how to write a practical report physics

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How to Write a Scientific Lab Report: Basic Format & Key Parts

Last Updated: March 12, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA . Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 154,692 times.

If you've just finished an experiment in your physics class, you might have to write a report about it. This may sound intimidating, but it's actually a simple process that helps you explain your experiment and your results to your teacher and anyone else who is interested in learning about it. Once you know what sections to include in your report and what writing techniques to use, you'll be able to write a great physics lab report in no time.

Including the Proper Sections

• Your name and the name of your partner(s)
• The title of your experiment
• The date you conducted the experiment
• Your teacher's name
• Information that identifies which class you are in

• Keep your abstract brief and note the purpose of the experiment, the hypothesis, and any major findings.

• If a diagram will help your audience understand your procedure, include it in this section.
• You may be tempted to write this as a list, but it's best to stick to paragraph form.
• Some teachers may require a separate section on the materials and apparatuses that were used to conduct the experiment.
• If you are following instructions from a lab book, do not just copy the steps from the book. Explain the procedure in your own words to demonstrate that you understand how and why you are collecting each piece of data.

• You may include graphs or charts that highlight the most important pieces of data here as well, but do not begin to analyze the data quite yet.
• Explain any reasonable uncertainties that may appear in your data. No experiment is completely free of uncertainties, so ask your teacher if you're not sure what to include.
• Always include uncertainty bars in your graphs if the uncertainties of the data are known.
• Also discuss any potential sources of error and how those errors may have affected your experiment.

• Some teachers may allow you to include your calculations in the data section of our report.

• Include information about how your results compare to your expectations or hypothesis, what implications these results have for the world of physics, and what further experiments could be conducted to learn more about your results.
• You can also include your own ideas for improving upon the experiment.
• Be sure to include any graphs that would be appropriate to illustrate your analysis of the data and help your readers better understand it. [8] X Research source
• Some teachers may request that you create two separate analysis and conclusion sections.

Using the Correct Writing Techniques

• Bullet pointed lists are not appropriate for most sections of your report. You may be able to use them for short sections like your materials and apparatuses list.
• Keep in mind that one of the main objectives of your lab report is to guide others in recreating your experiment. If you can't clearly explain what you did and how you did it, no one will ever be able to reproduce your results.

• Active sentences are usually easier to understand than passive sentences, so try to minimize your use of the passive voice whenever possible. For example, if you wrote, "These results are easily reproducible by anyone who has the correct equipment," try changing it to "Anyone who has the correct equipment should be able to reproduce these results." The passive voice is not always wrong, so don't be afraid to leave a sentence in the passive voice if you think it makes more sense that way.

• Don't jump ahead and discuss the results of the experiment before you get to that section. Just because you understand everything that happened with your experiment, does not mean your readers will. You need to walk them through it step by step.
• Cut out any sentences that don't add anything of substance to your report. Your readers will only get frustrated if they have to read through a bunch of fluff in order to find your main point.

• For example, instead of writing, "I noticed that the data we gathered was not consistent with our previous results," write, "The data is not consistent with the previous results."
• It may be tricky to maintain active voice when writing in third person, so it’s okay to use passive voice if it makes more sense to do so.

• The past tense is appropriate for discussing your procedure and the results of past experiments.

Community Q&A

• Try not to make your sentences too long or difficult. Even complex information can be written out in a way that is easy to understand. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0
• Your teacher may have a slightly different way of breaking up the sections, so it's always a good idea to ask. Be sure to include any additional sections that your teacher specifically requests. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
• If there were multiple parts to your experiment, you might want to consider doing a mini report for each section so your readers can easily follow along with your data and results for each part before moving on to the next one. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/110769.pdf
• ↑ https://centers.njit.edu/introphysics/physics-lab-report-guidelines/
• ↑ https://physics.unc.edu/undergraduate/courses-credits-placement/sample-report/
• ↑ https://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/mfauerba/Physics_Procedure_for_Writing_a_Physics_Lab_Report.htm
• ↑ https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=352816&p=2377936
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading

About This Article

To write a physics lab report, start by putting together a cover sheet with your name, and the title and date of the experiment. Then, include an abstract, or summary of your report, followed by your objective, procedures, and methods. After you’ve talked about how the experiment was conducted, present your raw data, and provide any important calculations used with the data. Next, write an analysis of your data, and a conclusion to explain what you've learned. Finally, complete the report by writing up your references. For tips from our Science reviewer on how to make your report sound as professional as possible, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Good Lab Report

Sample lab instruction, experimental investigation of c/d.

Introduction: How is the circumference of a circle related to its diameter? In this lab, you design an experiment to test a hypothesis about the geometry of circles. This activity is an introduction to physics laboratory investigations. It is designed to give practice taking measurements, analyzing data, and drawing inferences without requiring any special knowledge about physics.

Equipment (per group):

• Metric ruler
• Vernier calipers
• At least 5 objects with diameters ~1 cm to ~10 cm: (penny, marble, “D” cell, PVC cylinders)

Design an experimental procedure to test the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis: The circumference (C) of a circle is directly proportional to its diameter (D).

Make sure you record what you do as you do it, so that the procedure section of your report accurately and completely reflects what you did. Some helpful hints for taking and recording data are in the lab tips and in the grading rubric.

Note: As the semester progresses, you will be expected to take more and more responsibility for deciding how to analyze your data. Drawing valid inferences from data is a vital skill for engineers and scientists. The instructions for analyzing data for most labs will not be as detailed as the instructions below.

• Numerical Analysis: Calculate the ratio C/D for each object. Estimate the precision of each value of C/D.
• Graphical Analysis: Use Excel to construct a graph of C versus D. Use Excel to display the equation of the best fit line through your data. Use the LINEST function to estimate the uncertainty in the slope and intercept of the best fit line. Make sure you interpret the meaning of both the slope and intercept. A checklist for graphs is in the grading rubric.
• How do your calculations and graph support or refute the hypothesis?
• Does your graphical analysis agree with your calculations?
• Do your results for the C/D ratio agree with accepted theory?

A sample lab report for this activity is provided as an example for you to follow when writing future lab reports.

