formal lab report is essentially a scaled-down version of a scientific paper, reporting on the results of an experiment that you and your lab partner(s) have carried out. As such, the key sections of the report are directly analogous to the sections of a formal scientific paper. In the order in which they appear, these are the following:
Abstract The abstract is a single short paragraph stating the important results of your experiment, including
the numerical values, with appropriate units and uncertainties, and the most important conclusions
drawn from the experiment.
Introduction The Introduction gives the important background for understanding the experiment, including both the
motivation for making the measurement and a complete description of the theory underlying the
measurement, with all the relevant equations.
Procedure The Procedure section gives a complete description of the important measurements you made, and
how you made them. It is a description of what you did, and is not to be written in the style of
instructions to someone else.
Results The Results section presents the important experimental findings, including figures and tables
containing the date you collected, and text explaining the significance of the results. The Results
section is not merely a collection of data tables and figures, but must include prose paragraphs as
well.
Discussion and Conclusions The Conclusion of the report explains the conclusions that you can draw from your
measurements--whether they agree with theoretical predictions, what they mean for applications of
the central physics principles, and what further experiments are suggested by your findings.
In the following pages we will explore these sections in more detail, explaining the key elements of each section, and how they should be presented.
A Note on Writing:
One of the most common complaints about the writing of lab reports, and especially the grading of lab reports, concerns the importance of writing. A lab report, like a scientific paper, is first and foremost about communication, conveying your results to the reader, and as such proper writing is essential. You can be a brilliant scientist, able to produce great results in the lab, but if you are unable to communicate those results effectively to another person, all your lab skills are worthless.
The Lab Report Outline is intended as a guide to writing your lab report. lists the sections of a formal lab report and shows various elements which need to appear in each section.