Elements of a Lab Report
There are seven essential elements of a lab: Title, Materials, Introduction, Hypothesis,
Procedure, Data, and Conclusion. A description of each element is provided below
along with an example. *A sample lab report is provided at the end of this document.
1. The Title is a complete statement, question, or phrase that accurately describes the
experiment or problem being explored. It should include the independent and dependent
variables. It should be centered at the top of the lab, below the heading. (See example
below)
How Does the Amount of Sunlight a Plant Receives Affect Its Growth?
2. The Materials list is a complete list of equipment and supplies. The list should be
written in a series and separated by commas. (See example below)
Materials:
plant seeds, 4 containers, soil, water
3. The Introduction is a paragraph that describes the purpose of the experiment. It
includes statements that define important terms, a short description of lab, and the
problem being explored. (See example below)
Introduction:
The purpose of this lab is to explore how the amount of sunlight affects the growth rate of
a plant. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use energy (light) from the sun to
produce sugar, which is then converted to energy (ATP) that allows the plant to grow.
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in a plant that absorbs solar energy used in
photosynthesis. In this lab we will expose 4 plants to different amounts of light. We will
measure the growth of each plant to determine if the amount of sunlight a plant receives
affects the growth.
4. The Hypothesis is a description of what the student thinks will happen based on what
has been studied in the lesson. It should directly answer the “question” stated in the title
and explain why. (See example below)
Hypothesis:
If all other conditions are held constant, the plant that receives the most sunlight over a
period of four weeks will grow the most. This hypothesis is based on the fact that plants
need sunlight to grow. Plants convert sunlight to energy through a process known as
photosynthesis. They use the energy to help them grow.
© 2009 Connections Academy, LLC. All Rights Reserved
5. The Procedure is listed in clear steps. Each step is numbered and written in a
complete sentence. The steps are written in a manner that can easily be duplicated. (See
example below)
Procedure:
1. Plant one seed in each of the four containers, A, B, C, and D. Use the same amount of
soil in each container.
2. Do not allow Plant A (control) to receive any sunlight. Allow Plant B to receive 2
hours of sunlight per day. Allow Plant C to receive 4 hours of sunlight per day. Allow
Plant D to receive 6 hours of sunlight per day.
3. Give each plant the same amount of water each week.
4. Record the growth (in cm) of each plant each week.
6. The Data is described with words and further illustrated using appropriate tables,
graphs, and charts. (See example below)
Data:
All plants received the same amount of water each week. Plant A received 0 hours of
sunlight per day (control.) Plant B received 2 hours of sunlight per day. Plant C received
4 hours of sunlight per day. Plant D received 6 hours of sunlight per day.
New growth in cm after 1 week
Plant A
1
Plant B
1
Plant C
1
Plant D
2
New growth in cm after 2 weeks
0
1
2
2
New growth in cm after 3 weeks
0
0
2
3
New growth in cm after 4 weeks
0
1
1
2
Total growth after 4 weeks
1 cm
3 cm
6 cm
9 cm
7. The Conclusion should re-state the problem. If answering questions, record each
question before recording each answer. Use data as evidence to support answers and
conclusions. Restate the hypothesis and whether it is correct or incorrect. Use complete
sentences. (See example below)
Conclusion:
The problem being explored was how does the amount of sunlight a plant receives affect
its growth? Which plant grew the most over the period of four weeks? Plant D grew the
most (9 cm) over the period of four weeks. Did Plant A, which did not receive any
sunlight, grow at all over the four week period? Explain why you think that the plant
showed the growth pattern that it did. Plant A grew a total of 1 cm over the four week
period. It is possible that the plant, which was kept in a kitchen cabinet, received a very
small amount of sunlight when I opened the cabinet to water it. The small amount of
sunlight that it received may have enabled the plant to grow a bit. My hypothesis was
correct. The plant that received the most sunlight grew the most.
© 2009 Connections Academy, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Your Name
Course: Unit: Lesson
Date
How Does the Amount of Sunlight a Plant Receives Affect Its Growth?
Materials:
plant seeds, 4 containers, soil, water
Introduction:
The purpose of this lab is to explore how the amount of sunlight affects the growth rate of
a plant. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use energy (light) from the sun to
produce sugar, which is then converted to energy (ATP) that allows the plant to grow.
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in a plant that absorbs solar energy used in
photosynthesis. In this lab we will expose 4 plants to different amounts of light. We will
measure the growth of each plant to determine if the amount of sunlight a plant receives
affects the growth.
Hypothesis:
If all other conditions are held constant, the plant that receives the most sunlight over a
period of four weeks will grow the most. This hypothesis is based on the fact that plants
need sunlight to grow. Plants convert sunlight to energy through a process known as
photosynthesis. They use the energy to help them grow.
Procedure:
1. Plant one seed in each of the four containers, A, B, C, D. Use the same amount of soil
in each container.
2. Do not enable Plant A (control) to receive any sunlight. Enable Plant B to receive 2
hours of sunlight per day. Enable Plant C to receive 4 hours of sunlight per day.
Enable Plant D to receive 6 hours of sunlight per day.
3. Give each plant the same amount of water each week.
4. Record the growth (in cm) of each plant each week.
Data:
All plants received the same amount of water each week. Plant A received 0 hours of
sunlight per day (control.) Plant B received 2 hours of sunlight per day. Plant C received
4 hours of sunlight per day. Plant D received 6 hours of sunlight per day.
New growth in cm after 1 week
Plant A
1
Plant B
1
Plant C
1
Plant D
2
New growth in cm after 2 weeks
0
1
2
2
New growth in cm after 3 weeks
0
0
2
3
New growth in cm after 4 weeks
0
1
1
2
Total growth after 4 weeks
1 cm
3 cm
6 cm
9 cm
© 2009 Connections Academy, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Conclusion
The problem being explored was how does the amount of sunlight a plant receives affect
its growth? Which plant grew the most over the period of four weeks? Plant D grew the
most (9 cm) over the period of four weeks. Did Plant A, which did not receive any
sunlight, grow at all over the four week period? Explain why you think that the plant
showed the growth pattern that it did. Plant A grew a total of 1 cm over the four week
period. It is possible that the plant, which was kept in a kitchen cabinet, received a very
small amount of sunlight when I opened the cabinet to water it. The small amount of
sunlight that it received may have enabled the plant to grow a bit. My hypothesis was
correct. The plant that received the most sunlight grew the most.
© 2009 Connections Academy, LLC. All Rights Reserved