Classroom Labs

The purpose of keeping a laboratory journal is to have a complete record of every experiment you’ve done in this class. If a college needs to see proof of your lab work, this is it! It’s also a chance for you to do physics like a real scientist. Laboratory scientists don’t turn in worksheets, after all!

There are two types of labs that we will be doing in this class:

  1. Teacher Directed: These labs will have a specific set of instructions that I will ask you to follow. Your job will be to analyze the results of the experiment so we can pull the “physics stuff” out of it.

  2. Student Directed: These labs are far more open-ended. You will write the procedure to answer a question. Not all procedures will be the same for each lab group.

Lab Notebook: All lab reporting is done in your lab notebook/journal (quadrille notebook). It should be constantly by your side any time you are in the lab. Often you will be asked to prepare part of your write up prior to coming to class, typically parts I-V, plus your data tables.

The front of your journal is reserved for a table of contents. Save two pages to record the title and page number of each lab. Number your pages in the bottom corner and circle the numbers.

In the upper right hand corner of the first page of a lab, write your name, the date, and names of your lab partners or collaborators. You may write on the front and back of each page. Do not tear any pages out of the notebook! If an error is made, simply cross out the error and begin lower on the page or on the next page. Give your lab a title (creativity is encouraged, but make sure you have a subtitle that is descriptive of the procedure.)

All data must be recorded, as it is being taken, directly in your laboratory notebook. All entries should be clear and complete concerning what is being recorded and the details and conditions of the experimental setup. If you must redo a measurement, explain the reason in your notebook and cross out the old data in such a way that it can still be read. Never erase!

Formal Lab Reports: For selected labs we complete this year, you will be required to complete a formal lab write-up. You can view the guidelines here.