Writing exercise reports

Advise and instructions

FB - 7-oct-2004
 Why write in a certain way?
• Easier to read (for the exam reader and for
the assistant)
• Avoid misunderstandings
• Training for writing
– essays
– thesis
– work
– scientific writing
 The folded A3
• Cover
• Order
• Becomes a
booklet
• Keeps all
papers
together
• Preferred 5
mm squared
paper
 Attach the assignment text
• As first page
• Specification for
the exercise
• Easy
identification
• Assignment text
and solution
belong together
 Identification
• At least on the
last page, bottom
right
• Course,
assignment
number, year
• Name and
student number
 Page order
• Read from first to
last page
• Attachments after
other text
• NOT 1:st, 2:d ,
next to last, 3:d
page
• → Leave next to
last page empty!
 Last page
• Empty except for
identification
• Room for the
assistant’s notes
 Write on computer
• If the teaching assistant allows or requests
– Send your answer through e-mail
or
– Print the answer and insert into a folded A3 as
other assignments
– Same rules of style
 Attachments
• Numbered attachments
– Corrections (S2, S3, ...)
– Computer printouts
– Program codes
– Excel or Matlab graphs
• Figure titles and explanations on the
attachments
 Explain
• Report how you
have solved the
problem
• Noone should have
to guess the
meaning
• Quicker reading
• Explaining text
• Explain variable
symbols
 Margins
• Better looking
with some
space
• Room for notes
• Easier to read
 Structure
• Better looking
• Room for notes
• Easier to read
• Separation of
steps
• Structure of the
text
• Intermediate
headings
 References
• No ”magic numbers”
• Explanation and reference
– cp = 4,181 kJ/kgK (specific heat capacity of
water at 20 ºC, Perry’s Chemical Engineer’s
Handbook)
– Equation (4.2-1) in Coulson&Richardson vol 6
– Table 2, page 10 in ...
– Figure 2 in Attachment 1
 Sources
• The same source can be found again!
• Author, title, publisher, year, page/pages

Westerlund, T., Anläggnings- och apparatteknik,

Åbo Akademi, 2001, s. 56
 Figures
• A well made
picture says more
than a thousand
words
• Flow diagrams
• Stream notation
• Given data
• Names for units
 Graphs
• Variable names and 5

notation 4.5

(MW)
4

1,
3.5

• Unit on axIs

Överförd värmeström, Q
3

2.5
2

• Figure number and 1.5

1

caption below 0.5

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
temperaturskillnad, ∆ T (K)

Figur 2: Överförd värmeström i fjärrvärmeväxlare 1 som

funktion av temperaturskillnaden mellan inkommande
och utgående vattenström.
 Tables
• Table number
and caption
above
• Column and row
titles
• Units on variables
 Units
• Must be given!!
• Check that the
dimensions are right
• Unit conversions
• Prefix (MW, km, mg)
• In text
The production during
a year in 100 tonnes
= Production is 100
tonnes/year
 Equations
• Variables with slanted
Q& = m& ⋅ cp (T2 − T1 )
font (italics)

• Units and numbers m& = 1000 kgh

with straight font

• Functions with sin 2 α + cos 2 α = 1

straight font dQ &
≡Q
dt
 Number of significant digits
• All digits in
calculation
• All digits in
solution
• Is the answer
reasonable?
• Round the answer
– Precision of given
data
 Final copy
• Noone wants to read the rough copy
• Noone understands the rough copy after a
week
• Mistakes are found during writing of final
copy
• Structuring
• Own understanding
• Terminology