Final answer:
A sugar pill that is given to a patient, which may be thought to be a drug, is known as a placebo. In scientific experiments, a control group receives a placebo to compare its effects to the effects of a drug. The use of a placebo helps eliminate biases and expectations in the study's results.
Step-by-step explanation:
A sugar pill that is given to a patient, which may be thought to be a drug, is known as a placebo.
In scientific experiments, a control group is used to compare the effects of a drug or treatment to the effects of a placebo. The control group receives the placebo, which in this case is a sugar pill. The purpose of the placebo is to eliminate the influence of expectations or biases on the results.
The use of a placebo helps researchers determine if the observed effects are truly due to the drug or if they are a result of other factors.