The Lab Report

Lab Report Format

Purpose SHOULD The purpose SHOULD be a statement of the hypothesis. SHOULD It SHOULD be at least one full sentence

Procedure SHOULD NOT The procedure SHOULD NOT be a copy of the written procedure in the lab document. SHOULD It SHOULD be a summary of important steps, directions, materials and equipment. SHOULD It SHOULD be one to two paragraphs in length depending on the lab.

Data - Diagrams Title Labels Includes and/or scale magnification, if appropriate

Data – Table Data presented in tables – Table given a title – Columns/rows labeled with quantity and dimensions

Data - Graphs Titled Both axes labeled with quantity and dimension Appropriate scale used on both axes Graph accurately represents data and uses a best fitting curve when appropriate

The Observations It summarizes the data so that someone without a scientific background can understand it. What happened? It is concise – usually no more than a paragraph.

The Conclusion It summarizes the experiment. Do the results support or reject the hypothesis? What important concepts or theories are reinforced by your results? What experimental errors or limitations might have negatively influenced your results? One to two paragraphs in length.

Five Essential Components Purpose Purpose – What were you attempting to do in this experiment? Procedure Procedure – What methods did you use to complete this investigation? This should be a summary, not a detailed procedure like the one you completed in the body of the report. Data Data – Numerical values discovered in experiment. Observations Observations – What happened? Summarize observations and results of calculations and graphs. Conclusions Conclusions – What important concepts or theories are reinforced by your results? What experimental errors or limitations might have negatively influenced your results?

The Boiling Point of Water September 10, 2012 Mr. Salois 1 st PeriodPurpose The purpose of this experiment is to determine the boiling point of water is 100 o C in Center Point, TX.Procedure The materials for this experiment include the following: 100 ml beaker, a hot plate, 50 ml of distilled water, goggles, beaker tongs, and a thermometer. Put on the goggles and place the 50 ml of water into the 100 ml beaker. Place the beaker on the hot plate and then place the thermometer into the water. Turn on the hot plate and then monitor the beaker for bubbles. The first sign of bubbles signals the boiling point has been reached. Once bubbles are seen, immediately record the temperature. Repeat the experiment Three more times for accuracy. After the experiment is completed turn off the hot plate and use the beaker tongs to remove the beaker from the hotplate.

DataObservations The data suggest an average temperature of 100 o C after three consecutive experiments.Conclusion According to the observations of the experiment, the hypothesis that water will boil at 100 o C in Center Point, TX is supported. This experiment was conducted so that the data will be available for future experiments. Other factors that could have affected the results of the experiment are : atmospheric pressure, use of a hot plate rather than a burner, and type of thermometer used. Boiling Point Data ExperimentTemperature o C