CHEMISTRY LAB REPORTS

For all labs:

    You will not be allowed to finish a lab if you are given more than one warning to put your goggles on.  In cases like this, you will be allowed to turn in the lab report but will be given a zero on the data/results and conclusion sections.

    Lab reports/data must be written in ink.  This is so that I know the data has not been “fixed”.  No whiteout should be used.  Instead, use a simple strikethrough on errors.

    Only write on the front side of notebook paper.  This is because the ink makes the back hard to read.  You can use the back side to jot down notes about the lab or to do calculations.

    The entire lab is to be stapled together.

WRITING THE LAB REPORT (IN INK)

1)  Labs from the lab workbook:

Your name, date, and class period should be on the lab.

Make sure you turn in only assigned pages (which have been WRITTEN ON IN INK).

For labs, you will be expected to highlight or underline key parts of the procedures prior to doing the lab.  I will be checking that you are looking over the labs before lab time.   This will be explained more in class.

2)  Labs from other references:

Your name, date, and class period go on notebook paper in the top right corner.

The title of the lab should be centered on the top line.

Use the following bold underlined headings in your lab report:

Reference:  Where the information for the lab came from (a book, handout, etc).  Be specific.  Include the name of the book, authors, page numbers, and publishers if possible.

Introduction:  Tell why you are doing the lab and what your objectives are (what you are hopefully going to learn from doing the lab).  Be sure to use complete sentences and put this in paragraph form.

Materials:  This should be a list of things needed to complete the lab.  This will not be in paragraph form.  Use one or two columns.  You should include all materials needed for all parts of the lab.

Procedures:  Write out how to do the lab.  You should be briefer than the actual lab procedures, but detailed enough so that you could repeat the lab just by looking at your procedures.  The procedures must be given as numbered steps, and each number must start on a new line.  Make sure you indicate where different lab parts (Part 1, Part 2, and so on) start.

Data/Results:  This section should include the data gathered from the lab, as well as any calculated results.  Most of the time, data should be given in a data table.  Work for all calculations must be shown.

Conclusion:  Summarize the lab and your data/results and draw conclusions on what the results mean.  Tell what you learned in the lab.  Account for any errors or problems-if you think there were none, say so.  This section must be in paragraph form and should be at least two paragraphs.

SAMPLE LAB:

Janice Doe

8-3-08

Period 8

Separating a Mixture

Reference:  Mrs. Reichard’s handout

Introduction:  We are doing this lab to learn . . .

Materials:Mixture                       Bunsen burner

Magnifying lens                 Funnel

Procedures:

1.      Obtain . . . .

2.      Add water  . . . .3.    Transfer mixture . . .

Data:

Mass of Sand	Mass of Iron	Mass of Salt
3.2 grams	2.6 grams	2.9 grams

Conclusion:  

        In this lab, we took a mixture of sand, salt, and iron and separated it.  To separate the mixture, we used a magnet to remove the iron, funneled out the sand, and then boiled the salt water to leave just salt.  For this lab, my masses of sand salt and iron were all in the range the teacher indicated.  Each component was supposed to be between 2 and 4 grams.  We got 3.2 grams for sand, 2.6 for iron, and 2.9 for salt.  I am not sure if my masses are correct though.  I think I had some errors in this lab.  I spilled some of my mixture on the table which may have reduced my final masses.  

        In this lab, I learned more about the correct way to separate I mixture.  I learned how to use. . .