Sample Lab Report: Experimental Investigation of C/D

In this investigation, we examined the hypothesis that the circumference (C) and diameter (D) of a circle are directly proportional. We measured the circumference and diameter of five circular objects ranging from 2 cm to 7 cm in diameter. Vernier calipers were used to measure the diameter of each object, and a piece of paper was wrapped around each cylinder to deterimine its circumference. Numerical analysis of these circular objects yielded the unitless C/D ratio of 3.14 ± 0.03, which is essentially constant and equal to π. Graphical analysis lead to a less precise but equivalent estimate of 3.15 ± 0.11 for this same ratio. These results support commonly accepted geometrical theory which states that C = π D for all circles. However, only a narrow range of circle sizes were analyzed, so additional data should be taken to investigate whether the constant ratio hypothesis applies to very large and very small circles.

Introduction

Five objects were chosen such that measurements of their circumference and diameter could be obtained easily and would be reproducible. Therefore, we did not use irregularly shaped objects or ones that could be deformed when measured. The diameter of each of the 5 objects was measured with either the ruler or caliper. The circumference and diameter of each object was measured with the same measuring device in case the two instruments were not calibrated the same. The circumference measurement was obtained by tightly wrapping a small piece of paper around the object, marking the circumference on the paper with a pencil, and measuring this distance with the ruler or caliper. The uncertainty specified with each measurement is based on the precision of the measuring device and the experimenter’s estimated ability to make a reliable measurement.

Equipment used:

• “D” cell battery, 2 short pieces of PVC pipe, tomato soup can, penny coin
• Metric ruler with millimeter resolution
• Vernier caliper with 0.05 mm resolution

The C/D value for the penny is (5.93 cm)/(1.90 cm) = 3.12 (no units). The precision of the ratio can be estimated using the error propogation formula:

Results for all five objects are given in the table below.

Average C/D = 3.14 ± 0.03, where 0.03 is the standard error of the 5 values.

From this empirical investigation, the average C/D ratio is 3.14 ± 0.03 (no units). This ratio agrees with the accepted value of π (3.1415926…). The uncertainty associated with the average C/D ratio is the standard error of the five C/D values, which is equal to the standard deviation (0.06) divided by the square root of N, which in this case is 5 since there were five measurements.

While the five C/D values do not agree within their estimated uncertainties, the variation between these values is relatively small (only about 0.06/3.14 = 2%), which suggests that the C/D ratio is a constant value. The reason for the imperfect agreement may be that the individual uncertainties were underestimated or perhaps is a consequence of the “paper” method used for measuring the diameters of the object. The paper may have slipped while we made the mark, but this “slip effect” should only be a random error, which would not affect the average value of our measurements for C, since there is no reason to believe that the paper would have consistently slipped in the same direction (either too high or too low) every time.

Another way to visualize and calculate this constant circle ratio is by graphing the circumference versus diameter for each object. Graphs are especially useful for examining possible trends over the range of measurements.

If C is proportional to D, we should get a straight line through the origin. From our numerical results, we would expect the slope of the C vs. D graph to be equal to π. The slope of the best fit line is (3.15 ± 0.11), which is equal to π within its uncertainty. The intercept is essentially zero: (-0.05 ± 0.5). The R squared statistic shows that the data all fall very close to the best fit line. If all the data lie exactly on the fitted line, R squared is equal to 1. If the data are randomly scattered, R squared is zero. With an R^2 value of 0.997, our linear equation appears to fit the data very well.

Our results support the original hypothesis for 5 circles ranging in size from 2 cm to 7 cm in diameter. The C/D ratio for our objects is essentially constant (3.14 ± 0.03) and equal to π. The specified uncertainty is the standard error of the C/D ratio for the five objects. Graphical analysis also supports the “directly proportional” hypothesis. The line has an intercept (-0.05 ± 0.5) that is equal to zero within the uncertainty and a slope (3.15 ± 0.11) equal to π. The larger uncertainty from the graphical analysis suggests that the random measurement errors may be larger than estimated in the numerical analysis. A more extensive investigation of this C/D relationship over a wider range of circle sizes should be performed to verify that this ratio is indeed constant for all circles.

The uncertainty in the measurements could be due to the paper-wrapping method of measuring the circumference, circles that may not be perfect, and the limited precision of the measuring devices. The use of paper to measure the circumference was probably the most significant source of uncertainty. It is unlikely, however, that this measurement technique biased our results, since the technique probably gave measurements of C that were too high in some cases and too low in others.

The C/D ratio for a perfect circle was defined long ago by the Greek symbol: π = 3.14159… Our measured value appears to be consistent with the accepted value of π within the limits of our experimental uncertainty. This unique C/D ratio has many important applications wherever circles or spheres are encountered. More information about π can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi

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How To Write A Lab Report | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on May 20, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A lab report conveys the aim, methods, results, and conclusions of a scientific experiment. The main purpose of a lab report is to demonstrate your understanding of the scientific method by performing and evaluating a hands-on lab experiment. This type of assignment is usually shorter than a research paper .

Lab reports are commonly used in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This article focuses on how to structure and write a lab report.

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Table of contents

Structuring a lab report, introduction, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about lab reports.

The sections of a lab report can vary between scientific fields and course requirements, but they usually contain the purpose, methods, and findings of a lab experiment .

Each section of a lab report has its own purpose.

• Title: expresses the topic of your study
• Abstract : summarizes your research aims, methods, results, and conclusions
• Introduction: establishes the context needed to understand the topic
• Method: describes the materials and procedures used in the experiment
• Results: reports all descriptive and inferential statistical analyses
• Discussion: interprets and evaluates results and identifies limitations
• Conclusion: sums up the main findings of your experiment
• References: list of all sources cited using a specific style (e.g. APA )
• Appendices : contains lengthy materials, procedures, tables or figures

Although most lab reports contain these sections, some sections can be omitted or combined with others. For example, some lab reports contain a brief section on research aims instead of an introduction, and a separate conclusion is not always required.

If you’re not sure, it’s best to check your lab report requirements with your instructor.

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Your title provides the first impression of your lab report – effective titles communicate the topic and/or the findings of your study in specific terms.

Create a title that directly conveys the main focus or purpose of your study. It doesn’t need to be creative or thought-provoking, but it should be informative.

• The effects of varying nitrogen levels on tomato plant height.
• Testing the universality of the McGurk effect.
• Comparing the viscosity of common liquids found in kitchens.

An abstract condenses a lab report into a brief overview of about 150–300 words. It should provide readers with a compact version of the research aims, the methods and materials used, the main results, and the final conclusion.

Think of it as a way of giving readers a preview of your full lab report. Write the abstract last, in the past tense, after you’ve drafted all the other sections of your report, so you’ll be able to succinctly summarize each section.

