Lab report

Lab report1
Lab Guidelines
Executive summary
For your final lab, the objective is to investigate the modes of failure of various materials, compare
material properties by performing standardised tests, and discuss the most appropriate materials for
a rod and axis assembly. You will have carried out the necessary experiments for this lab earlier in
the year. This document describes the necessary steps for analysing this data using Python and
writing up your report. Please note that whilst this instructional note uses the lab template in places
the tone of English is not written as a lab report.
Materials Lab
On-campus lab
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Lab Guidelines
1. Introduction
During the year every student has had the opportunity to either attend a physical materials lab if in
Bristol or can view the equivalent video lab with access to the data. Students that did the on-campus
lab but has since become a distant memory can prompt themselves with the video lab but also refer
back to the notes they made in the green lab books provided at the start of term.
2. Expected Report Contents
The report must follow the supplied template, available in session 1 of the BlackBoard (BB) course.
It should contain all the report sections (namely, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion,
Conclusion and References) and answer the key research question, which material is most suitable
and why, whilst the required pin diameter should also be stated. The report should cover all of the
key points highlighted in the original guidance contained within the template.
The peer feedback sessions have covered the key elements of the marking criteria for this
assessment and the peer feedback questions are a valuable source of information to check your
submission against. Reflecting upon what you considered both positives and negatives regarding
other colleagues’ reports will be invaluable in obtaining a Pass for this unit.
Additional advice
It is suggested that you download the template again and go through section by section what you
believe the key criteria for a successful approach would be given the guidance. Then, map this to
the peer feedback questions, you should hopefully find a close mapping. This short exercise will
assist your internalisation of the assessment criteria.
3. Using Python
A single python script should be used for all calculations and plotting. The objective is to write a
program that imports the raw data for the three materials for tension, torsion and impact, then
analyses and creates the following plots. Specifically, the program will carry out the following
calculations and plotting:
For tension
1) Calculate and plot a stress-strain graph
2) Calculate and print the Young’s modulus (E) (linear regression)
3) Calculate and print the 0.2% proof stress, ultimate tensile strength and failure strain
For torsion
1) Calculate and plot a stress-strain graph
2) Calculate and print the Shear modulus (G)
3) Toughness (trapezium rule of each material)
For impact
1) Calculate and print the energy absorbed for each material at high and low temperature
The appropriately labelled plots should be included in the results section of the report along with the
calculated values presented correctly also within the results section of the report. The .py file should
be submit as a separate file along with your written lab report.
4. Marking and feedback
Marking will be conducted against a pass / fail rubric where a fail on any of the following sections will
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Lab Guidelines
result in a fail of the unit:
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Python code
When the submission point opens you will be able to view the marking rubric there, however this is
less detailed and less helpful than the template guidance and peer feedback questions. The latter
is where you should focus your attention.