lab report for chemistry class

Lab Report Guidelines

IN ADDITION to the rubric, I’ve included some information of what I’d like to see in these reports.

· Abstract - One paragraph describing the purpose, the method, and numerical/overall results

· Be concise! Typically, you should write the abstract after you’ve written the other sections.

· ( 2- )Example: “In this experiment, HPO4 (aq) was isolated and made insoluble with the addition of MgSO4 (aq) and NH4OH (aq) to form 6.887g of MgNH4PO4 · 6H2O (molar mas: 245.4g/mol). From a starting mass of 10.083g of fertilizer, it was determined that the fertilizer was 7% mass P and 14% mass P2O5.”

· Intro - Typically ½ to 1 page, where you prove that you understand what was going on in lab

· What chemistry is involved? How does the experiment work?

· Details are important here. You are encouraged to use pictures/figures/equations to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts that were used (be sure to cite them properly)

· Procedure - A paragraph or two about what you did

· Be detailed, but do not be repetitive. If you did the same steps at the same concentrations for three dyes, you only need to describe the steps for one dye, and mention, for example, “This process was repeated for Red 40 and Blue 1 dyes, at X, Y, and Z concentrations.”

· Don’t forget to cite the lab manual in your references section

· Data, Calculations, and Results - Well organized and labeled tables/plots/graphs for raw data with clear labels of units

· Example: “Upon addition of X mL of Y, absorbance increased at Z nm. A summary can be seen in Table

1. B trend was seen when C was modified, shown in Figure 1.”

· You should include a worked-out sample of each type of calculation.

· NOTE: getting the correct values are less important to me than good, clean representation of data and calculations

· Conclusion

· Summary of the experiment and your findings

· This is also where you may comment on the strengths or weaknesses of the experiment and improvements that can be made.

· Conclusions should be strong. Present your experiment with confidence.

· References – citations should be in ACS format (this is easily looked up)

· If you use any resources to help you write your lab report, be sure to cite them. Plagiarism is a serious offense.

· You will mostly be citing the lab manual and resources like textbooks or academic websites (.edu)

· Do not cite Wikipedia. Chemical data tends to be ok, but you can often find the same information elsewhere.

· Other considerations

· Typed and neat in appearance

· No less than 11pt. font

· Charts and graphs should have titles and labeled axes

· Proper spelling and grammar. I reserve the right to take off points for consistent errors

· Formal lab reports are typically written in the past tense, passive voice.

Tang