2FWREHU 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 1 of 7

PHYA1 )-2017
The Lab Report Template
This document should serve as an outline for writing your Lab reports.
You are encouraged to download this document and read carefully. It
contains all of the important sections that should be included in a scientific
paper as well as descriptions of what should be included in each of these
sections. The first page is the cover page which includes your and your
partner’s names, youU Lab sections and your TA name. It also contains the
grading scheme set up by the Lab coordinator. The Formal Lab reports are
graded by your TA or another TA in the course. You are expected to
follow the proper format outlined in this Lab report template. After the
“Cover page”, you will write the title of the Experiment followed by the
“Abstract “(this section, which summarizes the main results, is better left
until the very end). It follows by the “Introduction”, and then
“Experimental Method” which should contains information about how you
went about your experiment. After that one write “Data, Results and
Analysis”, here you list the data obtained in tables and/or graphs and do
your calculation to obtain the results, which, some times, also presented in
tables and/or graphs. Include all the uncertainties and the accumulated
errors. Last, but not least, you will write another section entitled
“Discussion and Conclusion”. This is a very important section, and you
should spend considerable amount of time thinking about it. You will
provide scientific arguments about the result you obtained. You should
explain if the data agree, deviate from or violate the theory. What cause
this deviation, and how your assumptions affected your result? The
references used have to be listed in the “References” section. You should
follow the proper format explained in this document.
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 2 of 7

Title of the Experiment

Student Name: Student Number:

Partner’s name: Student number:
TA Name: Lab Section:
Date of the expt.:

Abstract

It contains a brief description of the project including relevant description of

the problem, data collection procedures and a summary of results as well as a
brief description of how this information fits into the overall field. The
! ! !
abstract may contain equations like, E = E0 cos(k × r! - wt + f ) , but inline equations
in Microsoft Word don’t look very good so you may use another software
called MathType. An abstract is usually quite short. Often, the length is
limited to between 150 and 300 words, never exceeds half a page.

INTRODUCTION
This file contains a general outline of the information that should be included in a
scientific paper. It provides a good template within which you can easily write a paper.
When you start out writing papers, you will likely include most of these sections and
utilize this fairly standard format. As you gain experience, you may choose a different
ordering or different sections as you find appropriate. Remember this is just a template to
help you get started. You will have your own style of writing. Your audience and the
content of your paper should be the most important guiding influence when writing any
paper. The writing process will go much more smoothly if you take some time to answer
a few questions before you begin writing. For example, before you begin writing; ask
yourself, “Who is my audience?”, “What do I want them to get out of this paper?”, and
“What are the most important ideas to convey with this paper?” There are lots of other
questions you could ask, but these three will help you generate a document that is pitched
at the right level and contains information that is useful to your audience.
However, you should keep in mind that a good scientific paper always introduces the
reader to the subject material and provides the appropriate background information that
the author thinks the reader will need. A good scientific paper will always make the
experimental, computational, or theoretical methods clear enough so that a competent
reader should be able to reproduce the work. A clear description of how any data was
collected should be included as well as a description of the raw data, generally in
graphical format. Any analysis performed on the data should be outlined clearly. Analysis
and conclusions drawn from the analysis should generally be described separately from
raw data. A paper should end with a set of conclusions based on the analysis. It is the
responsibility of the author to carefully lead the reader from the experimental design
through the conclusions tying each piece together. For example, it should be clear to the
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 3 of 7

reader explicitly how your analysis leads from your raw data to your conclusions. If you
do not make this clear, no matter whether or not you are right, you have not done your
job as an author and will find that you have a hard time convincing anyone that what you
have done is valid. Finally, every paper should end with a references section. A
scientific paper without any references indicates that the author believes that every
thought conveyed in the paper is original. Any information that you obtain from another
source should be cited. The only exception is for material that is considered common
knowledge. As a student, your common knowledge will often be somewhat more limited
than the average author in a scientific journal. As such, you will often reference
information from class notes or textbooks that other authors may not. When in doubt,
make a reference. This eliminates any possibility that you will be accused of plagiarism,
a very serious transgression indeed.
An introduction generally contains a brief introduction to the material that will be
presented. Relevant information includes a clear enunciation of the questions that will be
addressed in the paper, background information relevant for understanding the paper,
basic theory needed to understand the contents of the paper, etc.
It is important to take into account your audience when writing the introduction. The
purpose of an introduction is most often to give your audience enough information so that
they will be able to understand the rest of your paper and put it into a larger context.
Depending on your audience, this context may vary. For example, if you are preparing a
paper with other physics students in mind as the audience, you will write the introduction
so they see how their previous physics knowledge will be useful in understanding this
paper. If on the other hand, you are writing this paper for a narrow selection of
researchers, you will not need to include as much information. Rather, you will present
them with enough information so that they can see how this paper fits in with relevant
research.
This document will serve as a template for producing professional looking papers in
MS Word. Before you begin to modify this document, make sure you have a copy of it
saved somewhere so that you can look back at it if you delete or otherwise lose
something important in this document.
If you have any questions about the appropriate style for a scientific paper, you can
refer to the AIP Style Manual at http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html.

