Q: Is there some specific format for the lab report?
A: Yes. Each lab report should consist of a Word document with Excel graphs
embedded in it. The file should be submitted in Canvas under the 'lab'
assignment. Before the due date, each group should give the instructor a hard
copy of the rough draft if they want to receive feedback before submitting the
final version electronically. Click on these links to see the suggested
format and a sample
lab report.
Q: Does everyone in the group need to submit the lab report?
A: No. Only one person in the group needs to submit the lab report (for
the whole group) and this is done electronically in Canvas. A hard copy of the report
is NOT required.
Q: How many people should we have in a lab group?
A: 3-5 people is typical, depending on your ability to communicate outside of
class.
Q: I couldn't finish the lab because I was waiting for my
groupmates to email me some parts for which I was not responsible. Do I still
get penalized?
A: Possibly, but only if there is a consistent pattern of procrastination. Although groupmates can divide the work on the write-up, everyone in the
group is individually responsible for everything. If you anticipate poor
communication, you should take the initiative and complete the lab on your own.
Q: I'm emailing you my lab because I was having a lot of
problems loading it into Canvas. If you check the time on this email, you'll
see that it is before the deadline. Is that ok with you?
A: No. All lab reports need to be submitted in Canvas. Lab reports CANNOT be
submitted by email. If you're having trouble with Canvas, make an effort to
figure it out. As a word of advice, avoid the deadline rush. If you miss the
deadline for any reason, you need to ask for an extension. Those who procrastinate
until the deadline often run into technical difficulties.
Q: Could you give my group partners an extension because I was
supposed to send them a copy of the lab, but I am having difficulties with the
email system?
A: Everyone is responsible for their own lab. Anyone who needs an extension
needs to make their own request.
Q: I missed the deadline by 20 minutes. Can I still turn in the
lab?
A: Yes, but you will need to email for an extension. If you find yourself consistently having trouble with
deadlines, try to complete your assignments a day or two before they are due.
Q: I would like to modify my submission, but Canvas won't
let me. Can I just email you my new version?
A: No. Please do not email me your assignments. Instead, let me know through
email that you would like to resubmit and I will clear your assignment to let
you do that.
Q: What exactly do I need to write in my lab eval?
A: You should discuss every groupmate's contribution and suggest areas of
possible improvement. Click here for a sample.
Q: How can I check the grade I got for a particular lab?
A: You report grade will be available in Canvas shortly after your submission. At the end of the course,
the overall lab grade will reflect
your effort, ability to deal with deadlines, contribution to your group, improvement, etc. Although
most students have a pretty good idea of how hard they work, feel free to ask
your instructor for feedback if you're not sure. Click here
for common things to watch out for.
The title page gives you the opportunity to be creative as you introduce the lab with a picture and/or sound effect. Think of this page as a promo for a science club activity. The title itself should always start with "Lab#: ..." and end with a short, catchy, and meaningful phrase. For example, Lab#1: Diluting gravity. This page should also include:
Course/section
Date
Group members (names)
State the purpose of the lab. For example, "To verify the constant-acceleration relations for kinematics and indirectly measure the freefall acceleration."
List the steps you followed to collect the data and what equipment you used. A bulleted list is generally more readable than a long narrative. For every lab, you should have a photograph of the experimental setup along with a simplified diagram.
Use tables to show all the raw data (i.e., data actually collected), along with data which is derived from raw data. Wherever the data demonstrates useful trends, the tables should be supplemented with meaningful graphs. The graphs should always be scatter plots (do not connect the points with lines). Titles and axes should be clearly labeled with appropriate symbols and units. Consistent with the theoretical discussion in the analysis section, a best-fit curve ("add trend line" in Excel) should be overlayed on the scatter plot, with the equation shown on the graph. For linear curves, the R-value (amount of scatter) should also be included on the graph. Typically, at least one curve fit should be a straight line. Caution: Your data does not need to be "perfect", but it does need to be honest. Click here to see what happens when data is fudged.
This section should include a brief discussion of the theory underlying the experiment, including all the relevant equations, and the interpretation of experimental results. Any and all graphs should be discussed in the context of the theory. For linear graphs, the significance of the slope and y-intercept should be discussed and compared to the values expected from theory. Similarly for nonlinear graphs, the various coefficients should be compared to those expected from theory. Here is a video tutorial of trendline analysis in Excel, which discusses how to decide visually between linear and nonlinear curve fits. Whenever possible, the relative deviation/error, usually expressed as a percentage, should be calculated
|predicted-experimental|/predicted
and sources of error should be discussed (systematic and random).
This is your overall assessment of the experiment. Was the experiment effective in achieving the stated objectives? Why or why not? Was the experiment meaningful to you in any way? Can you suggest possible ways to improve the experiment?
While the previous sections should be kept as short as possible, this section gives you the opportunity to philosophize and educate the reader on some related topic(s). Were there famous scientists who attempted similar experiments? Can you think of any applications of this experiment? How would you convince a fellow student that this experiment might be useful in helping you understand some physical principles? (Don't be shy about doing a little research.) Please include a couple of Q&A which highlight key takeaways and help make this discussion memorable takeaways.
*****************
no labels or units on graphs
no trend line through the data points
data points connected (should be trend line on scatter plot)
trendline forced on data which is clearly nonlinear
procedural information in objective
no diagram of experiment in procedure
analysis does not have equations or equations not properly highlighted
analysis does not explain why graph is generated
analysis does not discuss errors
conclusion has equations (should be in analysis)
no discussion beyond the lab
To get some sense of how well you're doing on a lab, consider the following scale.
10: This lab is exceptional, going far beyond the bare minimum suggested by the instructor. It is very clearly written, with appropriate sections which cannot be faulted in any way. It has strong analysis and a creative approach. Most lab reports tend not to live up to this standard.
9: This lab is very good--concise yet complete, with no obvious weaknesses. It has appropriate sections, with solid analysis and a clear presentation. However, nothing really stands as an obvious strength.
8: This lab is adequate, with only minor deficiencies. Most students who put in a sincere effort should expect to receive this grade.
7: This lab shows some effort but has at least one major deficiency (e.g., missing graph).
6: This lab is poorly written and shows very little effort or understanding.
5: The dog ate my lab report. This is all that's left.
Although only one lab report is required per group, each student needs to submit the report electronically (in Canvas) and include an evaluation of every group member's contribution. Please refer to your group members by name and, where appropriate, offer constructive comments or suggestions.
Kansu Nasim- Definitely being the smartest of the group, he really held our
lab together. With his in-depth knowledge of excel, and strong hold on the
concepts (and math) that went into lab, Kansu exceeded my expectations for a lab
partner. The only suggestion I would have is speak up: he has a lot going on
inside his head, and sometimes it is only after I have made a mistake will he
tell me the right way to do it.
Anh Nguyen- Did his part, came to computer lab one day to help us work on it. Also
tried to do the analysis but just made a very similar conclusion to the one we
already had.
Tony Romano- Although our creativity combined may have gone a little
overboard. (As he said it, “they shouldn’t have left us alone with the
project.”) OK, so we got carried away, we also did about 2/3’s of the slides in
one night. Any thing to help us through, right? Other than him trying to use
words you would only find in a chemistry Lab report, he was a lot of help.
Hien Trang- I love the way she wrapped up the lab. I think she gave it a good
balance of humor and common sense. Unfortunately, Hien was unable to be a part
of any other stage in our labs development. I think she was very responsive to
the classes advice, and accommodated very well.
Sara Jones, me=) – I think I did a fair amount. I tried very hard to keep
everyone involved in the making of the lab report. I also tried to divvy up the
task equally. I will naturally take the role of leader upon myself when given
the opportunity, such as a group assignment. I organized each meeting among
group members, and tried to keep everyone in contact, through e-mail and
telephone. My part was definitely not the most important, but one that was
necessary to the lab report.
All in all, I think most everyone put in a good share of their time, and we all
did a part of the work. I really couldn’t be more pleased with the performance
of my group. I was shocked to find everyone wanted to do as good as I wanted to
do, and very happy with your choice of my lab group.
…….Until next time…..