Physics Formal Lab Report

Guideline

General

 Typewritten:
 10 pt font
 1.5 paragraph spacing
 1 inch margins
 Proper English Grammar and Vocabulary
 Scientific genre
 Use of passive voice
 Few adjectives (Avoid using words: good, great, I like it because it’s pretty …)
 Descriptive
 Name
 Date
 TA Name
 Title
 Course
 Lab Section
 Spell-check
 Proofread

Abstract

 Purpose Summary
 Summarizes the motivation behind your experiment
 Describes what you are aiming to find
 2 to 3 sentences
 Process Summary
 Summarizes your set up
 Explains your results
 Describes any issues
 3 to 4 sentences
 Conclusion Summary
 Answers the question posed in the purpose summary
 Describes further action
 Describes possible applications

Objective

 States what you aim to determine

 Single sentence

Theory

 Background information that applies to your experiment

 Explains why it applies
 Using words
 Brief
 Derivation of mathematical equations that applies to your experiment
 Using symbols or words
 Using numbers
 Theoretical answer (accepted value) to question posed in objective
 Uses theoretical methods to justify answer
 Standard symbols (e.g. g is for the acceleration due to gravity on earth)
 Correct units

Procedure

 Describes the process followed to perform the experiment

 Diagram of the experimental set up
 Labeled
 Easy to read
 Describes the experimental set up
 Brief
 Concise
Data

 Raw Data
 Table form
 Columns labeled clearly
 Correct units
 Uncertainty values
 Graph form
 Title
 Axis labeled
 Correct units
 Error bars
 Slopes
 Line of best fit
 Equation of line of best fit
 Error of the equation
 Calculations
 Sample calculation
 Shows all the steps of the calculation
 1 or 2 sample calculations
 Calculated Data
 Table form
 Columns labeled clearly
 Correct units
 Uncertainty values
 Graph form
 Title
 Axis labeled
 Correct units
 Error bars
 Slopes
 Line of best fit
  Equation of line of best fit
 Error of the equation

Analysis
 Table data analysis
 Explains the meaning of the data displayed in the tables
 Brief
 Concise
 Graph data analysis
 Explains the meaning of the data displayed in the graph
 States the relationship between the quantities represented in the graph
 Shows the mathematical equation relating the quantities on the graph
 Gives a physical interpretation of the equation of best fit
 Analysis questions answers
 Answers specific questions posed in the analysis of the data
 Uses data from the experiment to justify answer
 Experimental answer (experimental value) to question posed in objective
 Uses data from the experiment to justify answer
 Standard symbols (e.g. g is for the acceleration due to gravity on earth)
 Correct units
 Error analysis
 Compares theoretical value to experimental value
 Discusses sources of error

Conclusion

 Restates the objective and answers the question posed in the objective
 Summarizes the results from the analysis
 Suggests possible courses of action
 3 to 4 sentences