Writing a Laboratory Report

When writing a full laboratory report, the below format is required.

*All titles and subtitles should be bold and underlined. The main title should be size 20 font (NO
word art), subtitles size 14 and the report should be in size 12. The font should be Calibri.
Remember: This is a Scientific Report – not an advertisement in a magazine!

Date / Names of fellow group members

Title
Aim
This is a statement of the purpose of the investigation. Usually this is about 1 – 3 sentences
long. It must include the independent (changing) and dependent (measure) variable.

Eg: The aim of this experiment is to investigate the effect of temperature on the rate
of food spoilage.

Hypothesis
Provide a short discussion about what would be expected to happen in the results of your
experiment. Include any background information that may be relevant.

Eg: As temperature increases food becomes more hospitable for bacteria and
microorganisms. It would be expected that most food spoilage would occur in the 30 - 40⁰C
range, after this the temperature would become too warm for the bacteria to tolerate and
less spoilage would occur.

Introduction
Introduce the topic of the project and provide what knowledge already exists. You should
include all of your background research here eg. What makes something absorbent? How
does the construction of tennis balls affect their bounce?.

If you are going to state references in your report, this is where you cite them, with the
actual references listed at the end of the entire report in the form of a bibliography. (You
can use the functions ‘Insert Citation’ and ‘Bibliography’ in Microsoft Word, under
References to help you.)
Eg. When a solid absorbs a liquid it does so through capillary action. Capillary action is the
process by which liquids flow into a porous material or into thin tubes due to surface tension
effects. Some examples of this type of absorption are when a paper towel soaks up spilled
water or when soil soaks up rain.[CITATION Cro11 \l 3081 ]

Bibliography
Simpson. (2011). Effects of Absorbency. Melbourne: Ivanhoe Grammar School.

Note: The bibliography goes at the end of your report.

Variables
List and briefly explain the variables in your investigation.

 Independent Variables: these are the variables that you can change for example
mass, volume and temperature. In this experiment it would be temperature.
 Dependent Variables: this is the variable you are measuring. In this example it
would be the ‘rate of food spoilage’.
 Control Variable: these are the variable that you must keep the same. In this
example it would be the mass/size and type of the food.

Materials/Equipment
Include a complete list of all materials used in the practical investigation. When mentioning beakers
and measuring cylinders, the size of this equipment must be included.

Eg.

 7 Matches
 125mL of Water
 4 x 100 mL beaker

Method:
This should be in numbered steps, written in short, direct statements. Avoid using you/I/we.
Concentrate on writing a method that would allow any other group to pick up your method and
reproduce the same results. You may find it helpful to include a diagram of the equipment set up.
Results/Observations:
This is where you include the raw data which has been collected in terms including temperature
reading, distance travelled etc; as well as any observations you have made. These will depend on
your aim and your variables. Usually this is presented in table format. Include titles, subtitles and all
units where relevant.

This is also the section where you may include drawings from microscopes or final product, if
relevant.

This data should then be presented in a neat and labelled graph or table. Graphs should include a
specific title, X and Y labels with units and should be a minimum size of A5. Graphs should be drawn
in pencil, unless asked to be completed on a computer. All straight lines should be drawn with a
ruler.

Discussion/Evaluation:
Address all questions posed to you in the practical report.

Always include, if not directly asked, a final paragraph where you can analyse your data and look for
patterns and relationships. Ensure that you refer back to you findings (graphs and tables) and use
them to help support the points you are making.

Report in any sources of error in your group’s carrying out of the investigation (see below for details)
and potential improvement that could be made.

Evaluation of Procedure and Sources of Error

Include any changes in the procedure (improvements) you would make if you were to do this
experiment again, as well as valid reasons. Indicate any sources of error and attempt to explain how
you would reduce these in the future. (Eg. We spilled water over the food and this may have
affected how fast it spoiled. In future we will keep the workstations clean of contaminants.)

Examples of Acceptable Improvements

 Repeat the experiment several times, or take the results of the entire class and calculate and
average. This will give you more reliable results.
 Test the stop-watch prior to usage to ensure the batteries are operational.

[Example of Unacceptable Improvements – these are statements you should NOT make:

 Use better and more expensive equipment.

Examples of Acceptable Sources of Error

 The teabag rocket fell over before it took off.

[Examples of Unacceptable Sources of Error – these are statements you should NOT make:

 I did not work very well.

Conclusion:
This section will have three parts.

1. Answer your aim – did you do what you set out to do? Explain why/whether you know your
hypothesis was correct.

2. Include a valid conclusion based on the correct interpretation of your results.

Bibliography
Where relevant / necessary, include a list of sources you may have used in the research of your
report. You can use the functions ‘Insert Citation’ and ‘Bibliography’ in Microsoft Word,
under References to help you.