To write a lab report abstract, use these guiding questions:

• What is the wider context of your study?
• What research question were you trying to answer?
• How did you perform the experiment?
• What did your results show?
• How did you interpret your results?
• What is the importance of your findings?

Nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for high quality plants. Tomatoes, one of the most consumed fruits worldwide, rely on nitrogen for healthy leaves and stems to grow fruit. This experiment tested whether nitrogen levels affected tomato plant height in a controlled setting. It was expected that higher levels of nitrogen fertilizer would yield taller tomato plants.

Levels of nitrogen fertilizer were varied between three groups of tomato plants. The control group did not receive any nitrogen fertilizer, while one experimental group received low levels of nitrogen fertilizer, and a second experimental group received high levels of nitrogen fertilizer. All plants were grown from seeds, and heights were measured 50 days into the experiment.

The effects of nitrogen levels on plant height were tested between groups using an ANOVA. The plants with the highest level of nitrogen fertilizer were the tallest, while the plants with low levels of nitrogen exceeded the control group plants in height. In line with expectations and previous findings, the effects of nitrogen levels on plant height were statistically significant. This study strengthens the importance of nitrogen for tomato plants.

Your lab report introduction should set the scene for your experiment. One way to write your introduction is with a funnel (an inverted triangle) structure:

• Start with the broad, general research topic
• Narrow your topic down your specific study focus
• End with a clear research question

Begin by providing background information on your research topic and explaining why it’s important in a broad real-world or theoretical context. Describe relevant previous research on your topic and note how your study may confirm it or expand it, or fill a gap in the research field.

This lab experiment builds on previous research from Haque, Paul, and Sarker (2011), who demonstrated that tomato plant yield increased at higher levels of nitrogen. However, the present research focuses on plant height as a growth indicator and uses a lab-controlled setting instead.

Next, go into detail on the theoretical basis for your study and describe any directly relevant laws or equations that you’ll be using. State your main research aims and expectations by outlining your hypotheses .

Based on the importance of nitrogen for tomato plants, the primary hypothesis was that the plants with the high levels of nitrogen would grow the tallest. The secondary hypothesis was that plants with low levels of nitrogen would grow taller than plants with no nitrogen.

Your introduction doesn’t need to be long, but you may need to organize it into a few paragraphs or with subheadings such as “Research Context” or “Research Aims.”

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A lab report Method section details the steps you took to gather and analyze data. Give enough detail so that others can follow or evaluate your procedures. Write this section in the past tense. If you need to include any long lists of procedural steps or materials, place them in the Appendices section but refer to them in the text here.

You should describe your experimental design, your subjects, materials, and specific procedures used for data collection and analysis.

Experimental design

Briefly note whether your experiment is a within-subjects  or between-subjects design, and describe how your sample units were assigned to conditions if relevant.

A between-subjects design with three groups of tomato plants was used. The control group did not receive any nitrogen fertilizer. The first experimental group received a low level of nitrogen fertilizer, while the second experimental group received a high level of nitrogen fertilizer.

Describe human subjects in terms of demographic characteristics, and animal or plant subjects in terms of genetic background. Note the total number of subjects as well as the number of subjects per condition or per group. You should also state how you recruited subjects for your study.

List the equipment or materials you used to gather data and state the model names for any specialized equipment.

List of materials

35 Tomato seeds

15 plant pots (15 cm tall)

Light lamps (50,000 lux)

Nitrogen fertilizer

Measuring tape

Describe your experimental settings and conditions in detail. You can provide labelled diagrams or images of the exact set-up necessary for experimental equipment. State how extraneous variables were controlled through restriction or by fixing them at a certain level (e.g., keeping the lab at room temperature).

Light levels were fixed throughout the experiment, and the plants were exposed to 12 hours of light a day. Temperature was restricted to between 23 and 25℃. The pH and carbon levels of the soil were also held constant throughout the experiment as these variables could influence plant height. The plants were grown in rooms free of insects or other pests, and they were spaced out adequately.

Your experimental procedure should describe the exact steps you took to gather data in chronological order. You’ll need to provide enough information so that someone else can replicate your procedure, but you should also be concise. Place detailed information in the appendices where appropriate.

In a lab experiment, you’ll often closely follow a lab manual to gather data. Some instructors will allow you to simply reference the manual and state whether you changed any steps based on practical considerations. Other instructors may want you to rewrite the lab manual procedures as complete sentences in coherent paragraphs, while noting any changes to the steps that you applied in practice.

If you’re performing extensive data analysis, be sure to state your planned analysis methods as well. This includes the types of tests you’ll perform and any programs or software you’ll use for calculations (if relevant).

First, tomato seeds were sown in wooden flats containing soil about 2 cm below the surface. Each seed was kept 3-5 cm apart. The flats were covered to keep the soil moist until germination. The seedlings were removed and transplanted to pots 8 days later, with a maximum of 2 plants to a pot. Each pot was watered once a day to keep the soil moist.

The nitrogen fertilizer treatment was applied to the plant pots 12 days after transplantation. The control group received no treatment, while the first experimental group received a low concentration, and the second experimental group received a high concentration. There were 5 pots in each group, and each plant pot was labelled to indicate the group the plants belonged to.

50 days after the start of the experiment, plant height was measured for all plants. A measuring tape was used to record the length of the plant from ground level to the top of the tallest leaf.

In your results section, you should report the results of any statistical analysis procedures that you undertook. You should clearly state how the results of statistical tests support or refute your initial hypotheses.

The main results to report include:

• any descriptive statistics
• statistical test results
• the significance of the test results
• estimates of standard error or confidence intervals

The mean heights of the plants in the control group, low nitrogen group, and high nitrogen groups were 20.3, 25.1, and 29.6 cm respectively. A one-way ANOVA was applied to calculate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer level on plant height. The results demonstrated statistically significant ( p = .03) height differences between groups.

Next, post-hoc tests were performed to assess the primary and secondary hypotheses. In support of the primary hypothesis, the high nitrogen group plants were significantly taller than the low nitrogen group and the control group plants. Similarly, the results supported the secondary hypothesis: the low nitrogen plants were taller than the control group plants.

These results can be reported in the text or in tables and figures. Use text for highlighting a few key results, but present large sets of numbers in tables, or show relationships between variables with graphs.

You should also include sample calculations in the Results section for complex experiments. For each sample calculation, provide a brief description of what it does and use clear symbols. Present your raw data in the Appendices section and refer to it to highlight any outliers or trends.

The Discussion section will help demonstrate your understanding of the experimental process and your critical thinking skills.

