Laboratory Report

Prepared by:
Ms. Arido, Danica A. and
Ms. Bodegas, Marissa B.

Laboratory Report
A complete and detailed record of an experiment.
The information provided in a lab report should be specific enough that the reader would
be able to replicate the experiment.

Tips in Writing Lab Report

 Requires Clarity and Accuracy
 Convey information in a concise and clear manner
 This should only about 2-3 pages
 Just get to the major points
 Do not use pronouns in you writing.
Example:
o “we took three milliliters of water and added it to a beaker”
 “Three milliliters of water were added to a beaker”
 Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation are important
 Avoid using slang
Example:

 Laboratory reports are Technical documents

STRUCTURE: PARTS OF THE LAB REPORT

 Title page
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods (Procedure or Materials)
 Results and Discussion
 Conclusion
 References
 Appendices (not always needed)

TITLE PAGE:
It is like a cover page to your report includes the title of your experiment.
Example:

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 SAMPLE FORMAT WITH CONTENT OF LABORATORY REPORT
ABSTRACT
The leaves of plants often appear green in color, however, some plants have leaves
that are only partially green or not green at all. Some plant species have green leaves
that change color in the fall.

INTRODUCTION
The leaves of plants often appear green in color, however, some plants have leaves
that are only partially green or not green at all. Some plant species have green leaves
that change color in the fall. The green color comes from the presence of chlorophyll
which is the pigment responsible for photosynthesis. Other leaf pigments includes
carotenoids (which are yellow or orange in color) anthocyanins (which are red and
purple in color). This experiment explored how anthocyanins affect the color in leaves.
Anthocyanins are expected to change color under varying pH.

PROCEDURE
A five leaves of red cabbages were placed into a pot filled with one cup of water, and
the pot was set on the stove until the water boil. After five minutes at a low boil the pot
was removed from the heat allowed to cool and the leaves were discarded. Two gloves
were prepared one with two tablespoon of ammonia solution mixed with 1 ½ cup of
water, and the other with white vinegar. Next, ½ cup of boiled cabbage water in five
drop increments etc…….

RESULT

CONCLUSION
It was determined from the data in Table 1 that in the presence of bases anthocyanins
turn green, and in the presesnce of acids anthocyanins turn pink. Anthocyannins are
present in many leaves and affect their perceived color. But leaf color can change as
the pH of the leaf changes. A single set of pigments, therefore, can give a leaf’s
different colors depending on the leaf’s pH.

REFERENCES:
Ladoswki DA 2002, Physical and chemical properties. Rev Environment Tak.oL
123456-123
(Ladoswki 2002) etc…….

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 ABSTRACT
A brief informational synopsis of your experiment, typically under 200 words
use informational or declarative rather than descriptive prose. It is self-contained
way to briefly summarize the procedure, result, and conclusion of an experiment.
Usually a single short paragraph and is written in present tense.

INTRODUCTION
Explains its objectives and significance, and provides the background
necessary to understand it. When appropriate, the background should indicate
theoretical predictions. Where you state your hypothesis
Introduction contains context of study, pertinent background of information
and written in Past Passive tenses. Should be one to two paragraphs long
depending upon the experiment conducted. On the other hand introduction must
not contain results, conclusions about the study and non-relevant information

PROCEDURE (Methods)
The procedures section should provide readers with enough information that
they could replicate your experiment if they so desired must write in third person,
and use past tense.
Example:
“the beaker was filled with 200ml of distilled water and place over an alcohol
burner. As the beaker was heated the temperature was taken every two minutes
until the water began to boil”.

 Methods (Materials)
Contains materials and equipment used along with any explanation(s) of
equipment. Methods means a step-by-step process followed to conduct the
experiment. It must be written in paragraph form, not in a bulleted list and must
always written in third person (do not use “I”). Be as detailed as possible. The
purpose of this section is to allow another person to follow the instructions and
replicate the experiment.

 Procedure
Procedure conveys results relevant to the goals of the experiment. It also
analyzes the results and discussed their implications. Acknowledges possible
sources of error, considers presenting information visually with graphs and tables;
provide figure captions.

 Result
Summarize the results in paragraph form. Create tables or charts of the data
collected, if applicable. If using tables or charts be sure to label them clearly. Do not
interpret the data. This section should only contain the raw facts.

 Discussion
Interpretation of data collected.
 Did the experiment prove or disprove the hypothesis?
 If hypothesis was wrong, why and how was it wrong?
 Did any errors occur during the procedure?
 How might these errors be avoided in the future?

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  Discussion of the implication of results
TIPS:
 This section must be written in third person and in past tense.

CONCLUSION
This section places specific results into the context of the experiment as a
whole (If your laboratory report is short, the Discussion section may serve as a
sufficient conclusion). Evaluates the results in light of the objectives stated in the
introduction.
TIPS:
 Write in third person and avoid any opinions or emotions.

REFERENCES
Your lab manual counts as a source all sources used should be recorded on
a separate page at the end of the report. This page is titled either References or
Literature Cited. References should be organized alphabetically by authors’ last
names.

Tips on Writing a Laboratory Report

 do not use personal pronouns

 make sure to write it in third person
 use past tense
 it should be neatly written or typed
 spelling or grammatical errors must be observed
 calculations and report of measurements must be proper and accurate
 avoid plagiarism of other works

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