Lab Report Template: How To Write A Lab Report
High school and college students, particularly those in the science field (science, chemistry, and physics), are expected to learn how to conduct a proper lab experiment. Scientific experiments usually take place in the laboratory, and students are expected to know the various equipment they work with, how to connect them, how to prepare samples for the experiment, how to calibrate the equipment, and how to collect data.
Students will also spend a lot of time presenting the data and findings of the experiment in a concise, objective, and conclusive format called a lab report.
A well-organized laboratory report is much more effective and influential than one without a structure. Many universities and colleges have instructions for writing a laboratory report and students should follow the approved structure whenever it has been provided.
However, if no format is given, you can follow the format below to write your lab report.
Lab Report Outline Or Template
1.0 Cover page
When writing any paper in APA format, you must start with a cover page. The main elements of the cover page are:
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- A title for the report
- Your name
- Course
These elements should be on a page of their own at the beginning of the paper. The title of your paper should reflect the purpose of the experiment. Refer to an APA Manual on how to write your title and cover page.
2.0 Abstract
An abstract is a 150 – 200 words overview of the experiment, including its findings and conclusions.
In general, the abstract should answer six questions:
- Why was the experiment conducted?
- What specific problem/research question was being addressed?
- What methods were used to solve the problem/answer the question?
- What results were obtained?
- What do these results mean?
The most important rule for writing an abstract is to be brief and to the point. Someone who is unfamiliar with your experiment should be able to understand why you did what you did, and the conclusions you reached, without needing to read the rest of the report.
3.0 Introduction
Every report must have a well-written introduction to lure in readers and provide context for the study.
The introduction should:
- Provide the context and motivation for the experiment
- Briefly explain the relevant theory in sufficient detail
- Introduce any relevant laws, equations or theorems that will be relied on
- Clearly state the aim or research question that the experiment is designed to address.
4.0 Method
You should describe how you conducted the experiment in this section. Write exactly what you actually did, not j what you planned to do.
A typical procedure usually includes:
- How apparatus and equipment were set up (e.g. Experimental set-up), usually including a diagram,
- A list of materials used
- Steps used to collect the data
- Any experimental difficulties encountered and how they were resolved or worked around
- Indicate what para
- meter or properties of the system you are measuring.
If any aspects of the experimental procedure were likely to contribute systematic error to the data and results, point this out in sufficient detail in this section.
4.1. Experimental Set-up and Materials
Describe how the experiment was set-up in sufficient detail to allow someone else to replicate the experiment. You will usually begin with a description of the materials used and/or the apparatus set-up accompanied by:
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- An image showing the relevant features of any object or material under investigation
- A diagram of the experimental setup, with each component labeled
4.2 Procedure
When you carry out an experiment, you usually follow a set of instructions such as these, which may include extra information to guide you through the steps.
Indicate what parameter or properties of the system you are measuring. Usually, in an experiment, you change a parameter of the system (the independent variable) and measure its effect (dependent variable).
5.0 Results and Analysis
Present the main data collected during your experiment. Ensure that every key measurement is reported appropriately. The best way to represent data is by using graphs, figures or tables.
This section often also includes analysis of the raw data, such as calculations. In some disciplines the analysis is presented under its own heading, in others, it is included in the results section. An analysis of the errors or uncertainties in the experiment is also usually included in this section.
In short, the results section should:
- Provide tables showing your measurement with units.
- Describe the uncertainties: standard, instrument, random errors
- Provide graphs. Graphs should be neat, clear, and include the axis label and units.
- Computation of the final answer: slope calculation, averages, and standard deviations all in proper significant figures.
Any data presented in tables or graphs should be labeled appropriately to clearly indicate what is shown. Tables should be labeled numerically as table 1, table 2, etc.
Everything else (graphs, images, diagrams, etc.) Is labeled numerically as figure 1, figure 2, etc. (references to figures in the main body of the text are usually written in abbreviated form, e.g. ‘see fig. 1’).
Table captions appear above the table. Figure captions appear below the figure.
6.0 Discussion
The discussion section is where you comment on the results you obtained, interpret what the results mean, and explain any results which are unexpected.
Your discussion section should demonstrate how well you understand what happened in the experiment.
You should:
- Identify and comment on any trends you have observed
- Compare the experimental results with any predictions
- Identify how any sources of error might impact on the interpretation of your results
- Suggest explanations for unexpected results, and
- If appropriate, suggest how the experiment could have been improved.
7.0 Conclusion
The conclusion section should summarize what has been learned from the experiment.
Some of the things that should be included in the conclusion include:
- Restating the purpose of the experiment
- Identifying the main findings
- Saying the limitations of the study
- Stating how the experiment has contributed to your understanding of the problem.
8.0 References
The introduction usually states some theories and studies. In addition, the discussion section will often include in-text citations, to show how your findings relate to those in the published literature, or to provide evidence-based suggestions or explanations for what you observed.
When in-text citations are incorporated into your lab report, you must always have the full citations included in a separate reference list. The reference list is a separate section that comes after your conclusion (and before any appendices).
When adding a reference list, you should follow the APA style guide (or the style guide asked of you by the lecturer).
A sample APA reference for a journal:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of the article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
9.0 Appendices
An appendix should contain all material that is too detailed to include in the main report, such as tables of raw data or detailed calculations.