In this section, you can:

• Interpret your results
• Compare your findings with your expectations
• Identify any sources of experimental error
• Explain any unexpected results
• Suggest possible improvements for further studies

Interpreting your results involves clarifying how your results help you answer your main research question. Report whether your results support your hypotheses.

• Did you measure what you sought out to measure?
• Were your analysis procedures appropriate for this type of data?

Compare your findings with other research and explain any key differences in findings.

• Are your results in line with those from previous studies or your classmates’ results? Why or why not?

An effective Discussion section will also highlight the strengths and limitations of a study.

• Did you have high internal validity or reliability?
• How did you establish these aspects of your study?

When describing limitations, use specific examples. For example, if random error contributed substantially to the measurements in your study, state the particular sources of error (e.g., imprecise apparatus) and explain ways to improve them.

The results support the hypothesis that nitrogen levels affect plant height, with increasing levels producing taller plants. These statistically significant results are taken together with previous research to support the importance of nitrogen as a nutrient for tomato plant growth.

However, unlike previous studies, this study focused on plant height as an indicator of plant growth in the present experiment. Importantly, plant height may not always reflect plant health or fruit yield, so measuring other indicators would have strengthened the study findings.

Another limitation of the study is the plant height measurement technique, as the measuring tape was not suitable for plants with extreme curvature. Future studies may focus on measuring plant height in different ways.

The main strengths of this study were the controls for extraneous variables, such as pH and carbon levels of the soil. All other factors that could affect plant height were tightly controlled to isolate the effects of nitrogen levels, resulting in high internal validity for this study.

Your conclusion should be the final section of your lab report. Here, you’ll summarize the findings of your experiment, with a brief overview of the strengths and limitations, and implications of your study for further research.

Some lab reports may omit a Conclusion section because it overlaps with the Discussion section, but you should check with your instructor before doing so.

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A lab report conveys the aim, methods, results, and conclusions of a scientific experiment . Lab reports are commonly assigned in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The purpose of a lab report is to demonstrate your understanding of the scientific method with a hands-on lab experiment. Course instructors will often provide you with an experimental design and procedure. Your task is to write up how you actually performed the experiment and evaluate the outcome.

In contrast, a research paper requires you to independently develop an original argument. It involves more in-depth research and interpretation of sources and data.

A lab report is usually shorter than a research paper.

The sections of a lab report can vary between scientific fields and course requirements, but it usually contains the following:

• Abstract: summarizes your research aims, methods, results, and conclusions
• References: list of all sources cited using a specific style (e.g. APA)
• Appendices: contains lengthy materials, procedures, tables or figures

The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

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Introductory Physics Laboratory

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The goal of lab reports is to document your findings in physics lab experiment and clearly communicate their significance. A good lab report does more than present data; it demonstrates the writer's comprehension of the concepts behind the data. Merely recording the expected and observed results is not sufficient; you should also identify how and why differences occurred, explain how they affected your experiment, and show your understanding of the principles the experiment was designed to examine. Bear in mind that a report format, however helpful, cannot replace clear thinking and organized writing. You still need to organize your ideas carefully and express them coherently. ( click here to download lab report template with grading rubric )

Place the title of the lab experiment, Lab course & section numbers, your name, the names of lab partners, the date, and instructor's name.

Introduction

State the objective of the experiment and provides the reader with background to the experiment. Explain relevant concepts and provide any appropriate definitions. Pertinent equations should be derived in a clear, logical manner. Any relevant background information may also be included in this section.

Experimental Procedure

This section includes your plan for performing the experiment. The experimental plan should be written in a step-by-step, orderly fashioned method. It describes in detail your procedure for performing the lab such that you or anyone else could re-create the experiment exactly as it was performed. Using clear paragraph structure, explain all steps in the order they actually happened, not as they were supposed to happen. If your instructor says you can simply state that you followed the procedure in the manual, be sure you still document occasions when you did not follow that exactly (e.g. "At step 4 we performed four repetitions instead of three, and ignored the data from the second repetition"). If you've done it right, another people should be able to duplicate your experiment.

Discussion (Answer questions)

This is the section where you discuss why or how the results of your lab came out the way they did. Answer all questions posed to you in the lab manual. Sometimes, there are some important questions that need to be answered in order to meet the objective, but are not directly stated. Think about this carefully and answer any such questions here. Discuss quantitatively how well the lab met with the Objective and why. The theory behind the experiment will usually make some prediction about how the results should come out. Did your experiment confirm the theory? If not, why not? How far off were your results from the theory? (error calculations come in handy here, they give you a quantitative measure of how well your theory was matched.) Give reasons why the theory and experiment did or did not match. These reasons may be due to physics, incomplete assumptions, or they may be from procedure (see error analysis below). Summarize your error analysis. This is where you discuss what may have caused your errors. Some types of error include (see your lab manual for more information on these and other types of errors): Scale Limitation Uncertainty, Parallax, Random Errors, and Systematic Errors If required, do not forget the propagation of error through your calculations! You need to be able to say how confident you are in your result. Make sure that the reason you are stating as the cause of your error predicts whether your results will be too high or too low.

Results (Data and Calculation)

This section is usually dominated by calculations, tables and figures; however, you still need to state all significant results explicitly in verbal form. The calculation for percentage (%) error between experiment and theory should be included here. In most cases, providing a sample calculation is sufficient in the report. Leave the remainder in an appendix. Likewise, your raw data (raw data sheet from Lab Manual should be signed by instructor at the end of Lab experiment) should be placed in an appendix.

Simply state what you know now for sure, as a result of the lab.

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How To Write A Science Practical Report

Get Creative With Lab Report Alternatives . Students need to learn to write a formal lab report, but there’s room in science classes for them to show their learning in other ways as well.

Multimedia: The way adolescents seek out and obtain information about the world has shifted dramatically in recent years. YouTube and podcasts, for example, provide on-demand content covering almost any topic imaginable. Teachers can capitalize on these dynamic, free modes of communication as an alternative to traditional science writing.

Video advice: How to write a Science Practical Report Stage 1 SACE

If the lab follows the structured inquiry format—in which students follow prescribed steps—the teacher can give the class the lab procedures a day or two before the lab is to be completed and ask them to draw the steps they will be conducting in the lab. That way, they will better anticipate their tasks during the lab. The storyboard can be used to highlight important points in the lab where safety should be considered—indicating when students should put on their goggles, for example, or which steps require the most attention.

