Lenape Regional High School District Keeping A Laboratory Notebook
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1Lenape Regional High School District
Keeping a Laboratory Notebook
Format of the lab notebook:
All writing should be in blue or black pen.
Mistakes should be crossed out with a single line (no white-out, no scribbling-out, no removing pages).
Writing should be only on the right-hand side pages. Left side pages may be used for scratch-work.
First two pages should contain a Table of Contents. This should include the date, title, and page numbers for
all labs.
All remaining pages should be numbered.
Any computer-generated graph print-outs from a lab should be securely affixed to the notebook in the
appropriate section with either tape, staples, or glue.
Content of the lab notebook:
Heading information for each lab:
o
Title
o
Date
o
Partner(s)
o
Purpose/ Objective of the lab
Preliminary information (may include any of the following):
o
Written introduction of concepts to be addressed in the lab
o
Answers to pre-lab questions
o
Notes from pre-lab class discussion
Safety information (i.e. MSDS – material safety data sheets)
o
Procedure
Student’s own description/summary of procedures
o
o
Sketches of new or complicated lab set-ups
Data/ Observations (This is a “real-time” recording of your work. It is NOT to be copied into your notebook at
a later time. All observations and notes taken while carrying out the procedure should be included in this
section.)
o
All necessary data should be easy to find and neatly organized (i.e. utilize tables/ charts when
possible).
o
Headings should be included when there are multiple data sets.
o
All measurements should reflect the precision of the measuring tool (proper significant figures).
o
All measurements should be written with proper units.
Calculations/Graphs
o
All calculations should be labeled.
o
For each type of calculation, an equation or model calculation should be shown with the values
from the lab plugged into it. Answers should be clearly labeled with correct units.
o
Graphs should have a title and a label on each axis with units.
Conclusions/Discussion (may include any of the following):
o
A statement of what was learned from the data/ results.
o
An explanation of how the purpose of the lab was met (or an answer to the question posed in
the purpose)
o
An explanation of how the data/ results supports or explains the concepts addressed in the
preliminary information
o
Answers to post-lab questions
Error Analysis
o
Relevant calculations of error (percent error, percent yield, relative deviation, etc.)
o
Specific experimental sources of error
Should NOT include “human error”, mistakes in reading a measurement, or things you might
o
have done wrong. Laboratory errors made by the experimenter should only be noted when they
have a significant effect on the data.
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