THEORY
Often, if the theory needed to understand a paper is somewhat extensive, a separate
section containing a description of the theory will be presented. This section should
contain enough theoretical detail to make it possible for a member of your target audience
to be able to reproduce any results you come up with. Obviously, the amount of detail
that you include will depend on space constraints and the expected level of expertise of
your audience.
In the context of a paper written by an undergraduate for a class, you should include all
non-obvious steps and be sure to reference material that is not “common knowledge”. If
you just learned the material in a class, you should include references to where the basic
derivation comes from. If you start with a non-trivial expression that you had to look up
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 4 of 7

somewhere, either in a book, a paper, or your notes, you should definitely include a
reference.
All equations should be incorporated into the text using a program designed to properly
format equations. LaTex, Mathtype, and Equation editor are common programs. You can
insert equations easily into a document using MS Equation Editor. It isn’t the best, or the
prettiest, but it works, so I don’t complain. Putting in equation numbers is not natural for
Word, so this template contains a simple macro to do this. If you have MathType, it
works better, so use it. If not, you’ll notice a couple of buttons up by the list buttons that
look like [ S ], and [ S(1) ]. The [ S ] button inserts and equation and the [ S(1) ] button
inserts and equation number. To use the equation number button, you must first place the
cursor after the equation and press the [ S(1) ] button. The resulting inserted number will
automatically update.
! ! ! !
E = E0 cos(k × r - wt + f ) (1)
! ! ! !
B = B0 cos(k × r - wt + f ) (2)
With these simple tools it is easy to put together a scientific paper.

Figure 1 : A capacitor and battery circuit diagram.

Any diagram you include should contain a fairly detailed figure caption. A good rule
of thumb is that if someone reads the abstract and looks at all the figures and captions,
they should have a reasonable idea what your paper is about. While this isn’t always
possible, it is a good thing to shoot for. That said, this document doesn’t even come close
to meeting that requirement, but it also isn’t so much a scientific paper as a how to
manual on writing one.
As mentioned before, you should include enough information in your experimental
design to make it possible for someone else to reproduce your experiment. You should
generally outline what you did with enough detail so that it is clear how you setup your
experiment and how you collected your data.
It is particularly important to include anything out of the ordinary. Often we make
experimental errors in our setup. It isn’t fun, but it happens. If one clearly articulates her
setup, it is possible for others to identify these often subtle experimental errors.
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 5 of 7

DATA, RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Your paper should contain a section describing your raw results. Often this will be
done by including graphs and/or tables of data. This data should generally not be heavily
processed. Rather, one should include results in an understandable format that are a good
representation of the data obtained by your experiment or computation. You will have a
chance to show processed results in the analysis section, but in this section you need to
present the reader with your raw data so she can clearly judge the quality of your analysis
and conclusions.
Often you have far too much data to include it all. In this case, you will include a
sample of raw data with tables or graphs containing straightforward compilations of this
data.
Here is another figure. It is generally best to make all figures only a single column width.
When they are inline, it is very easy to locate them with respect to text [3]. You may still
have to do some fiddling at the end to get them exactly where you want them, but once
you put them somewhere they stay put, with respect to the text.

