CHEMISTRY LAB WRITE-UP FORMAT

Your lab should appear in the exact same order with all boldface parts, even if the particular lab does not include those parts.

  • Title:
  • Purpose/Objective: What are you trying to solve/achieve? (First read the lab to understand what you will be doing.)
  • Hypothesis: What do you expect to happen? (First read the lab to understand what to expect; write your

hypothesis as an if…then statement)

  • Procedure/Method: Summary of steps you will do in the lab. All materials must be included within summary. Remember, someone else should be able to do the lab from your writing. (You may cut and paste this part from the given lab into your notebook but this will result in fewer points according to rubric)
  • Data and observations: Collected information (data) displayed in charts/tables. (This is the correct way to present your data.) Include at least two observations about lab.
  • Data analysis: Calculations, conversions, and graphs.
  • Questions for analysis: Some labs include analysis questions which you must copy and answer in your lab write ups.
  • Evaluation/Conclusion: On every lab you should write an evaluation or conclusion to the lab you conducted.
  1. Did you achieve the purpose of the lab?
  2. What new information did you learn?
  3. How does it relate to what you are doing in class?
  4. How could this lab be improved? Extended? Other applications?
  • Neatness and Organization
  • Lab is legibly written or typed (12 font) (no more than double spaced b/w each title)
  • Graphs must include Title, labeled axis with correct units, be NEAT and use a ruler.
  • You can use blue, black ink or pencil.
  • Leave a space between and underline section headings.

LAB REPORT RUBRIC

Meets or Exceeds Expectations / Below Expectations
1.Neatness and organization (2 pts) / The lab meets all four expectation for neatness and organization / The lab report fails to meet one of the expectations for neatness and organization.
2. Title (1 point) / Title is present. / Missing
3.Purpose (1 point) / Purpose of the lab is accurately stated / The purpose of the lab is not accurately stated
4.Hypothesis (1 point) / The hypothesis is an if…then statement in which you state what you believe will happen when the experiment is performed. / The hypothesis is NOT an if…then statement in which you state what you believe will happen when the experiment is performed.
5. Procedure (2 points) / Procedure is a brief summary of each of the steps taken in completing the lab. It is NOT an exhaustive description containing minute detail. / Procedure is mostly copied directly from the lab description, with little attempt at brevity or procedure was cut and pasted into notebook from given lab.
6.Data and Observations
(2 points) / 1. Data and observations are neatly organized (in tables if appropriate), and are easy to interpret.
2. All data is correct with regard to significant figures, units and labels. / The lab report fails to meet either expectation of the data section.
7. Data Analysis
(2 points) / 1. The student shows work done for each calculation.
2. Student uses significant figures correctly. / The lab report fails to meet either expectation of the data analysis section.
8. Questions For Analysis (2 points) / Copied questions on notebook and answers are in complete sentences with correct spelling and punctuation. / Answers contain incomplete sentences, or improper punctuation, or spelling errors, or one or more questions are unanswered.
9. Conclusions (2 points) / The Conclusion describes what can be concluded from the experimental results completely following guidelines given in lab format. / The lab report fails to meet expectation of the conclusion section.

Grading

Each lab report is worth 25 points: 15 points for lab write up and 10 points participation (rubric shown below). Each point of the rubric that meets or exceeds expectations is indicated on rubric. Each section that is below expectations earns zero points. Missing sections in the lab report automatically earn zero points in the rubric. (Except if section does not apply to lab)

Lab reports in which the student has plagiarized from an outside source, or from fellow students automatically earns ZERO POINTS for the entire lab report! Students are expected to work in groups in the lab, but do their own thinking and writing on their lab reports! Do not present the argument “But we worked in it together” if confronted with cheating. If students submit identical lab reports, you will receive no credit for the work.