Answer:
A. Includes at least two groups, one of which does not receive the experimental treatment
Explanation:
A control experiment can be defined as an experiment in which a condition assumed to be a probable cause of the effect is being compared to the same situation by the scientist without involving or using the suspected condition.
Also, an experimental group can be defined as a collection of participants that are subjected to the independent variable.
Generally, most scientific experiments usually have a control group so as to avail the scientists (experimentalists) an ability to compare the outcome of their test results. This control group is not given the treatment or influenced by the same independent variable as the experimental group.
Therefore, this is the reason why science completely or totally rejects any hypothesis which is not supported by observations, as well as the results obtained from control experiments.
This ultimately implies that, for any hypothesis to be acceptable in science, it must be supported by observations and the results of control experiments; this give rise to factual informations, theories and by extension solutions to problems.
Hence, a controlled experiment includes at least two groups, one of which does not receive the experimental treatment.