How To Write Science Practicals & Reports For GCSE Science, A Level Biology, A Level Chemistry & Physics

Guide on how to write a science practical or science report for students. Help and tips with writing experiments and coursework for KS3 and GCSE Science and AS / A-Level Biology, Physics and AS / A-Level Chemistry. Includes writing of the science aim, abstract, method, hypothesis, results, and conclusion for the science practical.

You must include all the external sources of information you have used in compiling your report. Each source should be described in sufficient detail to allow the reader to locate and read the source themselves. One standard way for example of quoting a section in a book would be to in this format.

• Title of your Science Report
• Aim or Abstract
• Background / Introduction
• Scientific Hypothesis
• Science Experiment Results
• Science Coursework Conclusion
• Science Report Discussion / Evaluation/ Methods of Improvement
• Reference / Bibliography
• A Selection of Our Tutors
• Richard Harvey (Lewisham) –
• Tracey Chivers (Chelmsford) –

The Basics – How To Write A Science Experiment, Chemistry or Biology Report

This guide can be used by GCSE science and AS Level and A Level biology, AS Level and A2 Level chemistry and physics students who need to help to write up science coursework as part of their syllabus. This can apply to AQA, Edexcel, WJEC, OCR, SQA and CCEA specifications. However it also can be used as a general guideline for students who require help, advice and tips on how to write science practicals, scientific experiments and science reports for degree and university levels. It can also help students with the writing of science experiments and reports for Medicine, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science and Forensic Science as well as other subjects including Psychology, Ecology and Environmental Science.

Video advice: the organic chemistry lab report & scientific writing

directory of Chem Help ASAP videos: https://www.chemhelpasap.com/youtube/

Video advice: How to Write a Practical Report

This is a brief overview of each section of a scientific practical report and how to structure it and set it out. Hopefully it will help you when you need to write your own report.

How do I start a practical report?

The introduction gives the reader background information about the topic of the practical report, and places your report in the context of that background information. You should begin by summarizing what is already known about the topic . Because of this, the introduction will often need to include references.

How do you write a practical report result?

Use the Results section to summarize the findings of your study. The text of this section should focus on the major trends in the data you collected. The details can be summarized in tables and/or graphs that will accompany the text. In this section, just tell the reader the facts.

How do you write an introduction for a biology lab report?

Start off with a very broad introduction to the topic. For instance, let's say you are writing a lab report about an experiment where you tested the effect of temperature on the enzyme catalase. You should start the introduction by talking about what enzymes are and how they work .

What is a scientific report?

A scientific report is a document that describes the process, progress, and or results of technical or scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. It might also include recommendations and conclusion of the research.

What are the 7 parts of a lab report?

A lab report is broken down into eight sections: title, abstract, introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, conclusion, and references . The title of the lab report should be descriptive of the experiment and reflect what the experiment analyzed.

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What is a practical report?

A practical report is usually written by researchers to communicate to others what you did, why, how you did it, your findings and what you think the findings mean. Readers will want to get their questions answered quickly, so following a set format is critical.

Table of Contents

How do I make physics practical?

• Know the Concepts Well! When students sit in the Practical exam, they must read the question carefully in order to understand the principle behind the experiment.
• Opt for a Stepwise Approach.
• Understanding Over Cramming.
• Practice Makes A Man Perfect.
• Be Confident.

What are the practicals in physics?

• initial velocity.
• launch angle .
• maximum height.
• time of flight.
• final velocity.
• launch height.
• horizontal range of the projectile.

Which lab manual is best for class 12 physics?

• Binding: Hardcover.
• Publisher: Arihant Publication.
• Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction.
• ISBN: 9789324194299, 9789324194299.
• Pages: 164.

Which is the biggest chapter in class 12 physics?

• Physics is a tough subject for the majority of pupils.
• Start with the fundamentals.
• Consider how you can apply concepts to your everyday life.
• Don’t mug up the derivation; learn it step by step.

Is practical exam important?

A practical exam strengthens the comprehension and understanding of a particular subjectsubjectSubjects are the parts into which learning can be divided. At school, each lesson usually covers one subject only. Some of the most common subjects at school are Language arts, history, mathematics, physical education and science.https://simple.wikipedia.org › wiki › Subject_(school)Subject (school) – Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Even though theoretical educationeducationTeacher education or teacher training refers to the policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school, and wider community.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Teacher_educationTeacher education – Wikipedia makes use of textbooks and research papers, applying that knowledge in the real world and having a first-hand experience with it will help understand it much better.

How do I write a practical file?

• You have to purchase a simple practical file of Rs. 30 or 40.
• Old file will be used later as revision notebook.
• Do not use black pen or any other colour. Cover your file with brown paper, paste a sticker on it and fill all the known details (e.g. name, class etc).
• Do not write any date of experiment.

Why is practical work in physics important?

Effective practical physics enable learners to understand the connection between what can be seen and handled (hands-on) and scientific ideas that inform their observations (brains-on). Through practical activities, it is much easier to thread the connection between actions and observations.

Is physics a practical subject?

Physics is a practical science. Practical activities are not just motivational and fun: they can also sharpen students’ powers of observation, stimulate questions, and help develop new understanding and vocabulary.

How many practicals are there in class 12th physics?

Students have to give two practicals for CBSECBSEThe Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Central_Board_of_Secondary…Central Board of Secondary Education – Wikipedia Class 12th Physics for Term 1 and 2. However, the CBSE Class 12th Physics Practical contains 30 marks which will now be divided into two terms, and hence, both the terms will be 15 marks each.

Do we have to write procedure in physics practical exam?

You will have to write the statement of the Ohm’s Law and then present its mathematical representation as well. You will also have to provide a diagram to go along with your experiment, which in this case will be a circuit diagram. Then you will have to make a note of the procedure, step by step.

Which is the hardest chapter in class 12 Physics?

• Heat and Thermodynamics. It is probably the most difficult yet one of the important topics for JEE Main Physics.
• Mechanics. JEE Main Physics is not all about theory and equations.
• Electrostatics and Magnetism.
• Current Electricity.
• Modern Physics.
• Electromagnetic Induction.

Is 12th Physics easy?

Physics is considered a difficult subject, especially for NEET aspirants. This does not imply that students can’t score well.

Is Class 12 Physics difficult?

Most of the students find the Class 12 Physics subject difficult. This is also due to the vast syllabus and derivations that are there in both parts of the NCERT class 12 Physics book.

How can I get full marks in practical exam?

