Final answer:
In Lisa's experiment regarding the impact of sugar water on plant growth, the control group consists of the bean plants that were given plain water, as they represent the normal conditions without the experimental variable of sugar water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The control in an experiment is the standard that the experimental outcomes are compared to. It is the group where the independent variable being tested is not applied, allowing scientists to measure its effects against those of the experimental groups where the independent variable is applied. In Lisa's experiment on plant growth with sugar water, the plants that received plain water serve as the control group, because they are not subjected to the experimental variable (sugar water) and represent normal growing conditions.
To relate to the provided reference, in the scientist's experiment where two rows of corn are grown and only one receives fertilizer, the row of corn without fertilizer acts as the control (the correct answer is a. Corn without fertilizer). This is because it demonstrates the normal growth of corn without the influence of the experimental factor (fertilizer).