SENIOR LAB REPORT



SENIOR LAB REPORT FORMAT – follow this format for all formal labs

|Name |Date |

|Partner’s Name |Course |

Lab Title

(title should explain what the lab is…)

Purpose/Question:

o State the reason for doing the experiment and specifically what you are hoping to discover. A lab may have more than one purpose

o The purpose of this experiment is

To determine....... To discover.....

To investigate..... To observe ........

Procedure:

o Briefly describe all important procedure steps.

You must identify all chemicals and quantities, and all actions.

o Keep it short! (10 lines or fewer, if possible)

o Write in full sentences, in the past tense & passive voice

Ex: “50.0 mL of HCl were added to the mixture.”

o May include diagrams, if this is helpful

Result/Analysis:

Every lab should have qualitative observations.

Some labs also have measured data and graphs. Include these sections as appropriate.

Observations

o Describe what was observed

- includes a description of each chemical before, during and after the reaction

Data Tables

o A table always has borders and grid lines

o You must clearly label what you’re recording

Ex: Mass of beaker with sodium carbonate: 45.06 + 0.02g

o Pay careful attention to your scale! Give all values to the appropriate number of sig. figs. (i.e. one estimated digit) You will need these for further calculations

o If you calculate anything in this section, show your work

Ex: Mass of solid = full beaker – empty beaker = 45.06g – 35.22g = 9.84g

Graphs

o Must be on graph paper

o Label both axes, including units. Give your graph a title.

o Choose a scale that takes up as much of the page as possible, while maintaining logical (easy-to-read) divisions

Calculations

o Never include a number in your lab report without showing where it came from.

o Label what you’re calculating, and show your work (see ex. Above)

o If you have to do the same calculation multiple times, you may show ONE sample calculation and then list all of the results.

o If you’re doing new math, you’ll have to do another sample calculation.

o Additions and subtractions: calculate the new +/- uncertainty

Any math beyond this: keep track of significant figures.

Discussion & Conclusion:

Include the following, but also pay attention to any specific instructions from your teacher.

The items below should be blended into a paragraph, since they relate to each other.

CLAIM: Answer the purpose in a concise manner

EVIDENCE: Which data did you use to make your decision?

How does this data support your claim?

I have already seen your data. Please do not repeat it all in this section.

REASONING:

Make statements that link your claim to the relevant theory.

WHY did it work the way it did? Answer any teacher-provided questions here.

If appropriate, compare your experimental value to accepted one

(ex: The boiling point of ethanol to be 76OC. The accepted value is 78.4OC.)

SOURCES OF ERROR:

o Explain sources of error – what makes your numbers less than perfect?

▪ Human error and equipment error SHOULD NOT be listed unless something very unusual happened during the experiment.

o Reflect on your procedure. What would you change or improve for next time?

Notes to students:

o A lab report is a finished product, NOT a draft!

Use a ruler for lines, and write in ink or type….

o Formatting categories should be prominent… ex: underlined, all caps, or bolded

o You are encouraged to work with your partner, but unless you are told otherwise, you should each submit your own write-up, in your own words. I will not give a grade for identical lab reports.

Learning Outcomes: Labs

I will not assess all 4 areas for each experiment.

Over the term, I will be looking for improvement in each category, and your mark will reflect your ability at the end of the course.

|Claim/Evidence/Reasoning |Observations: |

|-I can assess whether my data is valid |Qualitative observations are: |

|(and discuss sources of error/improvements) |present and detailed |

|-I can identify patterns and relationships in |not mixed with inferences |

|data, and use them to make a claim | |

|-I can decide which data counts as evidence |Quantitative observations are: |

|-I can reason (explain) why the data supports |accurate |

|my claim |clearly labelled |

|-I can link my explanations to scientific theory |reported with proper uncertainties |

|-I can critique my own argument, and other |reported with correct Sig Figs. |

|groups’ | |

|Communication: |Lab design: |

|-I can clearly display my data in a suitable |I can create a plan for a fair test. It will include: |

|format (visual, graph, chart/table, written) |A suitable testable question |

|-I show my reasoning in words or through |A materials list |

|sample calculations (in mathematical |A clear, concise, sequential procedure |

|notation) |Variables and controls |

|-I can use a traditional lab report format to |What I need to observe/measure |

|communicate my results |Safety controls |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download