Guide to Lab Write Ups
My general chemistry lab for both semesters was pretty easy in terms of general lab write ups so I thought I might share my two cents about it since I usually get 100s on labs.*Pictures are from two different labs.
Setting up the lab notebook:
- Have a table of contents before anything else (aka page 1). Keep this table of contents detailed and neatly organized. Have separate columns of date, lab name, experiment number, page
- Write each lab procedure clearly on separate pages.
Preparing for Lab
- 3-5 days before the lab: Print out all the lab procedures, materials, etc.
- 2 days before the lab: Read the procedures. Try to understand what the lab is about, and what methods are best to use.
- 1 day before the lab: Write down the purpose and procedure in your lab notebook. Do the pre-lab worksheets. Pack all your lab materials: googles, calculator, lab notebook, lab coat, etc.
- 10-30 minutes before lab starts: Take a few minutes to glance over your purpose and procedures before you head into your lab.
For each lab:
Before Lab Starts
- State a purpose for the lab. In your lab purpose, identify what you are attempting to determine in the lab and what method is being used in 2-3 lines. You can state it as an “if…then…” statement if that’s more comfortable but I usually start with a simple and short “The purpose of this lab is to…using methods…”
- Write out your procedure. Your procedure should be a concise step-by-step outline of what exactly you must do to perform the experiment. Keep key notes on exact measurements, chemicals, and formulas.
After Lab Starts
- Data/Observation: Keep a detalied table of all measurements you make such as time, length, volume and description of what you see (color changes, precipitation, etc.)
- Calculations: Show all calculations to answer questions on post lab/ report sheets. Know your formulas pretty well such as experimental error, etc.
- Conclusion: Write a brief statement in your own words to summarize the experiment. If your results were unexpected, cite possible errors that could have happened during lab. The conclusion should be scientific and practical (throwing in numbers is always a good thing!). If you had to make a graph for your experiment, write about the equation and what the graph means in the conclusion.
