Lab report

Laboratory Report Instructions
CHE-121: Principles of Chemistry 1
Page 1 of 2
General Format
• File Name: lastname_Lab # (Ex. Rogers_Lab 1)
• File Type: Microsoft Word document or PDF
• Length: 2-3 pages of written text (does not include title page or references)
• Font: Times New Roman
• Font Size: 12pt font
• Spacing: Double-spaced
• Margins: 1” margins
• Orientation: Portrait
• Style: Use APA 6th ed. for all references
• Absolutely no quotations are allowed.
Sections
Label all sections accordingly.
• Title Page
o Title of laboratory assignment.
o Your name.
o Course and section number.
o Date.
• Introduction:
o While the laboratory background for each experiment lists some rudimentary
information, this will not be enough to complete your introduction.
o Find additional sources that discuss the key concept of the laboratory.
o Clearly state your hypothesis near the end of this section.
o Be careful not to plagiarize or quote unnecessarily.
• Methods and Materials:
o Some of this information can be obtained from laboratory instructions.
o Identify the equipment used within the lab (i.e. glassware, pipettes, etc.)
o Do not discuss your computer setup, they brand keyboard, etc.
o Provide enough detail such that an outside reader can clearly identify all items
used in the laboratory.
• Results:
o This section requires you to give a clear description of the data that was collected
and how it was analyzed.
o Present any graphics generated from the data (i.e. charts, tables, etc.) and
introduce them – don’t just stick them into your report.
Laboratory Report Instructions
CHE-121: Principles of Chemistry 1
Page 2 of 2
o Provide labels for all figures so that you can reference them in your writing.
• Discussion:
o Evaluate your results and put them in a broader framework of research and other
experiments.
o Do the results support your original hypothesis?
o Answer these questions while writing: Who cares, what does it mean, why should
I be excited by these findings?
o How do the results affect the theories you discussed in the introduction? Do they
confirm, disagree?
o Did I satisfy the primary objective(s) of the lab?
o What aspects of your experimental environment could have confounded the
results? Is there anything you’d do differently the next time you were setting up
your experiment?
• References
o Must be in APA format on a separate page.
Tips for Writing a Report
• Write your report like a research paper. You are not simply presenting your findings but,
instead, you are working to prepare a professional document to give insight into your
experimental efforts.
• Your audience is a person who has never been in the lab. Use descriptive but concise
language.
• You will need a large amount of time to complete your report, so start working as soon as
possible.
• Always provide the units for every measure unless instructed otherwise.
• Do not use first person pronouns.
• Do not use rhetorical questions.
• As in all academic writing make sure you cite all sources and give proper reference.