Q&A for How to Write a Science Lab Report

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How do you write a lab report without using pronouns?

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
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.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

If you want to write your lab report in a more formal voice, you might end up with more passive language in your report. For example, instead of, "I filled the beaker with saline," you would write "The beaker is filled with saline."

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Should I include the dangers involved in the project?

Community Answer

Yes, they are not called dangers though, they are called "safety concerns." Create a separate section for safety concerns to warn potential experimenters what to look out for.

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Do I need to include safety goggles in the list of materials?

Community Answer

Yes, you should provide the safety equipment required for the experiment, as harmful substances may be used. Adding safety equipment, if needed, would be important to include.

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How many pages should it be?

Community Answer

Cater to the teacher. If he/she gives you a minimum or maximum, follow it.

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Do I need to explain what the materials are for in the material list?

Community Answer

Only a list of materials required to perform the experiment should be provided and not their purposes.

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What are some examples of errors?

Community Answer

An example of error might be the limits of the measuring equipment, if it doesn't have small enough intervals then there is likely going to be some error there. Other types of error depend on the experiment. For example, often in basic physics a surface is assumed to be friction-less to make equations easier, but that creates error, but that wouldn't appear in a more advanced level of physics or in other scientific fields.

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What do you mean by explaining the results?

Community Answer

Explaining the results means you explain what happened during the experiment, how/why it worked, and what it all means in a wider context.

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Does calculating the surface tension of two or more liquids count as an experiment?

Community Answer

No. If it involves testing with a controlled and uncontrolled variable to support or fail to support a hypothesis, then it is an experiment. If you're just using an equation to calculate the surface tension, that's not an experiment.

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What does "characteristic" mean here?

Community Answer

Tt is a feature you would expect. For example, a characteristic of classical-style architecture is large stone columns.

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Should a lab write up be written in the past tense?

Community Answer

Yes, most teachers prefer procedures to be written in the past tense. For more guidance, consult your science teacher.

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Do I need to include the hypothesis in my lab write up?

Community Answer

Yes. Including hypothesis in your formal lab report is necessary. Keep in mind, at the end of your report, you should state whether your hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

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Should I include variables like controlled, independent, and dependent variables for the different parts of the experiment?

Community Answer

Yes, you should include all of your variables in the lab report.

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How do I find examples of complete lab reports?

Community Answer

Do a google search for "examples of complete lab reports." Or you could ask some other classmates/teachers if they have any particular sites they use, or examples of a lab report that they did themselves.

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