Client Display

Client Monitor Display

Client Server
Display

Figure 2 : A high level diagram of the monitor system. Monitor data flows from left to right, and
requests for particular monitor data from right to left. The Monitor Server (MS) caches replies from the
clients.[4]

You can also insert Tables very easily. Just make a table
Current Voltage Power
0.01 0.12 2
0.02 0.13 4
0.03 0.14 6
Table 1 : This is a simple Table to demonstrate how a table should be inserted

In general, you should never include a table in a paper when a figure/graph will do a
better job. It is quite rare to see tables in scientific papers. You should never include a
long list of data or an excerpt from a spreadsheet unless the particular values in the list
are very important. Long lists are hard to read and generally confuse or bore your reader.
Most often tables are used to show a few numbers derived from a larger dataset. This is
a good use of tables but should generally occur in the analysis sections because the
numbers are derived from the data.
Here is another table. We can reference this table in the same way mentioned in Section
Error! Reference source not found.. Table 6 shows a more common type of info to be
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 6 of 7

contained in a table. This table shows the different sources of uncertainty in a

measurement and how much each source contributes to the total uncertainty.

Sources of Error Size of Error

Statistical Uncertainty ± 0.02eV
Systematic Uncertainty ± 0.10eV
Table 2 : This table shows the different sources of uncertainty in a measurement.

After you have clearly described your results, you will describe how you will analyze
these results, that is, how you will process the data you collected to obtain information
that will help you answer the questions you brought up in the introduction.
It is critically important that the analysis is clear. Your job in the analysis is to convince
the reader that the methods you used to get from your results to your conclusions are
sound. If your analysis is incomplete or unclear, your reader may not trust the
conclusions you draw. This is another place where you will often have equations, graphs
and tables. Remember that whenever you use an equation, graph or table, it should be
referred to in the text. Any equation, graph, figure, or table should fit into your
explanations. If you include a graph but make not mention of it in the text, the graph
either has not reason to be included, or you have omitted important information from the
text.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Here you summarize your main results and analysis. You also discuss the uncertainties
and how your assumptions affected the main results. Your conclusions should be brief,
but long enough to refocus the reader. The conclusions part of this section describes your
assertions based on your data. In essence, it contains the answers you’ve come up with
for the questions you asked in the introduction.
You should also make it a point to place your conclusions within a context. That is,
you should discuss the possible implications of your conclusions or how they might be
relevant to other researchers. This is often hard to do as a student, but not impossible.
Some questions you can keep in mind when writing this section are. Why are these
conclusions important? Who might these results affect? What could these results be
useful for?
It is important to keep in mind that you should not overstate your conclusions. A
common error authors make is to over generalize ones conclusions. For example if I find
that a particular type of crystal behaves non-linearly within certain parameters, it is an
overgeneralization to conclude that all crystals of that structure will behave the same
way. If the author suspects this to be the case, she can state her prediction, but should not
assert that it is a fact just because she has a hunch based on her experiment with this one
crystal.
This section, also, contains a listing of the directions that the author thinks it will be
possible to extend this research. It can be a list of possible future experiments or
questions one might ask that are based on the results of the research presented. This
section gives the author the opportunity to be somewhat more creative. That said, it
should be clear in the paper that the statements made in this sections are suggestions,
January 2017 Lab Report Template for UTSC Physics Students Page 7 of 7

conjecture and or gut reactions. It is good to include this kind of information, because it
helps one to refine her intuition and practice asking interesting scientific questions.

REFERENCES

You must include a references section in any scientific paper. To omit the references
section is to almost certainly commit plagiarism. As mentioned before, you should
include references whenever you have used information from another source. This might
be a professors notes or a textbook.

[1] I. Newton, “Apples Hurt when they Hit you in the Head”, Journal of Fruit
Dynamics (1521), 21(3), 321.
[2] W. Tell, I. Newton, “Arrows Hurt more than Apples”, Private Communication.
[3] R Feynman, M. Fandango, “Quantum Interactions between Apples and Arrows: A
Diagrammatic Approach”, http://www.fruitdiagrams.org.
[4] C. Ape, “Learning to Climb like a Monkey”, Primate Dynamics (2001), 4(10), 57-
69.
[5] K. Kong, “Learning to Club like a Gorilla”, Journal of Newtonian Mechanics and
Ape Behavior (2003), 12(3), 125-130.
 FORMAL LAB REPORT GRADING MATRIX
PHYA11H3F 2017

Formal Lab reports are graded by your TA or another TA in the course. You are
expected to follow the proper format outlined in the Lab report template. The
marking scheme used is described in detail in the table below. You are encouraged
to read it carefully and, if needed, to ask your TA for clarifications. The marks will
be recorded on the cover page of your Lab report The Lab report is graded out of
100%. The assigned marks in the table add up to 90%. The remaining 10% will be
assigned for the overall scientific impression the marker will have about the entire
report. It includes the general and proper scientific content and the clear connection
between the various sections of the report. It should reflect the proper and solid
connection between the assumptions made, the theory used and the results obtained
when the experiment was conducted. This, eventually, will demonstrate the proper
and accurate use of the Scientific Method.

