Writing a Lab Report: Know the Essentials
Before you start working on your lab report, you should clearly understand what are its main elements. No matter what kind of experiment you have conducted, your report should include the following elements:
The title of your report should clearly state what experiment you have done. It should include ten or more words clearly explaining your goal. For instance, you may write “The effects of ultraviolet light on the rate of borax crystal growth.”
Typically, an introduction takes only one paragraph in which the author clearly states the main objectives of the experiment. In some cases, the introduction should provide the reader with background information that will contextualize the topic. Also, an introduction is a place where you will state your hypothesis.
In this section of your lab report, you should inform your reader about what materials were used in the process of conducting an experiment.
As soon as the information about the materials is provided, you will need to explain what methods have helped you reach your outcomes. When providing the information about the methods, make sure to be maximally detailed so that your reader could easily reproduce your experiment.
Then, you will need to present the numerical data obtained from your procedure. Usually, this data is presented in the form of a table. Pay attention that you just need to present facts without their interpretation.
In this section, you will need to explain your results helping your target audience understand the theoretical and practical value of your study. In this part, you can also mention any mistakes that can be made in the process of conducting the experiment. By this part of your lab report, you need to prove or disapprove your hypothesis.
As well as an introduction, your conclusion will take just one paragraph in which you will summarize the entire report without introducing new information. In the concluding part of your paper, you will need to explain whether you have managed to prove your hypothesis.
When it comes to lab report writing, you will need to include accurate graphs and tables to explain your data. Be sure to make your visual aids clear and understandable for your reader.