Laboratory Notes - Physics

How to Write Laboratory report

In this manual, the first five sections of most laboratory activities are complete. After you
have carried out your investigations you are to complete the remaining sections. Below is an
outline showing the order of the section and some guidelines to help you complete a
successful laboratory report.

Your laboratory report should

1. be neat;
2. have a date the experiment or investigation was carried out;
3. contain these sections in the following order:
a. Date
b. Topic
c. Objective
d. Equipment Used/Materials
e. Diagrams of Apparatus
f. Procedure
g. Data/Results
h. Calculations/Analysis of Results
i. Discussion
j. Reflection
k. Conclusion;
4. have all diagrams, tables and graphs drawn with a pencil and ruler (when possible),
all other writings are to be made with a pen;
5. have all diagrams labelled and titled;
6. have a numbered list of all the completed steps in your procedure;
7. have all logically sequenced procedures written in the past tense using a passive voice,
for example: “The length of the table was measured with a metre rule.” or written in a
common, for example “Measure the length of the table with a metre rule” ,
8. have properly labelled tables of data showing
a. the quantity
b. the symbol
c. the S.I. units
d. the equation with the proper symbols and units if you use the table to facilitate
calculations;

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