How to Design Experiments: What Is the Control?
When setting up a science experiment, the "control" is the portion of the experiment that does not change from trial to trial. It is also referred to as a "constant" for this reason. It is the data entry value that you use to compare against your results, and through that comparison you can see whatever you are trying to find by performing your experiment. So long as you remember the rules, setting up a control isn't that problematic.
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Instructions
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Determine exactly what you're trying to test with your experiment. Write this information down. For example, you may be trying to study the effects of energy drinks on people who haven't yet been to sleep. Likewise, you may be trying to determine the affect of a certain chemical on tap water.
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Break your experiment down into its necessary materials. If you're trying to test the effects of energy drinks on people who haven't slept yet, you're going to need test subjects and energy drinks. If you're trying to determine the affect of a certain chemical on tap water, you're going to need the chemical itself and tap water.
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Compare your two groups of information from the previous steps to find your control. For example, the control in a study on energy drinks would be the amount of time that people have been awake. You need everyone to have been awake for the same period of time to accurately track your results. Depending on the nature of the study, it may also be the brand of energy drink itself. For a study on a chemical's affect on tap water, the control would be the amount of tap water you're using (as well as its source).
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