Laboratory Report

Each laboratory report is worth a total of one hundred (100) points and must be typed using Times New Roman 12 pt Font (also be sure to properly use capital and lowercased lettering, as well as subscripts and superscripts when writing chemical formulas) and double spaced.
Each section of the laboratory report is evaluated as follows:
Title Page (5 pt.): Required for submission (however please use the header function to place your name (last name, first name) on each page in case the title page is separated). The title page must include the following information and your abstract:
Title of experiment
Student name (First and Last)
Partners name (First and Last)
Course Title and Code
Instructor Name
Submission date

Abstract (5 pt.): Summarizes the report. The abstract should not be longer than 250 words. The abstract contains a brief explanation the underlying principles being explored in the study. The purpose for doing the experiment and the hypothesis is clearly stated. The main results of the experiment and major points of discussion (relating your findings to the big picture of science) are stated as well. Any potential errors involved must be clearly stated. Finally, the major conclusions which were drawn from the lab are included.
*NOTE: THE ABSTRACT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE LAST SECTION ONE WRITES, BUT IT IS INCLUDED IN THE TITLE PAGE OF THE LAB REPORT. IT IS A SUMMARY, WHICH CANNOT BE DONE UNTIL ALL OF THE WORK OF THE EXPERIMENT AND THE WRITING OF OTHER SECTIONS IS FINISHED. *

The body of your work begins on page two. Please make sure all sections are properly and clearly labeled.
Introduction (20 pt.): This section contains the purpose of the experiment, the general technique that was used, and any pertinent historical and theoretical material that is relevant to the experiment. This section should include a discussion of a current journal article* as it relates to the major focus of the lab report. Keep in mind your audience and organize your thoughts in a logical fashion. The final paragraph in this section should be a brief description of the current experiment as it pertains to the theory described. Include balanced chemical equations and mathematical where applicable. The chemical equations and mathematical equations must be numbered and centered. If you use the course textbook, journal articles, library resources, the laboratory manual, or internet sites, you MUST reference your sources at the end of your report. All references should be numbered. This section DOES NOT include procedures. You must use at least one peer-reviewed academic journal article and discuss how the experiment reported in the journal article is relevant to the major topics included in your lab report.

Procedure (15 pt.): This section is written in the past tense, 3rd person neutral. You must reference the lab manual (or handout) and write the procedure in your own words in a precise manner. You must include the actual values used in the experiments (weights, volumes etc.), along with any changes to the procedure that differed from the manual. Do not copy the lab manual or handout verbatim. Remember, you are writing this report so another student can repeat the experiment. This section SHOULD NOT include any data, results, observations or discussion; it should only include the procedure for conducting the experiment.

Data (20 pt.): This section of the report is usually dominated with figures/photos, charts, data tables, graphs, plots and diagrams. All should be clearly labeled, and sample calculations and/or formulas should be provided. Each Figure/Photo should be numbered (ex: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.), and should have a figure legend briefly describing the figure. If the figure was taken from an outside source, the source must be properly referenced. Label every chart, graph, data table, plot, and/or diagram (ex: Table 1, Table 2, Graph 1, Graph 2, etc.) and give them a title. Be sure to clearly label the axes of all graphs and plots (include the name of each axis and the units used to construct the axis). For tables, include the units of measurements next to the heading of each column or next to each measurement in the table. This section is only for data, it DOES NOT contain interpretation nor opinion. The data recorded in charts, tables graphs, plots and diagrams should also include one to two sentences describing what is represented. Note any anomalies, errors, or difficulties encountered in collecting data as these may affect the final results.
Be sure to include the following information, as it applies to the experiment:
Raw Data: Tabulated table (or tables) of the data recorded during the laboratory experiment.
Calculated Data: Data generated (i.e. calculated) through manipulation of the raw data
Graphs and Figures: Graphical representation of data, generally using a scatter plot. The
correct type of graph must be used, and it must be properly formatted.
Sample Calculations: While the actual calculations can be done in excel, you will need to show a
representative example for each type of calculation.
Final Results: The final results should be explicitly stated.

Discussion (25 pt.): This is the most important section of the report and should be the bulk of the report. It demonstrates your ability to understand and interpret the data you have collected. The data presented, the observations, graphs, etc. are to be interpreted as it relates to the ideas and concepts in the introduction and compared with literature sources where necessary. Relate the experimental results to the journal article and theory discussed in the introduction. Formulate an opinion as to the relevance of this study. For example, if in theory a reaction generates a gas, do you observe bubbles? This section also addresses the yield and purity of products and possible sources of error that may have influenced these results. Be specific in these discussions. For example, do not write “possible sources of error include human error and equipment error”. Error is specific to the experiment you performed and should be discussed in that context. If the yield is greater than 100% explain why.
Be sure to include the following information, as it applies to the experiment:
Connection between Purpose and Final Result(s): How does the final results you obtained
from the experiment line up with the purpose of the lab. Did you succeed at meeting your
objectives? Did something unexpected happen?
Error Analysis: What are the sources of error in the experiment? What is the relative and/or
absolute error in your final result?
Justification between results and expectations: Often the results obtained don’t line up
exactly or at all with the expectations, this is OK, but you should be able to explain why?
Molecular level explanation of results and impact of any error
Conclusions (5 pt.): This section summarizes the main ideas and results. It connects your report to the larger world of science.
Be sure to answer the following questions in your conclusion:
Overall was the outcome of the laboratory? Did your experiment add anything new, or justify a known principle or law? What did you learn from the laboratory? What new questions do you have?

References (5 pt.): You must use at least one peer reviewed journal article that has been published within the past 5 years. References should written and ACS format and should be numbered (labeled) according to use within the text.