Mildew is a fungus that grows in wet areas and can slowly grow from microscopic to large stains in showers and sinks. Researchers are studying different sprays that could be used to slow down the growth of mildew. They set up different showers that are exactly the same and expose them each to water with the same microscopic amount of mildew. They then spray some showers with mildew-preventing sprays and observe how fast mildew grows over time.
Answer
A
the shower sprayed with many test sprays
B
the shower not exposed to any mildew at all
C
the shower not sprayed with any mildew-preventing spray
D
the shower sprayed with a test spray that is already known to work
Explanation
The control group should be treated the same as the test showers except that it does not receive the mildew-preventing spray. Comparing its mildew growth with growth in sprayed showers shows whether the sprays make a difference. Therefore, the control is the shower not sprayed with any mildew-preventing spray.
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