Header. Your name, date and class info (Physics
308L)
Title. The title should summarize, as specifically as
possible, the subject of the lab.
Abstract.
One paragraph of 120 words or less.
Purpose: A single, concise statement of the major objective of the
report. In short, state
the central question, how you explored it, what were the results and what
you concluded.
Introduction.
State reason for performing the experiment.
Background: A brief summary of the topic being investigated, including any
information that
may be necessary in order to understand your stated purpose of the lab.
Make predictions
Methods.
Describe experimental procedure.
Include equations, number them by order of appearance.
Include data tables of previous necessary information.
Simple schematics.
Results:
State what you observed.
Support your statements with data
Where appropriate include figures, graphs that are properly labeled.
Discussion. This is the most important part of the
lab, as it is where you interpret your observations and results.
Give explanations for and implications of any relationships observed. Were
the relationships as you expected from underlying physical principles?
Support your ideas with specific, quantitative references to the results of
your analyses. How do your observations lead to the conclusions you reached?
What are the main sources of uncertainty in interpreting your observations?
Can you make any generalizations? Why or why not?
Conclusion. Summarize your results, the main points
of your discussion, and how they relate to your stated
purpose of the lab. It is a good idea to include how the main points of your
discussion are connected, in order
to demonstrate the overall significance of your findings and the concepts
you learned.
References
Appendices