Honors Physics
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[When you complete the use of this template, all information inside brackets, and the brackets
themselves, must be deleted. In most cases they should be replaced with appropriate text.]
[TITLE]
Date Data Taken: [DATE1]
Date Report Submitted: [DATE2]
Author: [name]
Members of Lab Group: [group member names]
1. Design Experiment
1.a Purpose
[Describe the purpose of the experiment or the problem to be investigated. In some cases this will
be a description of the theory that you are trying to prove. In other cases, you will be provided with
a problem statement from the teacher that you are attempting to address. If you are attempting to
test a theory that can be described by a physics equation, that equation should be included here. ]
1.b Experimental Approach and Theory Of Experimental Design
[In the lab you will be recording some measurements that will have to be manipulated to provide
an experimental comparison with the theoretical result. In this section you will describe the theory
of the experiment and how you will manipulate the data to achieve the desired outcome.
Describe the concept of the experiment. Describe how you will use the data to make a
comparison between the hypothesis and experimental measurements and observations. This is a
complete description of how you will use the data to complete the calculations required for this lab.
If you choose, you may select on set of data points as an example to include in your text. All of
the rest of the calculations will appear in Section 4.a below, in the form of tables.
It is best if you learn how to use software to add equations directly into your document. However,
you may instead leave blank spaces and then fill neatly write the equations in by hand. All
equations must be numbered so that they can be easily referred to within the text. ]
2. Implementation of Experimental Design
2.a Equipment Table with description of how equipment used
[Make a brief table showing the equipment used and how each piece of equipment is used in the
lab. If you have multiple sections to the measurement then it might be best to include a separate
table for each set of equipment.]
Equipment
How Used
2.b Experimental setup
[Draw a schematic of experimental setup(s). (One for each setup.) This may be drawn by hand
and added to back page. If it is added on the back of the report then it must be referred to in this
section. Preferably, it may be generated on the computer and included within the text at this
section. Another alternative may be to draw it by hand, scan it, and then include it in this section of
the text. Label the elements of the diagram. In addition to the diagram, you must describe the
elements of this diagram in the accompanying text so that a reader will understand how the setup
works.]
2.c Experimental procedure, analysis of precision and accuracy, and care used in making
measurements
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[This is a general description of the procedure used in the lab. In many cases I will provide you
with a step-by-step sequence of steps that you must perform for this lab. I am not interested in you
restating this to me. That will result in no credit for this section. Instead, your text must show an
understanding of the steps involved, showing that you have an understanding of why the specific
steps were taken.
Determine significant digits. All measurements must be recorded with significant figures that are
appropriate to the instrumentation used. Significant figures must be treated carefully throughout
the lab report. Significant figure errors from throughout the lab report will be accumulated and
charged to this element of the rubric.]
2.d Pros and Cons of Approach
[Explain pros and cons of particular experimental approach. In this section you will describe which
aspects of the experiment worked well and which aspects created problems in collecting the data
that you needed to complete the lab.]
3.0 Measurements and Observations
3.a Data Table(s)
[The data must be displayed in table formats. Even individual values, should be placed in a table
or box to make it easy for the reader to find the values used. The table must include the
measurements, the units, and the precision or the error bar.]
3.b Additional relevant observations
[Additional relevant observations: Should show understanding of experimental issues. This is
where you will record additional observations that might not fit into a table form.]
4. Data Analysis
4,a Data Analysis Tables
[All data analysis should be arranged in tables. In section 1b, above, you described how the data
is used to convert raw data into a form in which you can compare the results against theoretical or
accepted values.
Do not include the data analysis in the text. It is too difficult to follow. Display data in data tables
with labeled column headings and units. The analysis tables will have some columns that are raw
data and some columns that are calculated from the data. This needs to be noted on the column
labels. If the tables are not self-explanatory then you should include some text to describe why
you chose to do the calculations that you performed.]
4.b Graphs and Results of linearized fits
[All graphs have a heading, axes labeled, and units. Labeled line separations on the graph should
be multiples of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, etc. It would be best for the graphs to be generated on a
computer. If you are not capable of doing that, draw a graph by hand using graph paper and
attach it to the end of the report. Refer to it in the text of your report here.
Linearize results to be able to use linear fits as needed. Use a computer to fit lines to data points
in graphs. The equation for the fitted line should be displayed on the graph as a solid line with no
data points on it.]
