FORMAL LAB REPORT FORMAT

The following is a guide for all formal lab reports in this course. You need not limit yourself to this outline. If additional information is warranted then please add it. 1. Title page Title, names of group members, class, teacher, date submitted 2. Introduction & Background important concepts essential to understand your experiment your choice of experimental model list of lab objectives: independent variable, dependent variable, control factors, etc. include what is already known with citations indicate what you hope to learn (purpose) clearly identify your hypothesis Note: This section requires research. Do not wing it by making up info from your head! 3. Materials used in the lab 4. Procedure a brief description of the procedure to show how the lab was conducted describe methods for control variables describe methods for collecting the data 5. Results (present the data) construct data tables & charts to present the data collected must include titles and labels for all tables & charts 6. Analysis (process the data) construct all graphs needed to show results, must include titles and labels answer all questions from the lab handout & include all equations & calculations 7. Discussion & Conclusions state a valid conclusion & explain explain any unexpected results & why those results may have been obtained evaluate the data to determine if it supports your hypothesis using specific reference to the data evaluate the procedure, making suggestions for improvement if needed identify weaknesses & state realistic improvements answer the discussion questions found throughout the laboratory Literature Citation Given that some of the information included in your lab write up will have been taken from a published lab activity, you should include a citation of the source. The source(s) used should be cited within your lab write-up (especially in the introduction section) using scientific citation. Example: (College Board, 2001). The following citation format will be appropriate for lab reports based on one of the 12 AP Biology labs: Lab # _____ Title of Lab (College Board, 2001) AP Biology Lab Manual for Students (2001) New Jersey: College Board. p. ___-___.

General Experiment Setup Especially Useful for Create-your-own-Lab Essay Questions

Control Identify a control group not manipulated for comparison purposes, but also indicate several variables that are being held constant among all groups. Ex plants of the same species, from the same seed source, grown in the same soil and under the same conditions. Hypothesis Say the word hypothesis and write in the If.then format. Example The hypothesis for this experiment is if higher light allows more photosynthesis, then the plants with the most light should have the most mass. Manipulation of the Independent Variable (the ONE thing YOU change per group) Tell how the experiment is manipulated (i.e. what are your treatments/groups). Give a full range of the treatment if possible to avoid the Three Bears Syndrome (one too hot, one too cold, one just right) Ex The plants will be grown in five treatments of differing temperatures from Oo to 40o in 10 degree intervals. Measurements Indicate to the reader what is being measured (the DEPENDENT VARIABLE that changes due to changes in the independent variable). Use quantitative measurements rather than qualitative. Tell when/how then measurements will be taken. Ex The mass of the plants will be taken in grams at the beginning and end of the experiment. Verification Use a large sample size (i.e. the rule of 10X) or show that the experiment will be repeated several times. Ex There will be 10 plants in each treatment and control group OR the experiment will be completed once in December and again in February. Expected Results Tell the reader what you expect the results of the experiment to be and explain why. Ex - The expected results of the experiment is that the plants with more light will have more photosynthesis, therefore, they should have more biomass. Broad Spectrum Results and Graphs Tell the reader not just what you data was specifically, but what data you should get outside of your tested range and why. Ex If more light were added the plant would continue to grow faster until a point when the enzymes were physically unable to do more. Then a graph of light vs. mass that increases then levels off.