Lab Reports Format
Lab Reports Format
A formal lab report is a record of your laboratory activities and should include the
following sections: Introduction, Experimental Procedure, Data, Analysis and Discussion
and Conclusion. Each section is required to have a heading and should be neat, well
organized and concise. It is customary in the scientific literature to number the sections of
a report, typically with Roman numerals. Reports will usually consist of 2-3 pages of text
with accompanying figures and tables.
I. Introduction: The reason for doing laboratory experiments is to further develop your
understanding of the concepts and laws of Physics. The objective of a particular
experiment is usually stated in the Introduction section of the lab handout. In a few
sentences describe the particular concepts and laws of Physics that the lab was meant to
demonstrate and state the objective of the lab. If the lab report requires you to carry out
any derivations, place them in your Introduction section. Explain how the result of the
derivation is relevant to the objective of the experiment.
II. Experimental Procedure: Include a one to two paragraph description of the
experimental equipment and procedure, using your own words. Be sure to include a
diagram of your experimental set up. A question that always arises is how much detail
should be included in the procedure section. A good rule of thumb to apply is write
enough detail so that a classmate who missed the lab could carry it out from your
description.
III. Data: Include the lab handout behind your written report. Your original (raw) data will
usually be recorded in the handout, but it also needs to be included in your report in
tabular form. There should be a paragraph describing the data that is contained in the
various tables. Your tables should either have a heading or a very clear figure caption.
The information should be laid out in such a manner that it is obvious what you are
trying to achieve.
General Policies:
1. It is preferable that your reports are typed but neat, hand-written reports are
acceptable. Hand-written reports should be done in black or blue ink – no pencil or
other colored inks. Do not use paper ripped out of a spiral notebook.
2. Your report should be written in paragraph format and not as a list of bulleted items.
3. Your report should utilize the language and concepts of Physics to describe your
activities and observations. You should follow the rules of English grammar and
make sure all words are spelled correctly.
4. This final reminder should not be necessary at this point in your academic careers but
experience indicates otherwise. The pages of your report should be numbered,
organized in the proper order and stapled together with your name on the front page.
The modification of the Percentage Error formula by replacing the “pred value” in the
denomination by the average of “ meas value1” and “meas value2” prevents a biasing of
the calculation. This is done since neither “meas value1” or “meas value2” is considered
apriori to be more accurate than the other. A common practice of dividing the difference
by the larger of the two measured values would under estimate the value of the
Percentage Difference. Hence, the use of the average value in the denominator.