How to Write a Lab Report General Information

“How to Write a Lab Report” General Information: Typed 12 -pt Times New Roman 1 -inch margins on all sides Neat and organized Good spelling and grammar Support statements with research and data. Do not state anything that is purely opinion and do not make any statement without evidence Separate Title page 5 Sections of the body Abstract Introduction Materials & Methods Results Discussion Separate Work Cited Page

Title page: • Title – Based specifically on the experiment. – Contains the independent and dependent variables. • • Your name Lab report due date Course name and section number. Instructors name • Include a running header on the top left of every page with the title of the lab report.

Abstract • • 250 word maximum. Single spaced. No paragraph indention. Includes; – – – Purpose of the experiment. Hypothesis. General methods/procedures Basic Results. (the data) Identify if data supports/rejects the hypothesis. • Do NOT include anything else in this section. • Remember K. I. S. S – Keep it simple student

Introduction • • Begin just below the Abstract. Double-spaced. Paragraph indention. Include: – The purpose for doing the experiment. – Relevant background information that lead to doing the experiment. • Based on research from outside resources. • Cited using APA format – The hypothesis you developed. • Provide relevant, reliable information that supports the hypothesis. – Can be based on specific observations. – Research. » Cited using APA format

Relevant Background Information for Paper Towel Lab. • Who came up with the idea for a disposable towel? – You will not find a specific name, only the gender, and occupation of the person. • What was going on that prompted the idea of a disposable towel? • Who was the first person to commercialize the disposable towel? • When was the disposable towel commercialized? • What item was first used by the person/company as a disposable towel? • Why was this item used? • What and how are today’s paper towels made of? • What makes a paper towel absorbent? Why? • How much money per year is the paper towel industry worth?

Materials and Methods • • Begin just beneath the Introduction. Double Spaced. Written in past tense. Do not use personal pronouns – “I”, “we”, “me”, “our”, etc. • Written in complete sentences. • Paragraph indention. • Include: – A detailed description of what was done, and what was used to do it. • Detailed enough so that anyone who reads the report can do EXACTLY what you did and get the EXACT results you did. – Identify the independent variable with levels of treatment. – Clearly identify the dependent variable and the methods for calculating and analyzing results. • Mathematical formulas (averages, percents) • Statistical analysis (chi square, z-score, t-test) – Clearly identify the controlled variables. – Clearly identify the control group if there was one.

Instead of: You can use: “We conducted an “The experiment showing…. ” showed…. . “I hypothesized…” “It was hypothesized…” “I boiled 50 m. L of “ 50 m. L of water was water for 10 minutes…” boiled for 10 minutes. . ”

Results • Data should consist of; – quantitative (numerical) data arranged in tables/graphs. • Graphs are referred to as “figures” – qualitative (non-numerical) data written out as sentences or as drawings/pictures. • Include a description of what each table/graph shows. – Appears UNDER each table/figure. – Single spaced. • Do NOT include Raw Data. – This is the data you collected when doing each trial Before you analyzed it mathematically.

Figure 1 shows that of the 73 total available species of animals at Steve’s Pet Shop, the one with the most abundant species are fish at 25 different species. This amounts to 34. 24% of the total available species at the pet store. Rabbits are the least abundant with 4 available species, which amounts to 5. 47% of the total available species.

Table 1 shows that the greatest increase in e-coli bacteria was from hours 8 to 9. The population jumps from 62 reproducing bacteria to 81 reproducing bacteria for an increase of 23. 4% The least reproductive time frame for e-coli was between hours 4 and 5 from 18 to 22 bacteria. This is a population increase of 18. 18%.

Results for the Paper Towel Lab • Average the data collected for each trial to get a single result for each brand of paper towel. • Create a bar graph that shows the average amount of fluid absorbed for each brand of paper towel. – Remember to Include the word “Figure 1: ” with the title of your graph. – Put the independent variable on the x-axis. – Put the dependent variable on the y-axis. – Use consistent intervals for the y-axis. • Remember, bar graphs are for comparisons. • Remember, line graphs are for trends over time.

Discussion • Double spaced. • Paragraph indention. • Re-state the purpose, hypothesis and general methods for conducting the experiment. • Explain why your hypothesis is supported or rejected based on the data you have calculated • Support, defend, justify, compare your results with those from other experiments like yours. – These experiments should be from reliable sources/authors. – Cited using APA format. • Identify possible sources of error in conducting the experiment/analyzing the data. – Do not state “Human error” as a source of error. We known this. Be specific. • If you could do this experiment again, what changes would you make to the experiment and why?

Websites to Use for the Discussion Section. • https: //www. insider. com/which-brand-has-the-bestpaper-towels-2019 -4 • https: //www. deseret. com/2014/10/13/20550373/wha t-brand-has-the-best-paper-towels • https: //www. reviewed. com/home-outdoors/best-right -now/the-best-paper-towels These are suggestions. You do not have to use these, but they all include various brands of paper towels as well as quantitative/qualitative data to compare your data to.

Work Cited • On a page separate from the body of the report. • Double spaced. • First line of each citation is flush with the lefthand margin. – Subsequent lines of each resource are indented. • Make sure all information that was researched is cited within the paper and referenced here. – Use the APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines for doing a work cited section. • Alphabetized by author’s last name. If not author, then by title of article. • Date of publication in parenthesis. • Title of article has only the first letter of the first word capitalized. All other words of the title are lower case. • Title of Book, Journal, Magazine has the first letter of each word capitalized and in italics. – Blogs, Power. Points, Lectures, all have different formats so make sure to research how to do a work cited for each of the resources used in the report.