Style & Purpose Organization & Data, Results & Discussion &
15% Format Analysis Conclusion
15% 35% 25%

In Assessing Establishes a clear The organization is The content is The report exhibits
Consider appropriate to the
Purpose writer’s purpose in Comprehensive Accurate use
Awareness of terms of Appropriate to of Scientific
audience the need, proper arguments.
Clarity of ideas Unity display of Data Through
Consistent Coherence using Tables and discussion of all
and concise use Concise Graphs results obtained
of appropriate organization Correct use of Clarity &
vocabulary and proper Lab Error Analysis accuracy of
grammar report Accurate results conclusions
Template Innovation in
concepts and
techniques

Exemplary (A) Establishes Logical The content of Sound and

and maintains a progression of Data are accurate use of
clear purpose ideas/procedures comprehensive and Scientific
Clear Clear purpose appropriate to the arguments to
understanding of Fluent, needs discuss data
audience and task cohesive, concise Accurate display Critical
Exhibits ideas Consistently of Data and excellent discussion of
that are clearly follows the use of Data Analysis results obtained
developed in format Main results Clear and
depth Adherence to (including accurate
Demonstrates proper format of uncertainties) are conclusions based
 essentially error- the Lab report correctly calculated on sound theories
free grammar & Template Main results or Models
consistent and (including Innovative
concise use of uncertainties) are ideas to improve
vocabulary clearly presented the experiment

Proficient (B) Establishes a Organized but The content of Sound but

purpose but the may have minor Data meets the with little
focus might drift lapses in unity or needs and accurate inaccurate use of
Aware of coherence Minor Scientific
audience and task Generally inaccuracies in the arguments to
Develops fluent/cohesive display of Data and discuss data
ideas but not in but not always good use of Data Some
depth concise Analysis discussion of
Contains minor Proper use of Main results results obtained
errors in the Lab report (including all Clear
grammar & Template with uncertainties) are conclusions based
inconsistencies minor calculated with on theories or
use of discrepancies minor mistake Models with
appropriate Main results minor mistakes
vocabulary (including Some new
uncertainties) are ideas to improve
presented with the experiment
minor flows

Developing (C) Attempts to Organized but The content of Some attempt

establish a may have major Data generally to use Scientific
purpose lapses in meets needs with arguments to
Limited coherence some missing parts discuss data
awareness of Lacks unity Some Little and/or
audience and task Contains inaccuracies in the inaccurate
Exhibits unnecessary and display of Data discussion of
limited or inadequate with attempt to use results obtained
development of material Data Analysis Some
ideas Major flaws Main results conclusions with
Major but not in format and/or uncertainties no scientific bases
frequent errors in Attempts to were calculated or with major
grammar & in the use the Lab with frequent mistakes
use of appropriate report Template mistakes Some new
and concise with Major Main results ideas to improve
vocabulary discrepancies and/or uncertainties the experiment
are poorly with minor
presented inaccuracies

Marginal (D) Did not or Poor The content of No attempt to

poor attempt to organization Data does not meet use Scientific
establish a Lacks unity the needs arguments to
purpose Contains with great deal of discuss data
Very limited or unnecessary and inappropriate Major
no awareness of or inadequate material inaccuracy in
audience and task material Major discussion of
Exhibits no Major flaws inaccuracies in the results obtained
development of in format display of Data No conclusions
ideas Almost no with almost no or wrong use of
Major and attempt to use attempt to use Data scientific
frequent errors in the Lab report Analysis arguments to
the use of Template Main results draw
appropriate and and/or uncertainties inappropriate
concise were calculated conclusions
vocabulary incorrectly with No or few new
Major frequent mistakes ideas to improve
inconsistencies Most of main the experiment
in grammar results and/or with major
including voice uncertainties are inaccuracies
and tense not presented