• Listen thoroughly in classes. If you don’t pay attention in a theory class, you can make it up by reading the text and notes.
• Keep good notes. Most practical tasks have a set of instructions, often minute ones.
• Practice well.
• Understand the process.
• Avoid nervousness.

Is practical exam easy?

Ans: Yes, CBSE Class 12 practical is very easy and Scoring.

What happens if you fail practical exam?

In case a candidate has failed in practical he/she shall have to appear in theory and practical both. If he/she fails to pass the examination in two consecutive years, after the first attempt he/she shall have to reappear in all the subjects including practical.

What is the format of practical?

Practicals should be written under following headings:- Title- Aims/ Objectives- Hypothesis/es – Introduction- Description of the Test/ Experiment- Materials…

What is practical writing?

Practical Writing helps learners who need to use their written English in studies, work and personal life. Learners work through different text types while learning the reading and writing skills that underpin them.

What are the practical activities?

Practical activities, here defined to include all forms of engagement where the pupil uses physical concretes while carrying out the activity at hand (Haara & Smith, 2009), for visualization, investigation and application of mathematics, are considered integral to school mathematics (OECD; 2013; Haara, 2011).

What is a practical task?

1 of, involving, or concerned with experience or actual use; not theoretical. 2 of or concerned with ordinary affairs, work, etc. 3 adapted or adaptable for use. 4 of, involving, or trained by practice. 5 being such for all useful or general purposes; virtual.

What is practical work?

3.3 Practical work involves action and reflection. In section 1 above, I defined ‘practical work’ as any teaching and learning activity which involves at some point the students in observing or manipulating real objects and materials.

Who is math father?

The Father of Math is the great Greek mathematician and philosopher Archimedes. Perhaps you have heard the name before–the Archimedes’ Principle is widely studied in Physics and is named after the great philosopher.

Who named physics?

The History of Physics – Before Aristotle: Atomism and Natural Laws. Thales was the first physicist and his theories actually gave the discipline its name. He believed that the world, although fashioned from many materials, was really built of only one element, water, called Physis in Ancient Greek.

Who is known as the mother of physics?

1. Marie CurieMarie CurieMarie won the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of the elements polonium and radium, using techniques she invented for isolating radioactive isotopes . Under her direction, the world’s first studies were conducted into the treatment of neoplasms by the use of radioactive isotopes .https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Marie_CurieMarie Curie – Wikipedia. Is considered to this day, to be the Mother of Modern Physics. In 1898, together with her husband Pierre, she discovered the elements of polonium and radio for which she received a first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903.

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• Physics Depth Studies
• 1. Depth Study Topics
• 2. How to Conduct a Practical
• 3. How to Write a Practical Report
• 4. How to Perform Data Analysis
• 5. Practical Report Example

Resources Year 12 Physics

Physics Depth Study | The Comprehensive Guide

In this article

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Looking for Physics depth study ideas and examples?

When you are given a Physics depth study assessment, you might be confused about where to start just like many students out there. In this article, we explain what depth studies are and the process of choosing your depth study idea and topic.

This comprehensive guide to Physic Depth Study consists of the following chapters:

• Chapter 1: Depth study ideas and topics
• Chapter 2: How to conduct a Physics practical investigation
• Chapter 3: How to perform data analysis 
• Chapter 4: How to write a practical report
• Chapter 5: An example depth study report on a practical investigation

What are Physics depth studies?

A depth study is any type of investigation/activity that a student completes individually or collaboratively that allows the further development of one or more concepts found within or inspired by the Physics syllabus.

The flowchart categorises different types of depth studies:

A depth study may be, but is not limited to:

• A practical investigation or series of practical investigations
• A secondary-sourced investigation or series of secondary-sourced investigations
• Presentations, research assignments or fieldwork reports
• The extension of concepts found within the course, either qualitatively and/or quantitatively

Physics depth study types and ideas

Most Physics depth studies are on:

• Practical investigations or
• Secondary-sourced investigations

A list of Physics depth study types and useful tools are provided below. For more information on each Physics depth study type, click the link.

Source: NSW Education Standards Authority

Four steps to choosing your Physics depth study topic

The process for completing your Physics depth study is outlined below.

For more guidance on choosing the right Physics depth study topic, read Chapter 1: Physics Depth Study Ideas and Topics.

Are you doing a practical investigation for your depth study? Access our library of sample Physics practical reports.

Get free access to syllabus specific Physics practicals written by expert HSC teachers. Join 10000+ students who are getting ahead with Learnable. Try for free now .

Written by DJ Kim

DJ is the founder of Learnable and has a passionate interest in education and technology. He is also the author of Physics resources on Learnable.

Learnable Education and www.learnable.education, 2019. Unauthorised use and/or duplications of this material without express and written permission from this site's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Learnable Education and www.learnable.education with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Year 12 physics practical investigation | projectile motion experiment, year 12 physics textbook review, chapter 1: physics depth study ideas and topics.

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Physics Lab Report Format

Physics Lab Report Outline

Students are strongly encouraged to write their reports in the order detailed on the diagram above. Labs will be graded utilizing the attached rubric .

I. Title Page

Name of lab, name of student, period, date, instructor.

II. Introduction

Describe what concept the lab explores, and presents the objectives and purpose of the lab. Also states the research problem and the reason this problem is being investigated.

IV. Methods / Procedure

Document your experimental procedure in enough detail that someone else could repeat your work. This should include a list of all materials used, a diagram of the lab setup if appropriate, and the steps taken to accomplish the lab (paragraphs preferred, but organized, ordered lists of instructions are acceptable with list items in complete sentences.)

A. Materials

List all materials used.

B. Diagram of Lab Setup

Show schematic of experimental setup where necessary.

C. Steps Taken

Provide enough information that another student could easily replicate your work.

V. Results / Data

Put your data into tables and graphs which are appropriately labeled and explained. Review your tables and graphs to determine the key findings from the lab exercise. Write a paragraph explaining each table and graph including its key result and other salient details. Arrange the results section in an organized fashion.

A. Data Tables

Organized and labeled with units.

Properly label all axes, provide appropriate title.

C. Explanations

The key relationship from each table or graph is described in a separate paragraph with appropriate supporting details.

VI. Discussion / Analysis

Open with a statement of key findings, and clearly reference those findings with data from the lab. Provide logical explanations for all statements. Discuss other appropriate findings of interest. Make sure you have answered all analysis questions, and you have answered your research problem as posed in the introduction.

