The purpose of a lab report is to discuss what you observed and recorded during the lab.
Knowing how to communicate your results and findings is not only useful for this lab, but also
for any other labs at Tufts, especially if you go on to take other Chem courses. So, here is a short
guide of what I’m specifically expecting for your lab reports and in each section outlined in the
rubric.
Title of the Experiment: Pretty self explanatory, make sure to include your lab partner’s name!
Purpose: What is the ultimate goal of the lab, and what techniques are you using to achieve this
goal?
- Example: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the densities of an unknown
solid and an unknown liquid, and to use this intrinsic property to identify the unknown
solid by comparing its density with known density values.
Procedure: Refer to the handout. Do not explain or summarize the procedure, simply note any
changes that were made.
- Example: The procedure on handout 2 “Density” was followed. No changes were made
(OR state whatever was changed in place of this sentence).
Data and Observations: Here, you will insert your raw data, which is what you submitted to
Canvas in your data pages.
- Please format this data into tables – I personally recommend you to type up the tables in
Google Docs, but you may also write them down in your lab notebook.
- Title your tables.
- Example: Table 1, Solid Unknown Density Data
- Ensure proper units and significant figures.
- Note any observations.
- If you are submitting a picture of your lab notebook, make sure it is a scanned picture
(you can use the Notes app on iPhones or download an app such as Genius Scan or
CamScanner).
Results and Calculations: Perform any necessary calculations and write down the formulas.
Show an example calculation (you do not need to show every calculation if they appear more
than once).
- For labs that require many calculations or involve a lot of data, it’d help to create a table
summarizing the results and graph the data (if applicable).
- Briefly summarize your findings.
- Example: The density of the unknown solid was found to be 8.67 g/mL, which is
closest to that of brass. Thus, the identity of this solid is most likely brass.
Furthermore, the density of the unknown liquid was found to be 1.2 g/mL.
Discussion: This is where you talk more in depth about the experiment. Generally, this will be
about a page long – but this is not a hard requirement as long as you can mention the following
points:
1. Restate the purpose of the experiment and how it was achieved (e.g., briefly talk about
important points in the procedure).
2. What chemical concepts were used in this lab? Essentially, provide some background for
the lab. For a lab on atomic emissions, for instance, you could talk about the behavior of
electrons and how this behavior produces light.
3. Reiterate the most relevant results of the experiment. Why are these results important
and what do they tell us? Do not simply state your results – summarize what these results
mean. Here, you can discuss any trends you noticed or any graphs you made.
4. What are some potential sources of error, and how did this error affect your results? If
applicable, you may calculate percent error/composition in the results section. Do not
simply say that there was “human error.” Be specific! Were all quantities accurately
measured? Were there any issues with instruments (e.g., not calibrated properly)? Finally,
state whether these errors were significant in your findings.
5. Briefly mention how this experiment is relevant in real world applications. How might
this be useful in industry?
Conclusion: In about a paragraph, summarize and conclude your findings.
- Again, restate the purpose (this can be concise).
- Restate the most important results (no need to discuss in depth).
- Was the experiment successful or not? Why?
- How could you improve the experiment in the future and minimize any errors?
Questions: Answer all questions on the handout. If there are calculations, make sure to show
your work. Answers can be short.
References: Cite the lab handout (author: Sarah Iacobucci) and external resources that were
used. Please use APA format.
- Example (APA): Iacobucci, S. (2024). Experiment 1 Fall Graphing. Tufts University.
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