LAB WRITE-UP

Lab Write-up Outline

• Title:  Must be scientific and descriptive.

• Introduction:  Usually about a page.  Highlights the scientific concepts needed to understand the lab.  Could include pictures.  Site sources please.

• Purpose:  Usually one or two sentences.  States the purpose of the lab (i.e. ID an Unknown or determine a molar mass, etc.)

• Materials/Equipment List: List the equipment/materials used in the lab

• Methods: Like a procedure, but in paragraph form.  Should be in 3rd person past tense (i.e.  The solution was then placed into the beaker.....not, then place the solution in the beaker....or, I then placed the solution in the beaker....or even worse, 3) place the solution in the beaker.

• Data:  Needs to be in table(s).  Units and Sigfigs are crucial.  NO AVERAGES EVER.  Should have descriptive title.

• Calculations:  Need to show an example of each calculation you did.  If you did multiple trials, you do not need to show the same calculations again for each trial.

• Results:  Should be in a table or table(s).  Here is where you show all calculated values (i.e. the average mass, or the mass found by subtracting two values, or any other value that you technically never measured. When given accepted values, percent error goes here as well.

• Discussion:  Usually consists 3 sections.  First, explain your results to the reader.  Were they expected, why or why not?  How do the values calculated (Results) lead you to draw conclusions (i.e.  how do you know it was exothermic?).   Then suggest sources of error specific to your results.  Lastly, suggest ways to fix the error if the lab was to be done again.