Revised April 2016

Lab Report Instructions

Revised April 2016

Use 12 pt Times New Roman Font

Double Space

Use the section headings in your report

Sections must be in the correct order.

Do not use contractions.

Avoid using 1st person or personal pronouns

Revised April 2016

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Title: Compose a short descriptive title for your lab.

Purpose: What is the point of doing the lab? What does it model or demonstrate? (one or two sentences in your own words.)

Procedure: List steps, in a number format, that are required to complete the lab just as you did it. Use proper names for equipment glassware. Measurements are always in metric.

Hand-draw and label a simple diagram to illustrate the basic set up of the lab.

Experimental Design: Identify these

Hypothesis: You may use an ”If….then…” statement or compose a complete sentence that has a “why” component. Example: The pill bugs will move toward the moist chamber because they live in, and are adapted to, moist habitats.

Independent variable(s): Conditions that the experimenter is changing

Dependent variable(s): What will be measured?

Control(s): No treatment in this group, used to detect an unanticipated factor

Constants: A listing of the factors that are kept constant in all groups during the experiment.

Data: Charts/tables for recording your findings. Use the Microsoft Insert Table feature, Excel, or similar computer software. Every data table needs a descriptive title.

Analysis: Copy and then thoroughly answer the questions that are assigned (in complete sentences!).

Create one or more graphs on the computerto illustrate your data.Decide on whether a line graph or a bar graph best illustrates your data. For line graphs, construct a line-of-best-fit or connect dot-to-dot. Label both axes, title the graph, and write a caption, briefly stating the main conclusion.

Conclusion: Compose a paragraph (or two) that includes the following points:

  • What were the major findings? Discuss the data collected (state specific data).
  • Restate the hypothesis. Was the hypothesis supported by the data? Explain.
  • Were thereany inconsistencies (outliers) in data? If so, provide an explanation for what may have occurred.(If no inconsistencies,no need to discuss.)
  • What were the errors made in the experiment? How can errors be prevented? What would be changed if the experiment was being repeated? (Note- there are ALWAYS errors or things that could have/should have been done better.)