HOW TO WRITE A LAB REPORT Step by

HOW TO WRITE A LAB REPORT Step by step procedure to create a lab report.

GETTING STARTED: All lab reports MUST be presented on the lab report template. You may print the template to hand write your report or copy it to a word document and type your report. How to access the template is discussed in the conclusion of this presentation.

THE TEMPLATE: The Lab Report is divided into four different areas: • Heading • Procedure • Data • Conjecture

HEADING: Fill in the title of the lab report which is usually given in the assignment. You may wish to include a reference page from the text here also. Fill in your name and the due date.

PROCEDURE: This section describes: • What data you will be gathering • How you will gather that data Since Geometry is visual math, you will probably be drawing pictures for most of your lab reports.

DATA: In this section you record all of your data: • Pictures • Calculations • Charts • Tables

CONJECTURE: Once you have analyzed your data you draw a conclusion. This conclusion is called a conjecture. You may want to go back to the data section at this time and highlight some of the data with colored pencils (or use colors on the computer) to support your conjecture.

SAMPLE LAB REPORT Let’s write a lab report for the following problem: How many white squares are in the 35 th drawing?

THE TITLE BOX n Add a title… n Your n The Name… Date… How Many Squares? J. Wright 9/24

THE PROCEDURE 1. 2. 3. What steps will you take? Procedure: 1. Draw the pattern. 2. Make up a table. 3. Write the equation that What visuals will relates to the table. you use? 4. Substitute 35 into the formula to calculate the What calculations need to be made? number of white squares in the 35 th drawing.

THE DATA Data: Follow our procedure: 1. Draw the pattern. 2. Make up a table. 3. Write the equation. 4. Evaluate using x=35. 1 2 3 1 3 5 f(x) = 2 x - 1 f(35) = 70 - 1 f(35) = 69

THE CONJECTURE Now summarize the data into an conditional statement. DONE!!! Conjecture: If you continue the square pattern, then the 35 th pattern will have 69 white squares.

CONCLUSION: You are now ready to write your first lab report! A template has been placed on the Geometry page of this web site for you to access whenever an investigation requiring a lab report is assigned. Exit this presentation by hitting the back button and click on Geometry, then template to obtain a lab report form.