Pendulum and Spring lab report

1. Lab​ ​reports​ ​should​ NOT​ be​ ​written​ ​in​ ​1​st​​ 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.​