How to Keep
Your Lab
Journal
On The Cover
CHEMISTRYCANOVA
_________
Period ___
YOUR NAME
YOUR PERIOD
1. ON THE INSIDE COVER
-Write your lab partner(s) name,and contact info, email
address, etc
-Also, in the upper right hand corner, write down your
lab station number.
Joe Schmo
Lab:3
908-555-1234 h
908-555-4321 c
jschmo@email.com
jschmo-aim
24 Mockingbird Ln
1-Chemistry Rm 232
2-Chem Lab
3-English Rm 206
2. Number Your Pages
-In the upper right hand corner, number the first 25
pages right now.
-Do not number the back side of the pages.
Joe Schmo
Lab:3
908-555-1234 h
908-555-4321 c
jschmo@email.com
jschmo-aim
24 Mockingbird Ln
1-Chemistry Rm 232
2-Chem Lab
3-English Rm 206
1
3. Table of Contents
-Your Table of Contents should include the title of
the lab and the page number in your journal where
that lab begins.
-Title the first two pages, Table of Contents
Joe Schmo
Lab:3
908-555-1234 h
908-555-4321 c
jschmo@email.com
jschmo-aim
24 Mockingbird Ln
1-Chemistry Rm 232
2-Chem Lab
3-English Rm 206
1
Table of Contents
Title
Page
Safety Rules
Safety Map
Safety Equip
Instructions
LEGO
5
3
4
6-10
11
4. Lab Safety Contract
Staple the Lab Safety Rules Into Your Notebook.
Onto Page 3
3
Safety Rules
Folded in Half
5. Lab Safety Map
Draw a map of the room and identify the location
of all lab safety equipment that you see.
Onto Page 4
4
TEACHER DESK
6. Safety Equipment
List all of the safety equipment you just identified
on the map, and explain its function.
Onto Page 5
5
1. Goggles-eye protection
2. Blanket-smother fire
3. Etc……..
Stay on page 5 of your Notebook
• The following slides contain important information.
• Write down this information in your lab notebook on
the back of page 4.
• Take notes on the left pages (class notes section).
• Put examples on the right pages (pre-lab section).
• If the left page contains notes, and nothing is
written on the right page, draw an “X” through the
right page.
Class
Notes
8
How to Write?
Example Prelab Entry
Class Notes
How to Write in Lab
Notebook
Write all pertinent
information on the
RIGHT pages. Save
the LEFT pages for
special instructions or
notes.
6
EXAMPLE:
Date: 9/15/07
Partner: Suzie Que
Title: How to Keep Your Lab Notebook
Purpose: To investigate …
Materials: (alphabetical)
Safety: (see safety contract)
Diagram: (not always needed)
Procedures
Observations
1. 3 Tbsp of glue
should be added to
cup.
None
2. 3 Tbsp of Borax
solution should be
added to cup.
Sticky, gooey,
slime formed.
How to Write?
Class Notes
-All entries into lab
notebook must be made in
ink, NEATLY (BLUE or
BLACK ink ONLY!).
NO PENCILS (EVER).
-Use a ruler to draw any
tables/charts.
-If a mistake is made, cross
it out neatly with a single
line
- DO NOT USE
WHITE-OUT
7
EXAMPLE:
Data/Calculations:
90
80
70
60
50
East
W est
40
North
30
20
10
0
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Pasting stuff in
You may and should, when you can,
carefully paste stuff into your journal.
Including : Spreadsheet data charts and
graphs with trend lines. You may use a
camera to take pictures of your lab setup
and reaction observations and paste the
pictures into your Journal as long as they
don't flop around.
On the Inside Back Cover
Use a glue stick to paste in the Lab
Techniques Checklist. I will initial each
technique that you properly demonstrate
through out the year.
The checklist is also found at my chemistry
web site.
REMINDERS
Class Notes
-You must bring your prepared
notebook to the laboratory or you
will receive a zero on the prelab
section (worth about 25% of total
lab grade).
-Only blue or black ink may be used,
no pencil or different colored ink.
No white-out.
-No loose paper inside lab notebook.
