The AP Physics Lab Notebook:

A Record of Your Practical Work

Your lab notebook will serve as a record of the labs you complete in class: what you did, how you did it, and what your results were. Each time you complete a labin your notebook:

  1. Write only in pencil.
  2. Record the lab title and page number the lab starts in the table of contents.
  3. Labs should start on a new page. Pages must be numbered. Write only on the front side of the page. Note: The back of each page could be used to collect raw data, make notes, or intermediate calculations.
  4. Do not remove any pages from your lab notebook. If you need to, you may cross out an entire page with a large X and it will not be graded.
  5. Include:
  6. a title for the lab (does not need to be the same as on the instruction sheet, but should be descriptive of the lab being performed);
  7. your name;
  8. your lab partners’ names; and
  9. the date and time you are performing the experiment.
  10. Include a research question or state the objective of the lab (1-2 sentences). What do you want to find out? What question do you want to answer?
  11. Use labeled diagrams to show your experimental setup and identify any measurements you make. Also, include a concise description of what you are measuring and how, so that a person unfamiliar with the lab, but familiar with the physics content we are studying, would be able to follow along without reading the lab instructions.
  12. Create a neat raw data table to record data in your notebook. Include column headings stating what is being measured, withunits in your headings or recorded data. Use the appropriate precision (i.e. the correct number of significant figures) for your measuring instrument. Leave plenty of room in the margins for corrections or notes!
  13. Show at least one sample calculation completely worked out for any calculations you perform. Use the correct number of significant figures and include correct units in calculated values. Show the results of your calculations in a calculated data table.
  14. Generally, you will graph your data, and where appropriate you are expected to draw a line of best fit and calculate the slope. You should also discuss what the slope represents. Graphs should be 3/4-page or full-page so that mistakes can be fixed, the shape of the graph can be seen, and the best fit slope can be calculated accurately. Show the slope calculation using two points from your line of best fit, not data points.
  15. Answer all questions on the lab instruction sheet, but do not simply write a question number and a one-word answer. Write brief, thoughtful answers in sentence or paragraph form, providing enough context that your answers make sense to someone without a copy of the questions or instruction sheet.
  16. Write a conclusion that directly answers your objective/research question. Evaluate the accuracy of your measurements and discuss specific sources of experimental error. Your sources of error should not be silly mistakes such as misreading a ruler, miscalculations, or using the wrong number of significant figures—if you make a mistake, fix it before turning in the lab. Do not list “human error” (which would cover the mistakes listed above) as a generic source of error—that is a middle school conclusion!

The AP Physics Lab Notebook:

A Record of Your Practical Work

Your lab notebook will serve as a record of the labs you complete in class: what you did, how you did it, and what your results were. Each time you complete a lab in your notebook:

  1. Write only in pencil.
  2. Record the lab title and page number the lab starts in the table of contents.
  3. Labs should start on a new page. Pages must be numbered. Write only on the front side of the page. Note: The back of each page could be used to collect raw data, make notes, or intermediate calculations.
  4. Do not remove any pages from your lab notebook. If you need to, you may cross out an entire page with a large X and it will not be graded.
  5. Include:
  6. a title for the lab (does not need to be the same as on the instruction sheet, but should be descriptive of the lab being performed);
  7. your name;
  8. your lab partners’ names; and
  9. the date and time you are performing the experiment.
  10. Include a research question or state the objective of the lab (1-2 sentences). What do you want to find out? What question do you want to answer?
  11. Use labeled diagrams to show your experimental setup and identify any measurements you make. Also, include a concise description of what you are measuring and how, so that a person unfamiliar with the lab, but familiar with the physics content we are studying, would be able to follow along without reading the lab instructions.
  12. Create a neat raw data table to record data in your notebook. Include column headings stating what is being measured, with units in your headings or recorded data. Use the appropriate precision (i.e. the correct number of significant figures) for your measuring instrument. Leave plenty of room in the margins for corrections or notes!
  13. Show at least one sample calculation completely worked out for any calculations you perform. Use the correct number of significant figures and include correct units in calculated values. Show the results of your calculations in a calculated data table.
  14. Generally, you will graph your data, and where appropriate you are expected to draw a line of best fit and calculate the slope. You should also discuss what the slope represents. Graphs should be 3/4-page or full-page so that mistakes can be fixed, the shape of the graph can be seen, and the best fit slope can be calculated accurately. Show the slope calculation using two points from your line of best fit, not data points.
  15. Answer all questions on the lab instruction sheet, but do not simply write a question number and a one-word answer. Write brief, thoughtful answers in sentence or paragraph form, providing enough context that your answers make sense to someone without a copy of the questions or instruction sheet.
  16. Write a conclusion that directly answers your objective/research question. Evaluate the accuracy of your measurements and discuss specific sources of experimental error. Your sources of error should not be silly mistakes such as misreading a ruler, miscalculations, or using the wrong number of significant figures—if you make a mistake, fix it before turning in the lab. Do not list “human error” (which would cover the mistakes listed above) as a generic source of error—that is a middle school conclusion!