Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My son is doing the “which bait works best for a homemade fly trap” and we are supposed to identify the control group. Is there a control group for this project? Thank you in advance for the help!

Hi there!
A control is supposed to be the neutral variable which helps you determine efficacy of whichever other bait you're testing. I recommend you take a look at science buddies resources about control variables and groups to better understand the concept:
In many experiments it is important to perform a trial with the independent variable at a special setting for comparison with the other trials. This trial is referred to as a control group. The control group consists of all those trials where you leave the independent variable in its natural state. In our example, it would be important to run some trials in which the plants get no fertilizer at all. These trials with no fertilizer provide a basis for comparison, and would insure that any changes you see when you add fertilizer are in fact caused by the fertilizer and not something else.

For this project, it almost seems like "no bait" would be an acceptable control group.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Stay nerdy,
lmp1341