GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LABS
If you miss a lab, see me
to schedule a makeup date as soon as you return to class. Generally you have one week to
make the lab up and turn in the report. You can perform the experiment
any time you have available during the school day or after school. Since
I am in my room all day feel free to come in (even if I am teaching) and go to
the lab tables in the back. Be
sure to have a friend with you who has performed the experiment herself so she
can guide you through the procedures. Since my unscheduled time
is extremely limited, it is imperative that you bring someone else to help
you.
Neatness counts. If you
need to draw a straight line, use a RULER. All graphs are to be done on
Graph Paper Only. Do not use your computer to generate graphs unless I
specifically tell you to. All graphs must have appropriate Titles and
Labels including Units!
ORDER COUNTS ! If any section of the lab report is out of order, one point (out of the 30 possible points) will be deducted. The order of all lab reports is: PURPOSE (objective), TABLES, CALCULATIONS, GRAPHS (if present), INTERPRETATIONS (or questions), CONCLUSION.
LAB REPORT FORMAT
If the lab is one from your lab book, follow the bulleted list below. If it is not, then you will need to type the lab report from scratch. Type your name, the title of the lab and the purpose on a sheet of paper. Right after this, type the title DATA/RESULTS. This section is to contain any tables, calculations, and graphs. All graphs, tables and calculations may be hand drawn/written (remember to use a ruler when drawing any straight lines) and MUST be DONE IN PENCIL. Then title the next section QUESTIONS/ANALYSIS. This section is to contain the answers to any questions asked in the lab handout. You do not have to re-type the questions. The final section of every lab is the conclusion. This is to be done on your own. any questions about it, please speak to me.
Highlight the purpose
(objective) on the first page of the experiment in your lab book.
Complete any tables given
in pencil (following the rules of significant digits) and be sure to show your
calculations either next to or below each of the tables that contain the
answers to your calculations. Proper calculations include the equation
with no numbers, the equation with numbers, and the answer with the
appropriate unit. Yes, you must write the answer in two places - in the
given tables and in the calculations. It is after these tables that you should
staple any graphs (if the lab requires graphs).
If the experiment includes
percent difference, include it in the tables and show the proper calculations in the
appropriate space.
Be sure your answers to the
Interpretation questions are in complete sentences and clearly written or typed.
The FINAL (and I mean the
last pages of the report) section is your
Conclusion. This section MUST
be typed. Do not discuss what you write in this section with anyone but
Mrs. Adamo.
ALL conclusions start with
a restatement of the objective in the PAST tense. (Ex. The
objective of this lab was to verify F=ma.) Then using a brief summary of
the procedures, tell how you attempted to achieve the objective of this lab.
Be sure to go back to the objective to see what you need to discuss to show me
that you tried to achieve during the lab. You can use the
different parts of the objective to organize the paragraphs of your
conclusion. Provide evidence for your success (or not) at achieving the
objective of the lab by using the actual numbers of your results (and put into
the tables) and/or the results of your graphs. If you have any questions about
this, just come and talk to me. I will be happy to help you. FOR THE
FIRST QUARTER I WILL PREVIEW YOUR
CONCLUSIONS FOR YOU IF YOU GIVE THEM TO ME AT LEAST THE DAY BEFORE THE LAB
REPORT IS DUE. THIS WAY YOU CAN TURN IN A CORRECTED COPY OF YOUR
CONCLUSION WITH YOUR REPORT AND DEVELOP THE CORRECT STYLE FOR FUTURE
CONCLUSIONS.
If the lab involves Percent Difference, after you provide your results as evidence, you need to discuss what the percent difference means to the success of the lab. The next part of your conclusion should include statements like "Since the measured and calculated values (which you have written in the conclusion previously) were not equal, we calculated the percent difference to be ____ (fill in number). Then state how it compares to the limit set in class for this particular experiment, stating that limit as part of your conclusion. If your value is at or lower than the limit, you can state that you were successful at achieving the purpose of the lab since your error is below the set limit. If your value is higher than the limit, then you must state that you were not successful at achieving the purpose of this lab and include some reasons for your higher than accepted percent difference. Again, if you are having any problems, be sure to see me as soon as possible for help.