Formal Lab Report

1. Formal Lab Report

2. General Layout • Title page • Introduction/Objective • Theory • Procedures • Data Analysis • Error Analysis • Conclusion • Bibliography

3. Title Page • Includes a meaningful title for the project/report and the names of the experimenters. Some students will occasionally include a colorful graphic on this page.

4. Introduction/Objective • A paragraph in which you describe the objective of your experimental investigation and literature search; the purpose should be clearly stated and should clearly identify the dependent and independent variables. A good guideline is to include the phrase “The purpose will be to investigate the effect of ____________ (some controllable and modifiable variable) upon the ____________ (a measurable variable)." Procedural steps should not be discussed in the purpose section.

5. Theory • Exhaustively describe the physics of your topic. Include diagrams, graphs, and other visuals which have been discussed in class or which were found in the book or other literature.

6. Discuss the physics principles in detail, writing as though your audience was an individual who knows little about your topic. Begin by approaching the topic in rather general terms and then breaking it down into specifics.

7. Define terms, discuss equations and provide sample calculations to illustrate how they can be used. Present diagrams and discuss and elaborate upon their meaning. In other words, apply physics to the situation by intelligently discussing the physics principles which applies to the topic which has been selected.

8. Procedures • A step-by-step procedure which describes what you will do and how you will do it.

9. Data Analysis • Include an organized listing of input and output data and observations; use a row-column format for data. • Use whatever format makes the data most revealing of the patterns which your study reveals.

10. If necessary, use more than one data table; this is especially important if you conducted several investigations (and you did/will). For example, you modified one variable several times to investigate its effect on a measurable outcome and then repeated several more trials in which you modified a second variable and measured its effect on an outcome. • Give each data table a meaningful title (e.g., "Measured Data for Roller Coaster Incline Experiment").

11. Include all plots and graphs in this section. The axis of all graphs should be clearly labeled and each graph should be titled so that it clearly indicates exactly what data are being plotted. • Finally, include appropriate equations which describe the plotted data.

12. Error Analysis • Include relative error, absolute error, and sources of error. • Discuss the mathematical, systematical and human error that may appear in the lab. • This section is important, do not forget it!

13. Conclusion • Discuss what your data tell you and what conclusions you can make from them. • Support all conclusions with logic and by reference to the collected data. • Make specific reference to the names of the graphs and data tables which you include in the Data section. Do not merely restate your data section; rather, make generalizations and interpretations of graphs and data

14. Use several paragraphs to relate your experimental findings to the literature research which you did. • Relate experiment to theory by making an effort to explain the results. • Discuss the principles of physics which would explain the generalizations and conclusions which you made; that is, discuss the theoretical explanations for your results • Make some suggestions which would improve the actual experimental procedure.

15. Discuss the implications and meaning of your findings

16. Bibliography • Do not forget to reference all material cited in the report! • Use the techniques learned in English class to format all material. (APA format)