4.c Calculations
[The details of your calculations were documented in section 1.b, where you described the
experimental theory. Show calculations in a neat and orderly outline form. Include a brief
description of the calculation, the equation, numbers from your data substituted into the
equation and the result. Do not include the intermediate steps. Numbers in the sample
calculations must agree with what you recorded in your data sheet. For calculations
repeated many times, you only include one sample calculation. Answers should have the proper
number of significant figures and units. In this section you will summarize your final results.]
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5. Analyze errors
5.a Sources of error
[Identify the significant sources of error in your measurement. Consider each aspect of the
measurement that you made. In section 2.a you described how you carefully performed the
measurement. In this section you will describe the sources of error that are inevitable in any
measurement. You must determine the relative importance of the various sources of error.
Source of error might include the readability of the scales of a device’s least division, the
calibration of the instrument, method of measurement, etc.
Do NOT include the trivial comment “human error” or “calculation error” without further
explanation. This kind of comment without further explanation is equivalent to stating that the
experiment or calculations were performed carelessly. However, you could describe that, for
example, it was not possible to release a cart at an exact time and that based on that you
introduced an error on the time measurement of ±0.10s. Another example in which human related
errors come into play relate to reaction time, such as when you use a stopwatch to determine
when a particular time interval starts and stops.]
5.b Percent error relative to established value.
[Estimate magnitude and direction of errors. Calculate percent error from theory or accepted
values. In most cases, these errors compare a measured value against an established or
calculated value. The formula for percent error is
6. Communicate results
6.a Inferences and conclusions
[Draw inferences and conclusions from experimental data.
This is the most important part of the lab report; it is where you analyze the data.
Begin the discussion with the experimental purpose and briefly summarize the basic idea of the
experiment with emphasis on the measurements you made and transition to discussing the
results.
Consider each of the following questions as you write up this section:
-What is the relationship between your measurements and your final results?
-What trends were observable?
-What can you conclude from the graphs that you made?
-How did the independent variables affect the dependent variables? (For example, did an
increase in a given measured (independent) variable result in an increase or decrease in the
associated calculated (dependent) variable?)
Then describe how your experimental results substantiate/agree with the theory. (This is not
a single statement that your results agree or disagree with theory.)
If your measurement was not consistent with the theory, then you should attempt to describe why.
]
6.b Improvement to experimental procedure
[Suggest ways to improve experiment. You must come up with some ideas to get full credit.]
6.c Questions for further study
[Propose questions for further study. You must come up with some ideas to get full credit.]
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Rubric (Do not include this section in your lab report)
Lab write-up requirements.
This is a standard lab requiring a formal, typed lab report. It must cover all elements of the lab report as
described in the rubric below. The procedure section must include a setup diagram. Graphs and
diagrams do not need to be within the body of the text. They can be given figure numbers and the
figures must be referred to the appropriate places in the report.
Check your work carefully. You may lose full section points for any missing elements.
General For Entire Report
a) On time: If the report is due by a specific class period, it must be turned in by that period or it is counted as
handed in by next day. Lateness penalty is 20% for each day late.
Max Pts
Off
100
b) You own work: You may discuss the experiment with your lab partner and other classmates, but the lab
report that you turn in must be entirely your own work. Lab reports are subject to all the rules governing
academic honesty. The data that you present must be from your lab group only. Plagiarism will result in a zero
for both of the students involved.
100
c) Overall appearance and grammar: Must be typewritten. Electronic versions are not acceptable. Must be
proofread for typos, spelling errors, grammatical errors, sentence construction, and clear pros.
10
Descriptive Information (Title Section)
a) Title section of lab completed correctly.
5
1. Design of experiment
a) Purpose and Experimental Approach
b) Experimental Approach and Theory of Experimental Design
15
5
10
2. Implementation of experimental design
a) Equipment Table with description of how equipment used
b) Experimental Setup
c) Experimental procedure, analysis of precision and accuracy, and care used in making measurements
d) Pros and Cons of Experimental Approach
23
5
5
10
3
3. Measurements and observations
a) Data table(s)
b) Additional relevant observations
10
5
5
4. Data analysis
a) Analysis Tables
b) Create graphs as needed
c) Calculations
20
5
10
5
5. Analyze errors
a) Sources of error.
b) Percent error
10
5
5
6. Communicate results
a) Inferences and conclusions:
b) Improvement to experimental procedure
c) Questions for further study
17
10
5
2