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Tips for Lab Reports

Data Tables

Please record your data and calculated results in neat tables wherever appropriate. For example:

Trial   x(initial)    x(final)     t          v
           (cm)         (cm)     (sec)    (cm/sec)
------  ---------     --------   ------   --------
1          2.54         3.47      1.0       0.93
2          4.00         7.23      2.5       1.29
3          3.72         5.68      1.5       1.31
4          2.22         3.22      1.0       1.00

The following format is not usually acceptable:

Trial #1
Initial x = 2.54 cm     t = 1.0 sec
Final x = 3.72 cm       v = 0.93 cm/sec

Trial #2
Initial x = 4.00 cm     t = 2.5 sec
Final x = 7.23 cm       v = 1.29 cm/sec

etc.

Calculations

In general, you should show your calculations so I can check them. However, if you have many similar calculations (for example in calculating a table of results like the one above), please do not show them all; a single example is enough. In the example above, it would suffice to show the calculations for Trial #1.

Graphs

If you are drawing your graphs by hand, make them as big as possible, while still keeping the scales easy to read. Normally, a "large" square should correspond to 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5, etc. units. Label your axes, and donıt forget the units. If you have to measure the slope of a best-fit line, make your rise/run triangle as large as possible, for precision.

If you are drawing your graphs on the computer, make sure you label your axes properly and put in gridlines at ³major² intervals. Please note that some kinds of analysis are still much easier to do with hand-made graphs than with computer-generated graphs, so check with me before you head for the computer room!

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