Lab Report Format
Except where noted the lab report should be typed. Spelling and grammar should be checked.
1) Introduction – just one paragraph or so describing the experiment
2) Data – this should be the actual experimental data you obtained. Presenting it in tabular
form is generally best.
3) Calculations – one sample calculation should be provided for each calculation type you do.
This can be hand-written, but must be neat.
4) Results and Discussion – processed data (i.e. the results of your calculations), graphs, and
explanations of your data should be provided here. Think about
what your results mean as you write-up this section. What has this
experiment shown (taught) you? If you discuss errors, don’t just
ascribe them to a generic “experimenter error.” If something goes
wrong, try to track down exactly what it was.
5) Post-Lab Questions – Answer these questions as full sentences, unless they are calculations
(in which case they may be hand written). Some may have already
been answered in Sections (3) or (4) as a natural consequence of the
lab report. For example, in the first week’s experiment you take
measurements in order to determine the density of an unknown metal.
Question (5) asks for that density, yet in your lab report you would
surely have done that calculation anyway. In this situation, you don’t
need to answer question (5), since it’s already in the Results and
Discussion section.