1. Lab reports should NOT be written in 1st person (avoid the use of I). Do not directly copy the steps from the lab manual into your report. Write the lab report in your own words.
2. All figures (pictures, tables, graphs) included should be captioned, numbered and referenced in the text.
3. Instead of copying and embedding pictures from outside sources, the use of photos taken in the lab is encouraged.
4. Lab reports must be typed in a clearly legible 12- point font.
5. You should write your lab report in a way, someone can read, understand and follow easily without needing to reference the lab manual.
6. Lab reports must contain and follow the order and format below
(numbers in parentheses indicate grading breakdown)
a. Title (the lab instructor can subtract up to 5 points if this section is incomplete):
The title information should be on the FRONT PAGE and must contain the following information, with lab partner(s), lecture instructor and lab instructor’s names clearly labeled as such:
■Title of the experiment
■Your name
■Name(s) of lab partner(s)
■Lecturer AND lab instructor’s names
■Date submitted
a. Abstract (10 points):
This should be about 300 words or less. Summarize the experiment and present in your own words. Abstracts give a brief idea about the experiment. State the objective of the experiment, any law or relationship that was tested, and whether it was verified or not. If a single value was measured, state it with units and uncertainty ( ex: the “measured variable example” was 13.2 ± 0.3 m/s).
b. Introduction (15 points):
Explicitly state what you are trying to investigate and what are the intended outcomes; your statement of purpose should extend beyond the general description given at the beginning of each laboratory. Give a brief description of the experiment and apparatus as designed by your group or specified by the laboratory manual. Introduce theory and equations used during the experiment and define all variables.
c. Procedure (15 points):
In a paragraph, describe the experiment being performed. If you will be performing more than one experiment ( finding more that one relationship), each likely deserves its own paragraph. Pictorial representations of the experimental setup and/or data observed can be helpful. For each of the measurements you make, describe how you are making them, and the uncertainty associated with them. Include and reference at least one labeled figure/diagram of the experimental setup. Additional figures may be used to describe the procedure as long as they are supported by text. Pictures taken during the lab may be useful in this section.
d. Data (15 points):
This is where you should present the data recorded in the experiment.
Include any observations made during the experiment in this section. Always support any figure with a caption, explaining or describing the figure. Data must be clearly displayed in a table or graph when appropriate. Provide a sample calculation for calculated values and refer to the equation used. Do NOT discuss the results in this section as that is for the later analysis section.
Graphs should follow the following format:
■Title: “Y” vs. “X”
■Clearly labeled x-axis and y-axis with units
■Use appropriate scaling (linear/logarithmic/etc.)
■Major gridlines on both axes
■Avoid dark backgrounds
■Do NOT use “connect the dots” lines
■Curve fit or trend line when applicable
■Curve fits and trend lines should be labeled with an equation ■Each graph and table should be numbered.
e. Data Analysis (30 points):
Describe the analysis performed on the data. Were the predictions borne out by the data? Was the data inconclusive? You should show that you have thought about your data and what it means. Here is where you should answer any questions found in the lab manual (unless otherwise specified by the lab instructor). Questions should be answered in complete sentences.
f. Conclusion (15 points):
Clearly state the outcome of the experiment. Revisit the most relevant data collected, including specific mathematical models or results. Tie results to theory (theory frequently can be referenced in the textbook) or any expected values. If your result differs from theory,
discuss the possible causes for the deviation.