VII. Conclusions

Summarize what you learned in the lab, with specific references to the scientific concept under study which you detailed in the introduction. Describe potential sources of error (don't say human error). Critique the lab and describe opportunities for further / future work. Did you learn anything else from the lab, such as use of lab equipment, procedures, analysis methods, etc.?

Important Notes:

• Reports MUST be type-written.
• Write the lab sections in this order, then rearrange the sections into a cohesive report and print before turning in to your instructor: Procedure, Results, Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion, and Title Page.
• Write in the 3rd person:
• Avoid 1st and 2nd person references such as I, we, you, and you(understood).
• Use a clear font with a maximum point size of 12.
• Diagrams and graphs MAY be neatly hand-written and glued in place (leave blank space in report).

*Adapted from NC State University's LabWrite Program , © 2004 NC State University

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How to Write a Scientific Report | Step-by-Step Guide

Got to document an experiment but don't know how? In this post, we'll guide you step-by-step through how to write a scientific report and provide you with an example.

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Is your teacher expecting you to write an experimental report for every class experiment? Are you still unsure about how to write a scientific report properly? Don’t fear! We will guide you through all the parts of a scientific report, step-by-step.

How to write a scientific report:

• What is a scientific report
• General rules to write Scientific reports
• Syllabus dot point 
• Introduction/Background information
• Risk assessment

What is a scientific report?

A scientific report documents all aspects of an experimental investigation. This includes:

• The aim of the experiment
• The hypothesis
• An introduction to the relevant background theory
• The methods used
• The results
• A discussion of the results
• The conclusion

Scientific reports allow their readers to understand the experiment without doing it themselves. In addition, scientific reports give others the opportunity to check the methodology of the experiment to ensure the validity of the results.

A scientific report is written in several stages. We write the introduction, aim, and hypothesis before performing the experiment, record the results during the experiment, and complete the discussion and conclusions after the experiment.

But, before we delve deeper into how to write a scientific report, we need to have a science experiment to write about! Read our 7 Simple Experiments You Can Do At Home article and see which one you want to do.

General rules about writing scientific reports

Learning how to write a scientific report is different from writing English essays or speeches!

You have to use:

• Passive voice (which you should avoid when writing for other subjects like English!)
• Past-tense language
• Headings and subheadings
• A pencil to draw scientific diagrams and graphs
• Simple and clear lines for scientific diagrams
• Tables and graphs where necessary

Structure of scientific reports:

Now that you know the general rules on how to write scientific reports, let’s look at the conventions for their structure!

The title should simply introduce what your experiment is about.

The Role of Light in Photosynthesis

2. Introduction/Background information

Write a paragraph that gives your readers background information to understand your experiment.

This includes explaining scientific theories, processes and other related knowledge.

Photosynthesis is a vital process for life. It occurs when plants intake carbon dioxide, water, and light, and results in the production of glucose and water. The light required for photosynthesis is absorbed by chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants, which is contained in the chloroplasts.

The glucose produced through photosynthesis is stored as starch, which is used as an energy source for the plant and its consumers.

The presence of starch in the leaves of a plant indicates that photosynthesis has occurred.

The aim identifies what is going to be tested in the experiment. This should be short, concise and clear.

The aim of the experiment is to test whether light is required for photosynthesis to occur.

4. Hypothesis

The hypothesis is a prediction of the outcome of the experiment. You have to use background information to make an educated prediction.

It is predicted that photosynthesis will occur only in leaves that are exposed to light and not in leaves that are not exposed to light. This will be indicated by the presence or absence of starch in the leaves.

5. Risk assessment

Identify the hazards associated with the experiment and provide a method to prevent or minimise the risks. A hazard is something that can cause harm, and the risk is the likelihood that harm will occur from the hazard.

A table is an excellent way to present your risk assessment.

Remember, you have to specify the  type of harm that can occur because of the hazard. It is not enough to simply identify the hazard.

• Do not write:  “Scissors are sharp”
• Instead, you have to write:  “Scissors are sharp and can cause injury”

The method has 3 parts:

• A list of every material used
• Steps of what you did in the experiment
• A scientific diagram of the experimental apparatus

Let’s break down what you need to do for each section.

6a. Materials

This must list every piece of equipment and material you used in the experiment.

Remember, you need to also specify the amount of each material you used.

• 1 geranium plant
• Aluminium foil
• 2 test tubes
• 1 test tube rack
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 250 mL beaker
• 1 pair of forceps
• 1 10 mL measuring cylinder
• Iodine solution (5 mL)
• Methylated spirit (50ml)
• Boiling water
• 2 Petri dishes

The rule of thumb is that you should write the method in a clear way so that readers are able to repeat the experiment and get similar results.

Using a numbered list for the steps of your experimental procedure is much clearer than writing a whole paragraph of text.  The steps should:

• Be written in a sequential order, based on when they were performed.
• Specify any equipment that was used.
• Specify the quantity of any materials that were used.

You also need to use past tense and passive voice when you are writing your method. Scientific reports are supposed to show the readers what you did in the experiment, not what you will do.

• Aluminium foil was used to fully cover a leaf of the geranium plant. The plant was left in the sun for three days.
• On the third day, the covered leaf and 1 non-covered leaf were collected from the plant. The foil was removed from the covered leaf, and a 1 cm square was cut from each leaf using a pair of scissors.
• 150 mL of water was boiled in a kettle and poured into a 250 mL beaker.
• Using forceps, the 1 cm square of covered leaf was placed into the beaker of boiling water for 2 minutes. It was then placed in a test tube labelled “dark”.
• The water in the beaker was discarded and replaced with 150 mL of freshly boiled water.
• Using forceps, the 1 cm square non-covered leaf was placed into the beaker of boiling water for 2 minutes. It was then placed in a test tube labelled “light”
• 5 mL of methylated spirit was measured with a measuring cylinder and poured into each test tube so that the leaves were fully covered.
• The water in the beaker was replaced with 150 mL of freshly boiled water and both the “light” and “dark” test tubes were immersed in the beaker of boiling water for 5 minutes.
• The leaves were collected from each test tube with forceps, rinsed under cold running water, and placed onto separate labelled Petri dishes.
• 3 drops of iodine solution were added to each leaf.
• Both Petri dishes were placed side by side and observations were recorded.
• The experiment was repeated 5 times, and results were compared between different groups.

