FLUID MECHANICS:

Report Writing for Laboratory

Experiments
Dr. Soryong Chae
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
The University of Sydney

Laboratory

Lab Reports

Must be completed by group activity

Must be submitted on or before deadline

Reports

Reports are the most commonly used form of

communication in Chemical Engineering,
particularly with management.
Engineers are judged not only by the quality
of their work (technical ability), but also the
quality of their reports.
The ability to write good reports is essential.

Report Format

Why is the report format important?

Provides a framework

Logical argument development and progression

Reduces repetition
Easier to write

If the same format is used by everybody, the

reader will find reports

Easier to follow
Easier to locate information

Generic Format for most

Technical Reports

Cover Page
Summary
Table of Contents
Introduction
Apparatus and Experimental Method
Results and Discussion
Conclusions
References
Appendices: raw data
Log book with signature: No free rider!

Format for Lab Reports

Title (3 lines)

Objective (1 paragraph)

Purpose of experiment

Results and Discussion (2 pages)

Name of experiment, name of author, group number, date of experiment

Comments on results and trends

Comparison with literature values
Discuss points requested in briefing sheet
Include tables and graphs within the text

Conclusions (1-2 paragraphs)

Main findings of experiments, and thoughts on improving the experiments,

procedures and results obtained; what should we do next?

Format for Lab Reports

The main section of the report should be between 2

and 3 pages long
An appendix should follow

Raw data (neat tables of experimental readings)

Sample calculations showing how any calculations for report
done

Put report in a Manilla Folder (nicely bound)

I prefer the main section to be typed for improved
visual appeal, although this is not mandatory (you will
not lose marks for writing legibly)

Report Writing Skills

More is not necessarily better - Write Efficiently

Your strategy should be to include ONLY

the information your readers need no

matter how much more you know. Extra
information will only clog your readers path
to what they need, thereby decreasing their
efficiency and creating frustration
(pg 6 Technical Writing (1995) Paul Anderson)

Pointers

If there is an opportunity to use a graph instead of a

table, do it. Pictures paint a thousand words
Put captions on all tables and graphs (figures)
eg Figure 1. Pressure P (Pa) versus flowrate Q (L/min)

Refer to tables and graphs in text.

A tidy report is so much easier to read. The report is for
another reader, so think about the reader when writing it.
Think clarity and conciseness when writing.
Do not use the word I

Pointers

Graphs should have the y and x axes clearly labelled with

symbol and units
Use a different paragraph for
each different point
Pressure, P (Pa)

Flowrate, Q (L/min)

Pointers

Do not report results with too many significant figures.

Think about the error on the measurement when
determining the appropriate number of significant figures

Do not join points on a graph

dot-to-dot style. Put a line of
best fit through
Start Appendices on fresh page

Pressure, P (Pa)

eg A flow is calculated as Q=4.3287364 m3/s. It is impossible to

measure to this degree of accuracy. Better to write Q=4.3 m3/s.

Flowrate, Q (m3/s)

Test items (Pump and Valves)

Pressure, P (Pa)

System curve
50
45
40
35

Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz

Pump curve
Capacity, Q (L/min)

Read the pressure value three times and report avg. std.

Test items (Air flow)

u2
u1

2
1

P1

u2
P2

2P1 P2
A22
1 2
A1
Q = u2A2