The Chemistry Laboratory Notebook, Pre/Post Lab Questions and the Formal Lab
Reports in AP Chemistry
Sources: “Laboratory Experiments for AP Chemistry” by S. A. Vonderbrink (Flinn),
The American Chemical Society, and Dr. Gaw
In AP Chemistry, the laboratory experience is central to the course. You will perform approximately 23 labs
throughout the year. Your laboratory grade depends on three components; 1) the quality of your Chemistry Notebook;
2) the quality of your before- and after- lab questions; and 3) the quality of your formal lab reports.
You will use a hard bound quadrille-lined notebook as your Chemistry Laboratory Notebook. This notebook is a
working document and will contain your Experiment Notes. In it you will explain laboratory procedures, record all
laboratory data, and work up data (showing how calculations are made and crunching through the data). The
Chemistry Laboratory Notebook tends to be a bit “messy” since you write in as you perform experiments, but as it is a
record of your work, it needs to legible to others. Certain portions of the Experiment Notes within the Chemistry
Laboratory Notebook are to be completed before your perform the lab, others are done during the experiment, and
finally a few are part of the working up of data required for the after-lab questions. See the information below.
Each lab that you perform will have a series of before- and after- lab questions. The before-lab questions help to
prepare you for the lab, while the after-lab questions help you to work up your lab data. You must work up the data for
each and every lab. The before-lab quiz will be based on the pre-lab questions in your lab manual. The after-lab
questions must be completed on a separate sheet of paper and turned in two class periods after the completion of the lab
(you may work with your lab partner on answering the questions, however, each of you needs to turn in your own work
showing that you understand the lab). Work up all data in your Chemistry Laboratory Notebook. Do not copy
data/work from your Notebook to the separate after-lab piece of paper – just reference the appropriate page number in
your Notebook and I will seek it out. Note that most unit exams will have at least one question based on the labs you
have performed (the theory and chemical reactions from the labs – not your explicit results). The before-lab quiz is
worth 10 points and the after-lab questions are worth 40 points.
We will discuss the lab and its safety issues prior to performing the lab. Labs will also be reviewed as a class once they
are completed. Occasionally, students will be asked to use class data instead of their own.
Each semester, you will also need to produce two typed formal lab reports. You will be able to choose which two labs
you wish to write up. The sections to include in the formal lab write up are detailed below.
A record of laboratory work is an important set of documents, which will show the quality of the laboratory work that
you have done. You may need to show your Chemistry Laboratory Notebook and Formal Lab Reports to the
Chemistry Department at your college or university in order to obtain credit for the laboratory part of your Advanced
Placement Chemistry course.
The Chemistry Laboratory Notebook: Basic Procedure
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6.
Use a bound quadrille-lined book. Do not be afraid to use lots of space.
Write your name and class on the front cover and inside the front cover.
In ink, number all the right-hand pages on the lower right corner if they are not already numbered. If
you are left –handed, you may use the left pages instead of the right if you wish.
Save the first two pages for a Table of Contents. This should be kept current as you proceed. Each time
you write up a lab, place the title and page number where the lab report begins in the Table of Contents.
Write in ink. Use only the right hand pages. You may use the left-hand pages for preliminary notes,
observations, reactions, reaction mechanisms or for a quick graph. The left-hand pages will not be
graded.
If you make a mistake DO NOT ERASE. Just draw ONE LINE through your error, and continue. It is
expected that some errors will occur. You cannot produce a perfect, error-free notebook. Errors should
be corrected by drawing one line through the mistake, and then proceeding with the new data.
Experiment Notes in your Laboratory Notebook
Include the following 8 sections in your Experiment Notes that are directly written in your laboratory notebook. Note
that sections 1 through 5 should be written before you do the experiment. Section 6 should be written while you do the
experiment. Finally, sections 7 and 8 should be written after you complete the experiment. All of these sections are to
appear on the right-hand pages of your notebook.
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Sections 1-5 of the Experiment Notes will be checked for completion on the day of the experiment. This is
worth 10 points.
Sections 6-8 of the Experiment Notes will be checked for completion on the day of the unit exam. This is
worth 40 points.
1.
Title
The title should be descriptive of the experiment being performed.
