GENERAL LAB REPORT FORMAT

1. Date: The date the investigation was conducted

2. Topic What is the investigation about?
3. Aim What is the purpose of the investigation?
4. Materials/Apparatus: What equipment, samples, reactants, etc. were used in the investigation
(Consists of a list everything needed to complete your investigation).
5. Procedure: Written in reported speech (Past, Passive, Third Person).
Describes in steps what you did during your investigation. It should be sufficiently detailed that
anyone could read this section and duplicate the investigation. It should be as specific as
possible so that it is clear to anybody reading.
6. Observation/Results : Is a record of the results/observations noted during the investigation. These need to
Be recorded neatly in an organized manner and as illustrative as possible (e.g in a
Table, graph, pie chart, drawing)
7. Discussion :Background info - Information on the concepts needed to explain the results, that is pertinent
to the lab practical.
Explanation of results – Why those results were obtained, how can these be explained
Concisely based on the theory in the background information.
Conclusion – Answers directly and concisely the aim of the investigation.
Source or error – Error observed in the investigation that could have been avoided by the
Person conducting the experiment.
Limitations – Error observed in the investigation that is inherent of the investigation, in
other words, one which could NOT have been avoided by the person
conducting the experiment.
(Note : Mention must be made of how these errors possibly affected the results)

8. Reflection : After thoughts of the investigation that describe the relevance on the investigation to the
Experimenter’s experiences, expectations or surroundings that make it meaningful.