Chemistry Lab Report Format
Title:
Should be 10 words or less, and describe the content of the paper. Titles should not be "catchy", but just simply describe the basic purpose or ideas in the experiment.
Purpose:
In a sentence or two, please tell why we are doing this lab, what it is studying, or a possible hypothesis if applicable.
Background/safety precautions:
Please list any vocabulary that is new, with the definitions in your own words. This is also the place to list which safety protocols must be followed in the procedure.
Procedure:
You may not have to write up this section with every lab you do. Only write a procedure section when YOU are designing a part of the experiment or are asked in the lab to write your procedure down. This part of the experiment must be extremely detailed, so other scientists can duplicate your experiment exactly. That is what makes good science.
Materials:
This is the section of the experiment where you list the materials needed in the lab and a sentence about their specific use.
Data:
These are the results of the experiment, presented in one or more of the following formats: tables, graphs, or drawings (the form the data takes is dependent on the experiment). Get in the hang of drawing data tables. The first labs will suggest some for you. By mid year you?ll be making your own.
Calculations:
This is the spot to show any calculation or graphs that you are asked to complete. Each calculation should clearly show the equation, the numbers plugged in (with units), and the answers.
Questions/analysis/Conclusion/Discussion section (QACD for short):
Answer all the questions printed on your lab handout, if an open ended lab that seeks an answer to a hypothesis or question, this is the place to sum it up, present your answer, and the justification of how you came to the answer
Conclusions:
Discuss in complete sentences what you learned from this lab. Here you can discuss if you got strange results (error) what the sources of the errors were, and possible solutions to correct them next time.