Experiment 401: Magnetic Field and Forces

Ivan Quiambao1 and Gab Singson2

1
School of Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering
2
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Mapua Institute of Technology, Intramuros, Manila

1. Abstract
This guideline discusses details for preparing a group laboratory report. The suggested group lab report
must have an Abstract, Objectives and Results and Discussion sections. During online submission, submit
your group lab report containing only these three sections using Blackboard. In addition to these parts,
supporting figures, graphs, calculations and answers to guide questions should be attached to the report as
Appendices. Submit a paper copy of your lab report together with the Appendices during the Printed copy
submission in class. The first section of the group lab report is the Abstract. It is like a concise summary,
in which one should briefly introduce the topic/s and the concepts behind the experiment, state the
problems and the methods used to solve the problems and present the primary or significant results of the
experiment. The Abstract has a maximum of 300 words. You can use the Word count function of
Microsoft Word to check the count of the words that you have used.

2. Objectives
The next section of the group lab report contains the Objectives of the study. Limit this section to a single
paragraph that contains at least three significant objectives of the experiment. As an example, for a
magnetic force acting on a wire, one can state that the study seeks (i) to establish the relationship between
the magnetic field strength and the magnetic force acting on the wire, (ii) how the flowing current affects
the magnitude of the magnetic force and (iii) how the orientation of the loop affects the resulting magnetic
force.

3. Result and Discussion

This section discusses the results obtained from the experiment. Furthermore, the three objectives stated in
the previous section should be answered and explained further in detail in this part which can be supported
experimentally by your gathered data. It is highly encouraged to cite particular data values in your
presented table (in the Appendices section) and graphs to back up your observations and explanations.
Merits are given to groups who will efficiently cite and make use of their obtained data in presenting in-
depth discussion and understanding of the experiment. Please refrain in making your discussion as simple
restated statements of the procedures that were provided in your laboratory manual. It is expected that you
will thoroughly discuss in this section the physical implications of the data that you obtain. Simply put, you
are expected to explain the “physics” behind the experiment using your obtained data.

For your group and individual laboratory reports, the paper size to be used is letter. There should be a 1-
inch or 25.4 mm margin on all sides. All fonts for text are limited only to Times New Roman. The font
size to be used is 10-pt while the Section headings are in 12-point bold with Roman Arabic numbering.
The recommended page length for the group laboratory report (containing Abstract, Objectives and Results
and Discussion) is three pages, to promote fast and efficient evaluation process. Appendices are not part of
the three-page group lab report. Deductions will be imposed to those who will exceed the page limit. The
document is single—spaced and the paragraph alignment is justified. Attach the Appendices section only
for the submitted Printed copy.

Only one group report will be accomplished and submitted by the group. For the online submission, the
group has to decide who will do the submission through Blackboard, wherein the group must satisfy a
Safe-Assign score not exceeding 20%.
4. Appendices
This Appendices section is to be presented as supplementary pages of your 3-page group laboratory report.
This section has no page limit, hence, the group has the freedom to include all data, tables, graphs, figures
and additional discussions that the group thinks will be essential to the report. This section is divided into
four subsections:

4.1. Graphs, Figures and Tables

Kindly provide appropriate labels and captions for each figures, graphs and/or tables, especially if you are
going to cite them in your result and discussion.

4.2. Sample computation

4.3. Calculation and Analysis of Error

4.4. Answers to Guide Questions

In this section, the group should present their answers to the Analysis and/ or Guide Questions provided in
the experiment laboratory module.