Writing Lab Reports
Scientists who conduct research must always keep good record of the work they conduct so that they can claim their discoveries. Laboratory notes and formal reports also serve as admissable evidence in a court of law. Undocumented and poorly documented experimental procedures and results are not acceptable in any science. Since you are a scientist for the sake of this class, you must also properly record and present the work you do for review.
The proper parts of a lab report include:
Cover
Introduction
State the purpose of the lab in a sentence or two. (Define what the lab is all about.) This can usually be found in the lab instructions.
Observations
List all qualitative observations you made during the lab. These may include any changes in color or state, unusual phenomena, unexpected results, etc. It is essential that you tell when they happened!
Data
Give a detailed set of data that you took during the lab such as temperature, pH, force, time, velocity, etc. This is usually included in a data table.
Calculations
Show all necessary calculations that are to be completed along with any numerical results you are to report. Attach a graph if it is appropriate and expected.
Conclusion
Write a short summary of the lab experience. Include: