Physics Lab Report
Lab Manuals (contained within each week)
KET simulations: http://virtuallabs.ket.org/physics/. Students will receive an e-mail from the KET Virtual Physics Labs with an invitation to enroll into the class.
PhET Interactive simulations: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics.
Expression of the experimental results is an integral part of science. The lab report should have the following format:
Cover page (10 points) - course name (PHY 132), title of the experiment, your name (prominent), section number, TA’s name, date of experiment, an abstract. An abstract (two paragraphs long) is the place where you briefly summarize the experiment and cite your main experimental results along with any associated errors and units. Write the abstract after all the other sections are completed.
The main body of the report will contain the following sections, each of which must be clearly labeled:
Objectives (5 points) - in one or two sentences describe the purpose of the lab. What physical quantities are you measuring? What physical principles/laws are you investigating?
Procedure (5 points) - this section should contain a brief description of the main steps and the significant details of the experiment.
Experimental data (15 points) - your data should be tabulated neatly in this section. Your tables should have clear headings and contain units. All the clearly labeled plots (Figure 1, etc.) produced during lab must be attached to the report. The scales on the figures should be chosen appropriately so that the data to be presented will cover most part of the graph paper.
Results (20 points) – you are required to show sample calculation of the quantities you are looking for including formulas and all derived equations used in your calculations. Provide all intermediate quantities. Show the calculation of the uncertainties using the rules of the error propagation. You may choose to type these calculations, but neatly hand write will be acceptable. Please label this page Sample Calculations and box your results. Your data sheets that contain measurements generated during the lab are not the results of the lab.
Discussion and analysis (25 points) - here you analyze the data, briefly summarize the basic idea of the experiment, and describe the measurements you made. State the key results with uncertainties and units. Interpret your graphs and discuss what trends were observed, what was the relationship of the variables in your experiment. An important part of any experimental result is a quantification of error in the result. Describe what you learned from your results. The answers to any questions posed to you in the lab packet should be answered here.
Conclusion (5 points) - Did you meet the stated objective of the lab? You will need to supply reasoning in your answers to these questions.
Overall, the lab report should to be about 5 pages long.
Each student should write his/her own laboratory report.
Duplicating reports will result in an "E" in your final grade.
All data sheets and computer printouts generated during the lab have to be labeled Fig.1, Fig. 2, and included at the end of the lab report.
Lab report without attached data sheets and/or graphs generated in the lab will automatically get a zero score
Course Home - Lab Report Criteria
The formal Lab Report is written from the third person; in the passive form, in the past tense. It includes the following parts:
Lab Report: 85 points Expression of the experimental results is an integral part of science. The lab report should have the following format:
• Cover page (10 points) - course name (PHY 132), title of the experiment, your name (prominent), section number, TA’s name, date of experiment, an abstract. An abstract (two paragraphs long) is the place where you briefly summarize the experiment and cite your main experimental results along with any associated errors and units. Write the abstract after all the other sections are completed.
The main body of the report will contain the following sections, each of which must be clearly labeled:
• Objectives (5 points) - in one or two sentences describe the purpose of the lab. What physical quantities are you measuring? What physical principles/laws are you investigating?
• Procedure (5 points) - this section should contain a brief description of the main steps and the significant details of the experiment.
• Experimental data (15 points) - your data should be tabulated neatly in this section. Your tables should have clear headings and contain units. All the clearly labeled plots (Figure 1, etc.) produced during lab must be attached to the report. The scales on the figures should be chosen appropriately so that the data to be presented will cover most part of the graph paper.
• Results (20 points) – you are required to show sample calculation of the quantities you are looking for including formulas and all derived equations used in your calculations. Provide all intermediate quantities. Show the calculation of the uncertainties using the rules of the error propagation. You may choose to type these calculations, but neatly hand write will be acceptable. Please label this page Sample Calculations and box your results. Your data sheets that contain measurements generated during the lab are not the results of the lab.
• Discussion and analysis (25 points) - here you analyze the data, briefly summarize the basic idea of the experiment, and describe the measurements you made. State the key results with uncertainties and units. Interpret your graphs and discuss what trends were observed, what was the relationship of the variables in your experiment. An important part of any experimental result is a quantification of error in the result. Describe what you learned from your results. The answers to any questions posed to you in the lab packet should be answered here.
• Conclusion (5 points) - Did you meet the stated objective of the lab? You will need to supply reasoning in your answers to these questions.
Overall, the lab report should to be about 5 pages long. Each student should write his/her own laboratory report. Duplicating reports will result in an "E" in your final grade. All data sheets and computer printouts generated during the lab have to be labeled Fig.1, Fig. 2, and included at the end of the lab report. Lab report without attached data sheets and/or graphs generated in the lab will automatically get a zero score. Important Note
• All data sheets and computer printouts generated during the lab have to be labeled Fig.1, Fig. 2, and included at the end of the lab report.
• A Lab report without attached data sheets and/or graphs generated in the lab will automatically get a zero score.
• The Post-Lab Checklist does not need to be attached when the lab report is submitted.