8
Before the Lab:
Class Notes
EXAMPLE: SEE PAGE 6
Date: 9/15/07
Partner: Suzie Que
Title: How to Keep Your Lab
Notebook
Purpose: To investigate …
Materials: (alphabetical)
Safety: (see safety contract)
Diagram: (not always needed)
Procedures
Observations
1. 3 Tbsp of glue
should be added
to cup.
None
2. 3 Tbsp of
Borax solution
should be added
to cup.
Sticky, gooey,
slime formed.
9
BE SURE TO INCLUDE IN
YOUR PRELAB:
1)Date
2)Partner
3)Title
4)Purpose
5)Materials
6)Safety
7)Diagram
8)Anticipated Procedures
9)Data/Calculations
Title
The full title of the experiment should
be clearly written on the first page of
the lab notebook entry.
Introduction
A brief (five- to ten-sentence) introduction to
the experiment should be written at the top
of the page. The introduction should state
the goals and objectives of the laboratory
and describe what data will be collected
and how that data will be used to arrive at
conclusions at the completion of the
laboratory. If hypotheses can be made
about the outcome of the experiment
beforehand, they should be stated here.
Chemicals Table (or Reaction Table):
Make a table of the chemicals (reagents,
starting materials, etc.) that will be used
during the experiment. List the chemicals
and their formula, structure, molar mass
and physical state. Make a note of any
safety hazards identified in the lab’s
written materials or the MSDS for each
reagent below the table or as a column in
the table. If it will be useful to know a
reagent’s melting point, boililng point,
Calculations & Equations:
Write out all relevant equations with variable
definitions that are applicable to the
experiment. Write out calculations that can
be done ahead of time (e.g., determining
the theoretical yield; determining limiting
reagent).
Anticipated Procedure:
Make a numbered list of the tasks that you
must complete during the experiment.
Including a list of materials and supplies
you need.This list does not have to be
exhaustive, but should accurately
summarize all aspects of the procedure
you are going to complete that day. During
the lab, you may deviate from this outline
as the requirements change in response to
observations that you are making and data
Example of a Pre-Lab Notebook
Entry
Pre-lab cont.
Pre-Lab Cont.
During/After the Lab:
Class Notes
10
1) Fill in observation section.
2) Collect and record data in table.
3) If time permits, start
calculations.
4) Consider the focus of lab
questions.
5) If required, a formal typed of
lab report that contains, in
addition to what you wrote in
your lab notebook, a typed
conclusion (more info on typed
lab reports to follow).
In-Lab
The in-lab section should be divided into two
columns on each page for Procedure and
Observations. The left-hand column will
list your actual procedure that you followed
during the experiment. The right-hand
column will describe the observations that
were made and will also contain data that
you collected. The details in the
Observation column should be written as
closely to the procedural step where they
Procedure:
The procedure listed in this column should
be significantly more detailed than the
outlined procedure listed in your pre-lab.
Essentially, more details are required.
Invariably some labs will require steps to
be repeated, modified or eliminated based
upon observations and collected data.
These details should be included.
Observations
Here, the more details you record, the
more complete this sections will be. Use
all of your senses—except taste!—when
making observations. Make notes about
the state of your reagents (e.g., physical
state, color, smell) where appropriate,
what happens when reagents are mixed
(e.g., color changes, gas evolution), and
temperature changes. Also, use this
section to accurately record data that the
Post-Lab
The primary function of the post-lab section
is to analyze the data that was collected
during the experiment to reach valid
conclusions about the chemical
phenomena that was investigated in the
experiment. A complete post-lab should
contain the following elements:
Questions
Most experiments in the lab manual pose
questions at the end of the manuscript.
These should be answered carefully and
completely.
Calculations
If calculations are required using the data
that was collected during the experiment,
these should be clearly written here.
Where applicable, write the full equation
being used at the start of each
calculuation. Show all work for full credit.
Write any new chemical equations that are
relevant.
Analysis and Conclusion
Finally, your post-lab should contain a
medium length paragraph stating the
conclusions that you were able to reach
during the laboratory experiment. These
conclusions should be well supported by
the data that you collected and by the
calculations that were written in both the
Observations column and the Calculations
section above. In other words, analyze the
data; explain how the results of the