Scribd
Upload
18 views

Basic Guide To Lab Report

The document provides a 10 section guide for writing experimental write ups, including title, background, hypothesis, variables, apparatus, method, risk assessment, results, analysis and conclusion, and evaluation. It discusses each section in detail and provides examples using an experiment on enzymes.

Uploaded by

eskandar.kiryakos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
18 views

Basic Guide To Lab Report

The document provides a 10 section guide for writing experimental write ups, including title, background, hypothesis, variables, apparatus, method, risk assessment, results, analysis and conclusion, and evaluation. It discusses each section in detail and provides examples using an experiment on enzymes.

Uploaded by

eskandar.kiryakos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

Basic Guide to

experimental write up

Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun


10 sections for a good write – up:
1. Title
2. Background information
3. Hypothesis
4. Variables
5. Apparatus
6. Method
7. Risk assessment
8. Results
9. Analysis and conclusion
10. Evaluation and extension
 I have expanded on each section on the
coming slides

 I have used an experiment on enzymes


to give you a brief starting point and
example for each section
1. Title
 This should be a clear descriptive title outlining the investigation.
2. Background information
 This is where you go over all the Biology that you can find on this topic in
order to form an educated hypothesis rather than just a guess.
 Don’t forget to reference from sources by putting in a bibliography at the end
of the write up.
3. Hypothesis:
 Now that you have explained all the Biology you should
be able to make a clear statement as to what you expect
to happen.
4. Variables:
 Identify each of the variables in the experiment, what type they are, and how
they are controlled or measured. This is done best in a table.
5. Apparatus
 This should be a detailed list of what apparatus is required
to carry out the experiment with a justification as to why it
is being used.
 Make sure you use sizes and quantity.
 Again this is easy to represent it in a table.
6. Method
 This must be step by step numbered guide as to how to carry out the
experiment.
 You can include a diagram of the setup if it is required.
 Someone should be able to recreate exactly the experiment you carried out
using this method.
7. Risk assessment
 This should identify any risk in your method.
 Think about heating, glassware, chemicals, harmful organisms, and harmful
chemicals etc.
 Once again a table can be an easy way to show this or in a paragraph.
8. Results
 First you must have a table of results. It should have:
1. A descriptive title.
2. Clear column headings
3. Units in headings only
4. All data to the same number of decimal points.
5. Independent variable as first column.
6. Make sure you have at least 5 repeats to work out a mean and a standard
deviation.
8. Results
 For example….
A table of results to show the time taken for amylase to breakdown starch at
various temperatures
8. Results
 Sometimes you have raw data that needs further processing. In this case show
your final table in the results section and the original raw data in an appendix
at the back of your write up.
 In this example we need to process the time data to get a rate by doing
100/time.
 Therefore, this table would go in the results and the first table in the raw
data in the appendix.
8. Results
 The next stage is to draw a graph of your results. It should have:
1. A descriptive title
2. Labelled axis with units in brackets
3. Suitable scale
4. Use as much of the paper as you can
5. Drawn in pencil (you can use a computer for the graph)
6. Join points with a ruler, don’t extrapolate past the first and last point.
8. Results
 You can also add error bars to show the spread of your data around each
mean.
 Plot one standard deviation up from the mean point and one down and turn it
into a bar like the example below.
9. Analysis and conclusions
 First analyze the graph, what are the trends? And you can conclude anything
from the data.
 Relate this back to your hypothesis, does it agree or disagree?
 Also relate back to your background information section in order to explain
the results using science.
10. Evaluation
 In this section you need to critically evaluate the experiment. What were the
errors in the method that caused a decrease in accuracy? Why was the
standard deviation so large on some temperatures? Were there any
inaccuracies in the apparatus?
 For each issue you must suggest a suitable improvement.
 You should then also discuss how to extend the practical further to deepen
your investigation into the aim.
Bibliography:
 “HOW TO WRITE A Lab Report - Format, Tips, and Examples.” Essay Writing
Service, myperfectwords.com/blog/lab-report-writing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
 “Science as a Process.” Kylesbiology, kylesbiology.weebly.com/science-as-a-
process.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.
 “Hypothesis - Definition and Examples - Biology Online Dictionary.” Biology
Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online, 8 Sept. 2023,
www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/hypothesis.
 “Experimental Variables AO1 AO2.” PSYCHOLOGY WIZARD,
www.psychologywizard.net/experimental-variables-ao1-ao2.html. Accessed
10 Oct. 2023.

You might also like