Laboratory Report function and parts, Lab Reports of Chemistry

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The Lab Report

PREPARATION OF THE LABORATORY REPORT

Why are Lab Reports important?

LAB REPORTS

 Are the most frequent kind of document written in the

science and engineering courses.

 Can count for as much as 25% of a course.

Time and attention should be devoted in writing them well.

Each lab instructor want something a little different… Then it is important to:  Know the Lab Report's format and basic components  Adapt to the particular needs of a course or professor

What A Lab Report Does

 Presents data  Demonstrates the writer's comprehension of the concepts behind the data  Records the expected and observed results  Identify how and why differences occurred  Explain how differences affected the experiment  Shows understanding of the principles the experiment was designed to examine

Typical Components

Title Page

Abstract

Note : Verb

Tenses

Introduction

Methods and Materials

(or Equipment)

Experimental Procedure

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

References

Appendices

Further

Reading

1. The Title Page

The TITLE PAGE should contain the title and activity number, the group ID (group number, course, year, and block), names of the members of the group (performer first followed by the recorder and the third member) and the date on which the experiment was performed. Titles should be straightforward, informative, and less than ten words. (i.e. Not "Lab No. 1" but "Lab No. 1: Basic Laboratory Techniques")

TITLE PAGE

TITLE PAGE

Sample Abstract The activity demonstrated commonly performed operations in the chemistry laboratory courses. It aimed to provide instructions on the techniques in the proper handling of liquid and solid substances as well as the proper techniques in the use of common laboratory apparatuses. Working safely in a laboratory requires proper handling of apparatus and appropriate laboratory techniques to achieve efficient and conclusive results. Three processes were demonstrated: Density Measurements, Preparation of Solutions, and Separation Techniques. The density measurements were done for liquid water and a solid material by determining their mass and volume. The relationship where the ratio of the mass and volume of a substance is equal to its density was used. A solid in liquid solution was prepared using NaCl mixed with water to produce a known concentration of salt solution. A dilute solution of NaCl was also prepared from a more concentrated solution by adding a calculated amount of solvent. The separation of components of solution was done by mixing water with the sand and salt solution to separate the salt from the sand during filtration. The final separation of the salt from the water was done by heating and evaporating of the water.

The body of the final report

The body of the final report should be written in paragraph form, in the third person and in a passive voice. It should have the following components. Introduction (objectives or purpose of the experiment, relevance, and important background/theory involved in the experiment) Materials Used (accurate list of materials/equipment used) Experimental Procedure (chronological order of the process as it actually happened) Results and Observations (presentation of the empirical data and observations; may be tabular or graphical) Discussion (analysis of results, sometimes guided by questions in the activity sheet; interpretation of the results, discussing the significance of the results) Conclusion (short statement of what is the result of the experiment) References (includes the lab manual and any outside readings done on the experiment – APA style of citing references is suggested) Appendices (optional - raw data, calculations, graphs, pictures or tables that have not been included in the report itself; may also include other materials relevant to the experiment) Technical Details: Encoded on short bond paper. Font: Arial style, size 11 Margin: 1” (top, bottom, left, right) Orientation: Portrait Spacing: single space between lines, double space between paragraphs and subtitles

The Introduction

A good introduction also provides whatever background

theory, previous research, or formulas the reader needs to

know.

Usually, an instructor does not want you to repeat the

lab manual, but to show your own comprehension of the

problem.

For example, the introduction that followed the example above might describe weighing by difference method when determining the mass of a material, the displacement method in determining the volume of a solid, the methods of determining concentration of solutions and techniques in separation of components of a mixture. It can also explain how the processes were applied in the procedures used. If the amount of introductory material seems to be a lot, consider adding subheadings such as: Theoretical Principles or Background.

A Note on Verb Tense Introductions often create difficulties for those who struggle with keeping verb tenses straight. These two points should help you navigate the introduction:  The experiment is already finished. Use the past tense when talking about the experiment. "The objective of the experiment was..."  The report, the theory and permanent equipment still exist; therefore, these get the present tense: "The purpose of this report is..." "Bragg's Law for diffraction is ..." "The scanning electron microscope produces micrographs ... "

5. Experimental Procedure

It describes the process in chronological order. Using clear paragraph structure, explain all steps in the order they actually happened, not as they were supposed to happen. If your professor says you can simply state that you followed the procedure in the manual, be sure you still document occasions when you did not follow that exactly (e.g. "At step 4 we performed four repetitions instead of three, and ignored the data from the second repetition"). If you've done it right, another researcher should be able to duplicate your experiment.

6. Results

Quick Results

Reference

1. Number and Title

tables and graphs

2. Use a sentence or

two to draw attention

to key points in

tables or graphs

3. Provide sample

calculation only

4. State key result in

sentence form

Results are usually dominated by calculations, tables and figures; however, you still need to state all significant results explicitly in verbal form, for example: Example: Using the calculated mass and volume of the solid metal, its density D = 8.08 g/mL.