1. PHYSICAL SCIENCE nphs (lm.sw.ke) How to Write a Lab Report

2. Formatting your lab report First and last name goes in the top right corner. Add your partner’s name UNDER your name Put the title of the lab at the top of the paper. Your lab report sometimes consists of sections. You will title each section: Introduction Materials and Methods Results Conclusion Write your report on clean notebook paper if you are not given a specific page to write on.

3. Introduction: Tells you what the lab is going to be about in a few sentences. Background information about the topic of the lab is always good. Write your hypothesis for the experiment. - Your hypothesis should be in SENTENCES. - Your hypothesis should be an “IF..THEN” statement. “ If we drop 35 drops on the penny, then the water will overflow.”

4. Procedure and Materials: Includes all materials you used during the lab. Write a short paragraph (complete sentences) which explains what you did in the lab as a short summary. Don’t worry about every detail, just the main things you did. It should be written so that someone else could read it and be able to repeat the experiment.

5. Results: This section should include any data tables, observations, or additional notes you make during the lab. All tables, graphs and charts should NEAT be labeled appropriately. Remember “Just Do It” - Dependent on the Y axis & Independent on the Y axis - Label graph and provide a key of needed - You may be asked to identify your variables.

6. Good Data Collection Means Data Tables

7. Example:

8. Analysis and Conclusion Accept or reject your hypothesis. EXPLAIN why you accepted or rejected your hypothesis using data from the lab. Include a summary of the data - averages, highest, lowest..etc to help the reader understand your results. (Try not to copy your data here, you should summarize and reference KEY information.) Discuss possible errors that could have occurred in the collection of the data (experimental errors)

9. Examples HYP: “ If we drop 35 drops on the penny, then the water will overflow.” CONC # 1: Our hypothesis was correct for the most part. The penny overflowed with water at 38 drops. We did a great job at estimating the number of drops on the penny. CONC # 2: Our hypothesis was wrong. We got 75 drops on the penny. We underestimated the cohesion properties of water.

10. ALWAYS TIE IN NOTES AND VOCABULAR Y WE’RE LEARNING IN CLASS!! THIS IMPRESSES ME & YOU EARN A BETTER GRADE!

11. Discuss Possible Errors in the Conclusion/Analysis: Human Error: Other: