Writing a Lab Report

Major Parts of a Lab Report Title Introduction/purpose Hypothesis List of Materials Procedure Observations (in reflection) Data Chart Conclusion Reflection/inferences

Introduction/Purpose Describe why you are performing this investigation. Explain how you are going to prove or disprove you theory or hypothesis. Why is it important to test this? COMPLETE SENTENCES

Hypothesis Explain your ideas about the experiment. Describe your best guess about the results of the experiment Why do you think that? “if” “then” statement

Procedure Describe step by step “what to do” What safety cautions should you be concerned with. Detailed Complete sentences and complete thought Be careful of using “it”

Observations Describe the initial visual appearance and any other information using your senses Describe any changes during the experiment. Describe the result of the experiment

Data Chart / Graph Time (s) Position (m) 1 6 2 12 3 18 4 24 Organize your observations and measurements in a clear chart or graph

Conclusion Reject or accept hypothesis Describe how your data supports the rejecting or accepting of your hypothesis

Reflection/Inferences Explain each major observation. Tell why the changes in your experiment happened. Describe why you arrived at the final result. What problems/unexpected events occurred? How should you improve the experiment?

Summary Lab reports represent 25% of your quarterly grade You must include all sections of the report Use Word and/or Excel to compose your lab