Lab Report Chemistry 1

Tips to Help You be Successful in CHM1101 Lab

Reports and data sheets are graded separately. You will NOT receive credit for the Data & Results

section in your report if you attach your data sheet. The data collected in lab needs to be typed

up.

REPORT

Format: *These guidelines should be followed throughout the entire report unless otherwise

noted.

1. Justify text. Select text, and click the icon.

2. Your text should be double-spaced.

3. Use only one font type (Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri), size (12 pt), and color (black).

4. You should write in third person, passive voice. That means no personal pronouns such

as: I, me, we, us, you, etc.

For example:

Incorrect: We measured the volume with a graduated cylinder. If you look at the calculation

above, you can see that the results are within range.

Correct: The volume was measured with a graduated cylinder. Calculations provided

above show that the results are within range.

5. Label all figures (images) from below. Label all tables or graphs from above. Make sure

the tables have borders and the text in them is single-spaced (this is the only place where

you will use single-spaced format). Include a short description next to the label.

For example:

Table 1. Observations for electrolysis using different electrode materials.

Figure 1. Setup for electrolysis of water with aluminum wires using two bulbs.

6. When you obtain graphs from Excel, you need to include both the data table and the graph

(which should be properly labeled). From Excel, copy and paste into Word. Do NOT use

Print Screen. Add borders to table in Excel before copying and pasting to Word. See

below:

Data and Results:

1. All of your handout questions should be answered in prose. This means you need to write

complete, meaningful sentences in paragraph form. Do not use bullets, do not number the

questions, and do not write the questions. These questions should be answered as though

your audience does not know what the questions are.

For example: if the question says, does the melting point range you obtained match the

literature value?

Incorrect: “Yes, the melting point matched.”

Correct: “The melting point range obtained for the experiment was 85 – 87 °C and it is in

close agreement to the literature value of 84 – 86 °C.”

2. You need to include a sample calculation for each type of calculation you performed for

this experiment. For example: suppose you calculated a new concentration using

M1V1 = M2V2 five times and you did a limiting reactant table three times. You only have to

show one sample calculation for it in your report.

7. For multi-week experiments, present all the data together, all the sample calculations

together, and all the discussion questions together.

Procedure: Only state the changes that were made and if no changes were made then state that

the procedure was followed as written. Do NOT write the procedure.

Data and Results: You should include a labeled table of the all the data you collected in lab, a

sample calculation for each type of calculation you performed, and answer all of the questions in

the handout in order. Again, do NOT write the questions or number/bullet your answers. Make

sure you read the questions carefully and you answer what is being asked.

Reflection: This is the only section that can be written in first person. What did you like? What

improvements can be done? What limitations did you encounter? How did each member of your

team contribute to the performance of the experiment?

References: The lab handout or a handout from any other university is NOT valid. Wikipedia

(.com, .org) is NOT valid. Answers from Yahoo or Ask or anything of the sort is NOT valid. Use

scientific literature, as in peer-reviewed articles or textbooks.

If you miss a week in a multi-week experiment and is unexcused, you will lose points on the report

and on the data sheet for that week. Make sure to obtain the data from lab mates for the week

you missed to write the report. If you miss lab in a one-week experiment and is unexcused, you

cannot write a report and will receive a zero for that week.

DATA SHEETS

On the data sheets, you need to show ALL of your calculations. For example: suppose you

calculated a new concentration using M1V1 = M2V2 five times and you did a limiting reactant table

three times. You need to show the five calculations for the new concentrations and three limiting

reactant tables.

You need to turn in a hard copy of your data sheet. This can be done during your lab session or

you can have it time-stamped at the main Chemistry office (room 103, OPS) and put it in the

GSA’s mailbox by 5 p.m. If the data sheet does not have a time stamp, it will be considered late.

If for any reason, you are unable to drop off the data sheet in the GSA’s folder or turn it in during

lab, make sure you send your GSA a scanned data sheet before midnight so it can be counted

on time. It should be placed in the GSA’s mailbox the next day to be graded.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

If Canvas is not working properly or you are having technical issues the day your report is due,

send the GSA an email with your report attached BEFORE the report is due so it is not considered

late. Once Canvas is working properly, make sure you upload your report as it needs to go through

Turnitin for the GSA to grade it.