing an experiment. He is trying to find the solution of nutrients and water that is best for growing carrots.

He plants four groups of carrots. Which group is considered the control group?

Martin is doing an experiment to see the way plants grow without soil. He is growing the plants in different solutions of water and nutrients. In this experiment, what is a plant

that gets no nutrients called?

A drug company is testing a new medicine. They give one group of test subjects the new medicine in a tablet. They give the other group an identical tablet with no medicine.

What is the Experimental Group?

Eiko is doing an experiment to determine the best fertilization plan for bean plants.

She will test four groups of four plants using this schedule.

Which group is the control group?

The group which does not get the independent variable; "normal" conditions

This part of the experiment serves as a basis of comparison; the one variable being tested has been omitted (left out).