2.
Begin Date – End Date
The date you began the experiment and the date you completed the experiment.
3.
Lab Partner(s)
List your lab partner(s).
4.
Purpose/Objective
A brief statement of what you are attempting to do – mention the basic principles and the experimental
method involved in the experiment.
5.
Planned Procedure
Use a high level flow chart to outline the experimental procedure. Reference the experimental write up from
which you are working. Do not include lengthy, detailed directions. A person who understands chemistry
should be able to read this section and know what you are doing.
As you perform the experiment, you will note any deviations from the procedure in the next section, the
Actual Procedure, Data, and Results section.
6.
Actual Procedure, Data, and Results
Note any deviations from the planned procedure in this section of the report. You must record all your data
and observations directly in your lab notebook. (No slips of paper or a second “ghost” notebook). Give your
calculated values and include graphs as appropriate. Organize your data in a neat, orderly form. Label all
data very clearly. Use correct significant digits, and always include proper units (g, ml, etc.) Underline, use
capital letter, or use any device you choose to help organize this section well. Space things out – don’t try to
cram everything on one page. Use tables where appropriate. Remember to properly label your graphs.
7.
Sample Calculations and Analysis
You should show how calculations will be carried out by giving the equations to be used. Describe and show
how you analyzed your data.
8.
Conclusion Statement
Make a simple statement concerning what you can conclude from the experiment.
The Formal Lab Report: Basic Procedure
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Type your report using double spacing between lines.
You are to write up your Formal Lab Report by yourself. Hence, if your lab partner chooses to write up
the same experiment as you do, the two reports will indeed be different (although the data will be the
same).
Both reports must be turned in by the 12th week of each semester.
Each formal lab report is worth 200 points. I will spend most of my time reading sections 5 and 9.
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The ten sections in the typed Formal Lab Report are listed below (some are already part of your Experiment Notes in
your bound Chemistry Laboratory Notebook).
1.
Title
The title should be descriptive of the experiment being performed.
2.
Begin Date – End Date
The date you began the experiment and the date you completed the experiment.
3.
Lab Partner(s)
List your lab partner(s).
AP Chemistry
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4.
Purpose/Objective
A brief statement of what you are attempting to do – mention the basic principles and the experimental
method involved in the experiment. You should detail the chemical reaction being investigated.
5.
Discussion of Theory/Background
In this section you should discuss the theory of the experiment. Depending on the experiment, this might
include a discussion of the reaction being performed or it might focus on the experimental set up. Your goal
is to explain the background that makes your experiment and data analysis possible.
6.
Actual Procedure
Describe the process followed in your actual procedure. This should be detailed enough so that someone else
can follow your written instructions and get the same results.
7.
Data and Results
In this section, detail your experimental results. Organize your data in a neat, orderly form. Label all data
very clearly. Use correct significant digits, and always include proper units (g, ml, etc.). Use tables where
appropriate. Do not make up data! (Making up data is considered cheating and results in a zero for the
formal lab report). If you forgot to measure something, note it and move on. I will often reanalyze your data
based on what you put in this section.
8.
Sample Calculations and Analysis
You should show how calculations will be carried out by giving the equations to be used. Describe how you
analyzed your data. Remember to properly label your graphs
9.
Discussion of the Data
Continue your analysis of your data with a discussion of it. Explain what worked and what did not.
Remember, your goal in all experiments is to reduce human error and to focus on the chemistry of the lab.
Does your data support the theory of the experiment? This is the section where you convince the reader that
you understand your data from a basic chemistry point of view.
10.
Conclusion Statement
Make a simple statement concerning what you can conclude from the experiment.
This table recaps the various items discussed here, their point values, and their due dates.
Item
Experiment Notes: Sections 1-5 (in notebook)
Experiment Notes: Sections 6-8 (in notebook)
Before-lab Quiz
After-lab Questions (separate sheet of paper)
2 Formal Lab Reports each semester (typed)
AP Chemistry
Point Value
10
40
10
40
200
Due Date
Day of Experiment
Day of Unit Exam
Day of Experiment
2 class periods after completion of the
experiment (or the day of the unit exam if
the lab was completed one class period
before the exam)
Both due by the end of the 12th week
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