6c. Diagram

After you finish your steps, it is time to draw your scientific diagrams! Here are some rules for drawing scientific diagrams:

• Always use a pencil to draw your scientific diagrams.
• Use simple, sharp, 2D lines and shapes to draw your diagram. Don’t draw 3D shapes or use shading.
• Label everything in your diagram.
• Use thin, straight lines to label your diagram. Do not use arrows.
• Ensure that the label lines touch the outline of the equipment you are labelling and not cross over it or stop short of it
• The label lines should never cross over each other.
• Use a ruler for any straight lines in your diagram.
• Draw a sufficiently large diagram so all components can be seen clearly.

This is where you document the results of your experiment. The data that you record for your experiment will generally be qualitative and/or quantitative.

Qualitative data is data that relates to qualities and is based on observations (qualitative – quality). This type of data is descriptive and is recorded in words. For example, the colour changed from green to orange, or the liquid became hot.

Quantitative data refers to numerical data (quantitative – quantity). This type of data is recorded using numbers and is either measured or counted. For example, the plant grew 5.2 cm, or there were 5 frogs.

You also need to record your results in an appropriate way. Most of the time, a table is the best way to do this.

Here are some rules to using tables

• Use a pencil and a ruler to draw your table
• Draw neat and straight lines
• Ensure that the table is closed (connect all your lines)
• Don’t cross your lines (erase any lines that stick out of the table)
• Use appropriate columns and rows
• Properly name each column and row (including the units of measurement in brackets)
• Do not write your units in the body of your table (units belong in the header)
• Always include a title

Note : If your results require calculations, clearly write each step.

Observations of the effects of light on the amount of starch in plant leaves.

If quantitative data was recorded, the data is often also plotted on a graph.

8. Discussion

The discussion is where you analyse and interpret your results, and identify any experimental errors or possible areas of improvements.

You should divide your discussion as follows.

1. Trend in the results

Describe the ‘trend’ in your results. That is, the relationship you observed between your independent and dependent variables.

The independent variable is the variable that you are changing in the experiment. In this experiment, it is the amount of light that the leaves are exposed to.

The dependent variable is the variable that you are measuring in the experiment, In this experiment, it is the presence of starch in the leaves.

Explain how a particular result is achieved by referring to scientific knowledge, theories and any other scientific resources you find. 2. Scientific explanation: 

The presence of starch is indicated when the addition of iodine causes the leaf to turn dark purple. The results show that starch was present in the leaves that were exposed to light, while the leaves that were not exposed to light did not contain starch.

2. Scientific explanation:

Provide an explanation of the results using scientific knowledge, theories and any other scientific resources you find.

As starch is produced during photosynthesis, these results show that light plays a key role in photosynthesis.

3. Validity 

Validity refers to whether or not your results are valid. This can be done by examining your variables.

VA lidity =  VA riables

Identify the independent, dependent, controlled variables and the control experiment (if you have one).

The controlled variables are the variables that you keep the same across all tests e.g. the size of the leaf sample.

The control experiment is where you don’t apply an independent variable. It is untouched for the whole experiment.

Ensure that you never change more than one variable at a time!

The independent variable of the experiment was amount of light that the leaves were exposed to (the covered and uncovered geranium leaf), while the dependent variable was the presence of starch. The controlled variables were the size of the leaf sample, the duration of the experiment, the amount of time the solutions were heated, and the amount of iodine solution used.

4. Reliability 

Identify how you ensured the reliability of the results.

RE liability = RE petition

Show that you repeated your experiments, cross-checked your results with other groups or collated your results with the class.

The reliability of the results was ensured by repeating the experiment 5 times and comparing results with other groups. Since other groups obtained comparable results, the results are reliable.

5. Accuracy

Accuracy should be discussed if your results are in the form of quantitative data, and there is an accepted value for the result.

Accuracy would not be discussed for our example photosynthesis experiment as qualitative data was collected, however it would if we were measuring gravity using a pendulum:

The measured value of gravity was 9.8 m/s 2 , which is in agreement with the accepted value of 9.8 m/s 2 .

6. Possible improvements 

Identify any errors or risks found in the experiment and provide a method to improve it.

If there are none, then suggest new ways to improve the experimental design, and/or minimise error and risks.

Possible improvements could be made by including control experiments. For example, testing whether the iodine solution turns dark purple when added to water or methylated spirits. This would help to ensure that the purple colour observed in the experiments is due to the presence of starch in the leaves rather than impurities.

9. Conclusion

State whether the aim was achieved, and if your hypothesis was supported.

The aim of the investigation was achieved, and it was found that light is required for photosynthesis to occur. This was evidenced by the presence of starch in leaves that had been exposed to light, and the absence of starch in leaves that had been unexposed. These results support the proposed hypothesis.

Written by Matrix Science Team

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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HOW TO WRITE A PRACTICAL REPORT

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A laboratory report has three main functions: (1) To provide a record of the experiments and raw data included in the report, (2) To provide sufficient information to reproduce or extend the data, and (3) To analyze the data, present conclusions and make recommendations based on the experimental work. General Comments: The single most important requirement for a laboratory report is clarity. Imagine that your audience is one of your classmates who missed that experiment. If you are using a word processor for your lab report, then use the spelling and grammar checkers. The grammar check can be annoying because often technical sentences are wordy and complex, but it will help you avoid using too many passive sentences. In general, passive sentences are less understandable. However, grammar check will not assess clarity, and it will ignore simple errors. (I do not doubt there are still mistakes in this document I have run it through spelling and grammar checks.) Many technical writers prefer to write sentences with passive verbs. A simple example: "The spring constant k was found from the slope to be 3.02 N/m." If you run this sentence through the grammar check, it will tell you that "was found" is a verb in the passive voice. To change this to an active voice you could write: "The spring constant k is the slope, 3.02 N/m." Not every sentence has to be in an active voice. What you want is a report that is readable. Lab Report Structure: I. Cover Sheet: This page has the course number and assigned lab section, the title of the experiment, your name, your lab partner's names, the date that the lab was performed and your TA's name. II. Abstract: The purpose of an abstract in a scientific paper is to help a reader decide if your paper is of interest to him/her. (This section is the executive summary in a corporation or government report; it is often the only section that a manager reads.) The abstract should be able to stand by itself, and it should be brief. Generally, it consists of three parts which answer these questions: What did you do?-A statement of the purpose of the experiment, a concise description of the experiment and physics principles investigated. What were your results?-Highlight the most significant results of the experiment. What do these results tell you?-Depending on the type of experiment, this is conclusions and implications of the results or it may be lessons learned form the experiment. Write the abstract after all the other sections are completed. (You need to know everything in the report before you can write a summary of it.) III.

Marian Elaine Rufila

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