Formal Lab Report Your formal lab report must be in the following format, typed in a 12 point Arial or Times
New Roman font, and single-spaced as noted below. All bold/underlined sections are required. Reports must
be numbered and lettered identically to the example below and must be typed. All sections must include the
headings as listed below. You can open this document in Word and replace the section descriptions with your
science fair information. If you choose to do this, be sure to delete these instructions! 
I.
Title
Should include independent and dependent variables
II.
Introduction
A.
Question
B.
Background Information & Research
This section explains basic concepts and provides definitions necessary to understand the
lab. You must use at 3-5 resources for your entire FLR (this can include sources used to
help you with your topic, procedures, and background info) and be certain that you
summarize your background research. You must have a bibliography page added to the back
of your formal lab report with citations in MLA format.
C.
Hypothesis
Write a sentence that gives an educated guess as to the outcome of the experiment. Your
hypothesis should be written as; If _(independent variable)_, then _(dependent variable)_,
because _________________________________________________________________.
D.
Experimental Design
1. Independent Variable
Identify that thing you are studying/ intentionally changing which will cause the dependent
variable to change.
2. Experimental Group
The group exposed to the independent variable.
3. Dependent Variable
Define the result(s) you anticipate obtaining. This is the variable that depends on/ will
change as a result of the affect of the independent variable.
4. Control Group
Define the control group and explain the conditions they are subject to. THIS IS THE
GROUP THAT IS THE BASIS OF COMPARISON IN YOUR EXPERIMENT.
5. Factors Held Constant
Define those factors which are the same for both the experimental group and the control
group. These are things that you could change but are purposely not changing so that they do
not influence the results of the experiment.
YOUR LAST NAME
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III.
Materials
A bulleted list in single or multiple columns of all materials needed. Include quantity or
volume of items when applicable.
IV.
Procedures
A numbered list in a single column. Make certain these are very DETAILED and easy to understand.
This is the recipe that others should be able to follow and re-do your project.
V.
Observations and Data
A. Observations
What you saw, smelled, heard, touched, etc. (include pictures).
B. Data
This section may include drawings, diagrams, data tables, graphs, etc. labeled thoroughly with units
and titles. All data should be in metric form. The minimum you must have in this section are labeled
data tables and graphs.
C. Calculations
Show any and all formulas needed to complete the laboratory.
VI.
Conclusion
Follow the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning format. This should be written in paragraph format and contain
the following information.
CLAIM
• This is the answer to your research question.
• It is usually just one sentence.
EVIDENCE
• This is the scientific data that supports your claim.
• The data needs to be appropriate and sufficient to support your claim.
 Appropriate data means that it actually supports your claim.
 Sufficient data means there is enough data to support your claim.
REASONING
• Reasoning is the justification that shows why the data counts as evidence to support your claim
and includes appropriate scientific principles.
• The reasoning ties in the scientific knowledge or scientific theory that supports your claim.
• Reasoning links your claim to your evidence.
VII.
Sources of Error & Further Investigations
Describe any real or possible mistakes. Describe any modifications that might be required to make the
experiment more valid.
YOUR LAST NAME
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