Smith-Johnson

=Laboratory Report Format Template=

· This information should be located in the upper right hand corner of each laboratory report you turn in to your instructor.
 * 1) **__Your Name and Partners Name, Date, Hour, Instructor __**

· The title should be located at the top of the paper and centered. You can use the laboratory report title given or come up with your own creative title. The title however must reflect the type of laboratory being performed.
 * 1) **__Title __**

· The Purpose is a statement about the laboratory, and will always be the first sentence below the title. A great way of starting a purpose to a laboratory report would be “To determine…” The hypothesis is a prediction statement made **__before__** you perform the laboratory. It does not contain any “I” statements. //Some laboratories may or may not require a hypothesis//. The instructor will explain whether a hypothesis is required for the laboratory report.
 * 1) **__Purpose/Hypothesis __**

· A bulleted list of **__all__** materials used for the laboratory. This allows for another person to gather the proper materials to verify the findings of the laboratory report.
 * 1) **__Materials __**

· This is a numbered list of instructions describing how to perform the laboratory. The key to science is the ability to repeat an experiment and verify the results. This list must be detailed to allow another person to perform the laboratory as you performed it in class. All good experiments must be repeatable! Certain labs will require you to write a procedure, while others will have detailed procedures already present for you to use.
 * 1) **__Procedure __**

· This section includes all the quantitative and qualitative data collected during the experiment. The key is to write down important observations **__as they occur__**. You are an individual and have your own senses, use your own observations not just your laboratory partner’s. Collect your data in a table/chart to keep the information organized. Label all numbers with the appropriate units.
 * 1) **__Data __**

· Graphs are used to visually show trends in the data. If you are required to have a graph for the data it will be described by the instructor. A graph must include the following: o Title o Axes fully labeled o Uniform increments for each axis o <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Proper graph for data collected (i.e. scatter plot, bar graph, etc.)
 * 1) **__<span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Graph(s) __**

· <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">In this section you will analyze the data collected during the laboratory. In order to analyze your data, you may need to perform calculations or answer questions that lead you toward the purpose of the laboratory.
 * 1) **__<span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Analysis/Calculations __**

· <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">There is error in every laboratory performed. You are not perfect and neither is your lab partner. A minimum of three sources of error must accompany the laboratory report and **__explain how the error__** did or would affect the outcome of the data.
 * 1) **__<span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Sources of Error __**

· <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">This section of the laboratory report is the most important because it brings everything together into one or two clear and concise paragraphs. You need to consider these questions as you are writing the conclusion: o <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Did your results support or refute your hypothesis? o <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">What did the results state about the purpose of the laboratory? o <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Why did the results not turn out according to the current theory or predicted outcome? o <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Give a small summary of the results and what it means (relate this back to the purpose of the laboratory) · <span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">The conclusion does not have any “I” statements! It is to the point and concise information which relates back to the purpose of the laboratory.
 * 1) **__<span style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book','sans-serif';">Conclusion __**