Inquiry Labs and Process of Matter

Labs Report Format:

Inquiry Labs

There is no one right way to write a lab report; however, these are some common

guidelines that will help you. You should neatly write your lab report on the left side of

your ISN. Use the following checklist (glued to the right side) to create your lab report:

• 1. Heading: Please include your name, the date, and the title of the experiment at the top of your paper.
• 2. Research question: The reasearch question tells the reader exactly what you want to find out through your experiment.
• 3. Introduction: This paragraph describes what you already know about the topic, and it shows how this information related to your experiment. You will also stat what you plan to do in your experiment.
• 4. Hypothesis: This states the prediction you oplan to test in your experiment. State your hypothesis as an "if/then'' statement, without using the word "I." For example: "If sugar is dissolved in three different cups of warm water,then the cup with the most sugar will form crystals the fastest.''
• 5. Materials: List all of the materials you need to do the experiment. Use metric measurements (ex. cm or mL).
• 6. Procedures: Describe the steps you followed. Provide enough detail that your readers could repeat what what you did. You may also include sketches of the experiment setup. Be sure to name the variable you are testing, as well as the comtrolled variables (In an inquiry lab you may do this at the end).     EX. 1. Pour 200 mL of water in a clear glass. 2.Measure 50 mL of granulated sugar. 3(etc.)
• 7. Observation and Data: Describe what happened in your experiment. Consider using charts, graphs, diagrams, and/or pictures.
• 8. Analysis/Conclusion: Describe your findings. State whether your hypothesis was correct or not. Explain what you learned, what you would do differently next time, and any new question/hypotheses that your experiment raised.