Lab report structure

Every group has to write a laboratory report after having performed a laboratory
experiment. The report has to be handed in to the instructor latest by the
beginning of the next Lab session. Point will be deduced for late submission: 2
points first day + 1 point each following day. All members of the group who
handed the report get the same grade.

Front page: This page contains the title of the experiment, the date, your names,
your section, and the name of the other students if you have worked in group.

Abstract: in a few sentences (one paragraph) summarize your report

- What did you measure?

- What did you find? Numerical results including error.

- What are the conclusions?

Abstract should be complete by itself: one does not need to read the rest of the report to
understand the abstract, and the rest of the report should not make reference to info given in the
abstract (i.e. you have to repeat this info in the report).

Tip: write the abstract after finishing the report so you know your numerical result and your
conclusions. Then place it at the beginning of the report.

Important: Abstract is a summary not an introduction.

Introduction:
- Why do you measure it?

- What is the theoretical background? Give all useful equations and describe all terms in the
equations.

- What results could you have expected before doing the experiment?

Experimental setup:
- describe (+diagram) the instruments you used (use sentences not list)

- describe very precisely how you made the experiment (experimental part not data analysis)

- put name of manufacturer, product number, be as precise as possible.

Results:
- present the experimental results (table / graph)

- the associated uncertainty (uncertainty of the measurement)

- emphasis on the main result

Discussion and data analysis

- calculate the propagated errors.

- make and present the fits.

- discuss your graphs and your fits.

- Discuss and interpret your experimental results

- Compare them to the theoretical predictions

- Discuss the sources of error / how could the measurement be improved

Conclusion:
- Draw a concise and clear conclusion

- Repeat your main result with numerical value

References
- Add here all external references you have used for the report. (For example
manufacturer specification for you sample, comparison with a known theoretical or
experimental value, etc)

Annexes (if needed)

Put here any extra information that could be useful. In particular you can add your
answers to the further questions, if they have not been already treated in the body of the
report.

Further information concerning the report:

The quality of the Lab report is an essential part of the Lab class ! Take time to produce
good lab reports, don’t copy-paste the Lab manual. Imagine you explain the experiment
you have done to somebody who knows about science, but not about this particular
experiment. Good Lab report includes both the content and the layout !

Figures, graphs and table should be complete by themselves. One must be able
to look only at the figure, graph or table and understand what it is, what all lines and
data points are, to which measurement it corresponds. So they must contain all useful
information as title, description, axis-labels for graphs, units etc. (If it is not possible to
describe all the content, then one adds ‘see text’ which means part of the description is
given in the body of the report not inside the figure).

Important:

- Number you Figures, Graphs and Tables.

- Write a description for Figures , Graphs and Tables.
- If possible add a Legend inside the Graphs .
- In Graphs, put labels to all axis with units (for instance: Electric current [A]).
- Put the corresponding error bars on your data points. If the error bars are
smaller than the symbol for the data point, mention it explicitly in the
description.
- Do not connect data points if that is not need.
- Add a fit line to your data points (if possible, and if the mathematical or
physical description of this line is understood).

For me Graph and Figure means the same you can use either term.