Format of Prelab write-up and Lab Report
Prelab write-up:
The following items should be put into the prelab write-up in your lab notebook:
#1. Title of experiment
#2. Introduction-one to two sentences
#3. List of chemicals and materials to be used
#4. Procedure (on the right-hand side of the page)
#5. Record of data: Tables and blank spaces to be filled in by you during the experiment.
For example,
Weight of water using P-1000 pipettor with setting 1000 (g)
Trial 1:________
Trial 2:________
Trial 3:________
If you are not sure about the prelab write-up ask yourself this question: Can I perform the
experiment and do all the calculations without referring to the handouts?As you perform
your experiment write in your notebook any changes to the procedure that may have
occurred. Write all observations you make and attempt to be quantitative whenever
possible. Give a one or two sentence conclusion to the experiment.
Number the pages of your lab notebook. Include a Table of Contents at the beginning of
the notebook. You will hand your notebook to your instructor at the end of the academic
term.
Lab Report:
Each report should include the following:
Title page:
Name, Course, Instructor
Title of experiments
Partner’s name (if you worked with a partner that day)
Introduction:
Write one paragraph on background and purpose of the experiment. This
should be mostly in present tense format.
Materials and methods:
Give chemicals, materials and equipment you used in past tense prose format.
The methods must be presented in past tense. If your methods deviated from
those listed in the handout be sure to give the methods you actually used in lab.
Don’t begin sentences with numbers. You may divide this section of the report
into subheadings. For example, “Preparation of enzyme,” “Enzyme assay,” and
“Temperature and pH effects on enzyme activity” could be some of the
subheadings you may include.
Results
Record of data, including sample calculations, images, graphs:
Refer to tables in the report as Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 etc.
Refer to figures in the report as Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 etc. Figures may
include graphs, images, drawings, chemical structures.
Questions:
There will often be questions posed in the handout for you to answer. You may
number the questions and answer them in this section. You are not required to
rewrite the questions.
Discussion:
Give a one paragraph discussion of the scientific conclusions you drew from
the experiment. Results specific to the experiment are written in the past tense
and the universal conclusions you draw are written in the present tense. For
example, “In our study, polyphenoloxidase oxidized catechol twice as quickly
as phenol and hydroquinone. Due to the observation that all three substrates
exhibited some color change it is concluded that polyphenoloxidase exhibits
group specificity.”