LAB REPORT CHECKLIST Walter Wong (Partner Sam Smith) Chinese Christian Schools Subject, ___th Period Month

##, 200#

Format Individual Work. Lab reports are an individual effort. The only parts which should be the same are data and calculations. Formatting. Use 12-point font. Use only Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier. Double-spaced. Use one-inch margins. Bold the section titles (not indented), followed by a period. Immediately start your text for that section. Do not skip lines. If a new paragraph is necessary in that section, start on the next line with an indentation. Tables and Graphs. Organize data into an easily understood table (see Table 1). Use tables & graphs from Microsoft Word or Excel (insert-table) or (insert-picture-chart). Handmade graphs on graph paper are also acceptable as long as they are large and neat. Title your tables & graphs (see Sample Tables and Figures section). Label axes and units. Include a legend, if necessary. Style. Write clearly and concisely more text will not equal more points. Use scientific terms. The text should be organized into logical paragraphs and sentences. 2

Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. When writing about methods and results, use past tense. Do not use contractions. Only write in the third person. Avoid colloquial and/or vernacular words and phrases. Proofread. Spell check. Have someone else read over your work. Read the report out loud to yourself. Sample Sentences. The way the baking soda exploded and made tons of smoke was way awesome!!! The baking soda reacted vigorously and produced large quantities of water vapor. In order to conduct the experiment ten test tubes with samples were used. Ten samples were used.

I used NaOH as a standard in order to determine the concentration of the unknown. NaOH was used as a standard in order to determine the concentration of the unknown. Lab Report Sections Cover Page. Include the title in CAPS (centered). Include your name (centered). Include your lab partners name (centered in parenthesis). Include the schools name (centered). Include your class & period (centered). 3

Include the date due on the cover (centered). Introduction. Include background information on the experiment (3-5 sentences). Begin with a general statement about the primary subject being investigated. Explain what work has already been done in this area. State any proven theories, and define all specialized terms. Include the purpose (1 sentence). Explain why the experiment is being performed. Include the hypothesis (1 sentence). State what you believe will be the outcome of the experiment. Materials and methods. Apparatus List all of the equipment used in the experiment. Materials List all consumable materials. Include the exact names (common and scientific). Include chemical formulas of any reagents used. Include the concentration of solutions. Include the supplier or name brand (if applicable). Procedure Type the procedure as given on your lab sheet (numbered steps). If actual procedure is different from written, specify and explain. If the procedure requires an unusual set-up, neatly draw and label a diagram (see Figure 1). Results.

Include observations. Include any data collected. Describe the general data patterns. Include calculations. Show the original formula, including all appropriate units and constants. If you handwrite your calculations, it should be neatly done in dark blue or black pen. Discussion. Restate the results briefly. Describe and explain patterns in the results. Address whether or not the original hypothesis was correct. Explain why hypothesis is correct/incorrect. State whether it is a procedural error or general incorrectness of the hypothesis. Include all errors (systematic, procedural, or random). Explain what can be done to prevent future errors. Include the answers to post-lab questions. Sample Figures and Tables Figure 1. Lab setup for Experiment A. Aluminum foil with a slit cut halfway through the middle

Lit candle

Graph 1. Flight Distance of Planes

Distance in Air 800 600
Distance in 400 cm

200
Slowly Forcefully

0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Plane Plane Plane Plane

Planes Flown

Table 1: Mass (g), Volume (mL), and Density (g/mL) of Irregular Objects Irregular Object Mass (g) Volume (mL) Density* (g/mL) 4.564 1.412 0.932 0.820 0.252 1.402

Rock 50.2 11 Prism 36.7 26 Bottle 28.9 31 Ball 44.3 54 Marker 19.4 77 Cube 67.3 48 * density = mass of the object volume of the object

Original data records. Attach lab sheet or binder paper of your data collected during the experiment. Have your lab partner sign your results.