Describe the specific content of the lab in a concise fashion.
Abstract:
Summarize the main ideas of the introduction, your methods, your results, your discussion, and your conclusions in a sentence or two for each section. The abstract should be written in the past tense. It should include no equations, and the abstract should consist of a single paragraph. What the abstract should not be is a miniature introduction.
Introduction:
The introduction is to be at least one page in length. The introduction should state the concept to be examined, the specific question(s) asked and the expected outcome. It should also showcase your understanding of the physical principles involved in the experiment, any formulas used in the analysis, and any relevant background concepts.
A high quality introduction will state the experimental concept clearly, and logically relate this concept to supporting background information. It will state the hypothesis clearly and precisely, and relate the hypothesis to both the experimental setup and the module learning outcomes.
Methods:
Provide a concise, easy-to-follow description of the specific procedures followed in the experiment. Give enough detail of both the materials and the procedure used so that the experiment could be replicated by someone who has never done it before. Do not copy and paste, or simply repeat the directions given in the course materials.
A high quality methods section will be complete and accurate. The information will be well organized, and give clear, accurate and complete steps to follow.
Results:
State the overall findings of the lab. This section should begin with a paragraph containing any hypotheses formed and tested during the conduct of the laboratory. This section should also contain any data collected, sample calculations, analysis, and plots of the data or results. Describe these results with visuals, such as tables or graphs, in the order that they matter within the experiment or tell the story of the data. Describe trends and supporting information details that promote understanding of the visuals without making conclusions about the data, as this will come later in the conclusions section. Refer to visuals as Table 1, Figure 2, etc.
A high quality results section will provide the raw data in a complete and well organized manner. Any mathematical analyses and explanations will be clear and show a complete understanding of the results reported.
Discussion:
Explain what the findings of the lab mean in terms of the scientific concept or procedure that the lab is about. Be sure to point to the specific data from your findings as support for your explanation. Discuss any answers to the questions you raised in your Introduction, and address other issues that may be appropriate.
A high quality discussion will offer a thorough explanation and analysis of the experiment, interweaving the hypothesis with substantial readings and overarching themes.
Conclusion:
State what you have learned about the main focus of the experiment, the scientific concept, or the lab procedure. Give enough details of what you have learned to be convincing, and describe anything else you may have learned from doing the lab and writing the report: for example, something you found particularly interesting, methods of analyzing data you found useful, anything about using a spreadsheet or graphing, etc.
A high quality conclusion will offer insights connecting the experimental setup with the hypothesis and the physical principle under investigation.
Writing and References:
Include all the sources you have used in writing your experiment report, such as a lab manual, a textbook, and any reference books or articles you cited.
• Use the appropriate documentation style for citations and references (CBE, ACS, etc.)
• Use the correct format (titles, captions, etc.) for the tables, graphs, and drawings
• Write in a scientific style (tone should be objective; sentences should be clear and to the point)
• Make sure your report is clear of spelling and grammatical errors (use the spell check on your computer
• Include all the necessary headings if you do not use the template accessible next to this document within the Experiment drop box.