Quote of the Day

“Everything we do is practice for

something greater than where we
currently are”
The General Format of a Lab Report

Sudakshi De Zoysa
Introductory Remarks
 Why are we learning this?
• To introduce a general format of a lab report that can be
applied to many disciplines of science.

• To learn the language/grammatical structures used in the

different sections of the report.

• The same language structures can be applied when writing

• Project reports
• Theses
• Research papers
in the future as a researcher.

• Therefore, learning the fundamentals of writing a standard

lab report will be the foundation for good scientific/ technical
writing.
 Focus

Academic Writing Skills

Academic Writing Conventions
 Sections of a Lab Report

o Title
o Aim
o Apparatus
o Theory
o Introduction
o Procedure/Method
o Results and Calculations
o Discussion
o Conclusion
Format and Grammatical Structures in Lab Reports
Title:
o A brief statement that describes the experiment.
What’s a gerund?
• a word ending in ‘-ing’ that is made
from a verb but functions as a noun.

o It is like a mini summary of the experiment. • It can be used as a subject or an object

in a sentence.

• E.g. Baking is fun.

o It should contain key words. • E.g. Tulu enjoys baking.

o The title starts with a noun form (can be a gerund)

E.g. Verification of/ Verifying the Principle of Moments

Aim:
o A straightforward and specific statement of the expectation of the practical.

o This is written in the “to + infinitive (v1)” form.

E.g. To verify the principle of moments using a suspended meter rule and attached weights
What’s the infinitive form of a verb?

The infinitive is the base or root form of a verb.

It is the version of the verb without any endings

(endings such as -s, -ing, and ed).

Therefore, a base form is the simplest form of a verb.

The base form of a verb usually follows ‘to’ and is

called ‘to infinitive’.

Here, its function is to express purpose

Apparatus/Materials:
o A list of
• instruments
• lab supplies etc.
used for the experiment.

o Articles should be used appropriately when listing.

How many articles are
E.g. a vernier caliper, three hangers, strings / some strings there in English?

a/an the
How do you use articles suitably?
How to Use Articles Suitably
o Things to consider about the noun before selecting a suitable article:

Countability means the noun can be made plural.

• Whether it is countable
E.g. flower  flowers

• Whether it is definite Whether a noun is definite or indefinite depends

on whether you and the person you are speaking
with know what you’re referring to.
When choosing the correct article, ask
Is the noun singular and countable? Is the noun plural or uncountable?

Yes Yes

Is it definite? Is it definite?

Yes No Yes No

the a/an the no article

E.g.
• Tulu ate the apples in the basket.
E.g. • Timmy drank the water in the bottle.
• The book I read was interesting • Tulu ate apples.
• I read a book. • Timmy drank water.
When choosing the correct article,
o If the noun is singular and countable, and it is the first time you’re mentioning it (in the apparatus section of the
lab report), then you will need to use either article ‘a’ or ‘an’.

E.g.
A knife
We do not know which knife or which elongation gauge we’re referring to.
An elongation gauge

Also note that:

then the article ‘an’ is used.
o If the noun starts with a vowel sound,
E.g. an ear, an uncle, an hour

then the article ‘a’ is used

o If the noun starts with a consonant sound, a university  /yu/
E.g. a school, a university
When choosing the correct article,
o If there is a number or a quantifier placed before a countable noun already (in the apparatus
section), then you do not need to add an article.
E.g.
Four beakers
Articles are not needed in these two examples.
Some strings
Leave it as it is. Don’t add the article
o You also do not need to add an article if the noun is plural
‘the’. Why? Because you’re
E.g. Hangers
mentioning it for the first time.

o However, an article is needed when a countable noun is not preceded by a number, quantifier, or
an article.
Here, because you’re mentioning the equipment used in the apparatus section for the first time in
the lab report, you can either

E.g. Pen • Add an article A pen

• Add a number Two pens
• Add a quantifier a few pens
depending on your experiment.
Theory/Introduction

o If you are proving a theory by the practical, it should be explained briefly and clearly, mentioning equations,
assumptions, units, etc. as required.

Or

o It should be an introduction to what the experiment is based on. (This can be included as per the instructions in the
handout given by the lab)

o Since both theory and introduction will be on scientific facts Simple present tense is used is used.
Procedure/Method

o All steps followed and conditions maintained in the experiment should be mentioned clearly, so that another person
can follow the same to produce similar results.

This section is written in the past passive voice in paragraphs.

Results and Calculations

o Results can be presented as raw data

• in tables,
or
• as graphs.

o Should you wish to describe the results in sentences, then they should be written in past passive voice
Discussion and Conclusion
o The outcome (results) of the experiment is explained here:

• how the experiment proves the theory,

• why the expected results could not be obtained (reasons),
• how the experiment can be improved etc. (suggestions)
Note that in some experiments, you will be given questions to answer in the discussion section.
o The grammatical tense used will vary according to the fact discussed:

• present tense
• past tense
• present perfect etc.
will be used in writing the discussion.

o The discussion should be organized in paragraphs.

o When there is a conclusion drawn by the experiment, the discussion should start with the conclusion or a statement
clearly mentioning the main outcome of the practical.
The Principle of Moments: The Theory
Watch
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z6gbxyc/video
How to write the Procedure of the experiment ‘The Verification of the
Principle of Moments’?

1. Suspend the meter rule at the 50 cm mark so that it is balanced horizontally. The ruler is said to be in equilibrium.
The 50 cm mark is the pivot.

First, the meter rule was suspended at the 50 cm mark so that it was balanced horizontally. Here, the ruler is said to
be in equilibrium and the 50 cm mark is the pivot.

2. Suspend a mass, m1, from one side of the ruler at a distance, d1, from the pivot. Read the distance d1 in cm from
m1 to the pivot. Record in a suitable table. Record the value of mass m1 in kg in the table too.

Next, a mass, m1 was suspended from one side of the ruler at a distance, d1, from the pivot. The distance d1 was
read in cm from m1 to the pivot. Then, it was recorded in a suitable table. The value of mass m1 was recorded in
kg in the table too.
3. Suspend a second mass, m2, from the other side of the pivot. Carefully move this mass backwards and forwards until
the ruler is once more balanced horizontally. Read the distance d2 in cm from the mass m2 to the pivot. Record d2 in
cm, in the table, along with the mass m 2 in kg.

A second mass, m2, was suspended from the other side of the pivot. Then, this mass was carefully moved
backwards and forwards until the ruler was once more balanced horizontally/until the ruler balanced horizontally.
The distance d2 was read in cm from the mass m2 to the pivot. Thereafter, the values of d2 and m2 were recorded
in the table in cm and kg, respectively.

4. Repeat several times using different masses and distances.

This process was repeated several times using different masses and distances.

5. Calculate the turning forces, F1 and F2, using W = mg.

Then, the turning forces of F1 and F2 were calculated using W = mg.

6. Calculate the clockwise and anticlockwise moments.

Finally, the clockwise and anticlockwise moments were calculated.
Exercise on page 9
Homework