Department of Chemistry | Texas A&M University

General Report Requirements

Neatness matters. The use of a word processor, such as MS Word, and a spreadsheet program, such as Excel, as well as a printer, are strongly recommended for preparation and submission of lab reports.
Write your name, the date of report submission, and the number or name of the experiment in the upper right-hand corner on each page of your report.
If you plan to re-sell your laboratory textbook at the end of the semester, make photocopies of the Pre-Lab, Post-Lab, and Data Sheet pages (before each lab meeting), rather than tearing out and submitting the original perforated book pages.

Pre-Lab

Your T.A. will check your pre-lab write-up for each experiment at the beginning of the lab meeting, and will return it to you before the end of class.

Your Pre-lab should include the following:

Title

Your name
The course and section number
The name and number of the experiment
The date(s) on which the experiment will be performed
The number of your unknown, if applicable

Abstract

A brief statement describing the chemical principles that are explored in the experiment
A very brief synopsis (not a repetition of the procedure) of the experiment
A statement of the criteria that you will use to determine if the experiment was successful

Procedure

A step-by-step outline of how you will carry out the experiment. This information is obtained by studying the description of the experiment in the lab manual or handout.

Pre-Lab Questions and Answers

Answers to all of the questions in the lab manual or handout (unless otherwise notified)

Lab Report

The lab report for each experiment is due at the beginning of the lab period one week after completion of the experiment. For those experiments that require two lab periods to complete, the report is due one week after completing the second part of the experiment.

Lab reports should include the following:

Data

A neatly filled-out data sheet, if any, from your lab manual or lab handout should be included.
The appropriate number of significant figures should be used in all calculations and in reporting final results.
Appropriate units should be used for all quantities.

Sample Calculations

All work for a representative problem of each calculation type, if performed by hand.
Start with the equation being used.
Identify the variable to be determined.
Include all units.
Box or highlight the final solution for quick reference.

Discussion

The discussion should be approximately one page long, with one-inch margins, and be double-spaced to allow for written comments by your instructor when grading the report.

Brevity and conciseness are rewarded.
Demonstration of critical thinking and comprehension of the chemical principles will be rewarded.
Discuss how and where each of the principles that you listed in the abstract were demonstrated in the experiment. Include balanced stoichiometric equations and mathematical formulas where appropriate.
Describe why something was done in a particular manner or sequence. Reaction conditions are very important to the success of any experiment. Important experimental conditions may include temperature, time, volume, pressure, molar ratios, pH, presence of catalysts, and any other significant elements of the experimental "recipe."
If possible, briefly explore the chemistry of the experiment. Anyone can follow a recipe, but this does not mean that the person understands why the result was successful, or even reasonable.
If the result is unreasonable, or if the experiment was not a success, try to describe with chemical principles why this occurred and provide a plausible explanation, if possible.
Do not reiterate the detailed procedure of the experiment, unless it is important for a chemical point you are trying to make.

Conclusion

A brief statement describing the success of the experiment and the results you used to support this claim. Summarize your final answer(s) (numbers) using significant figures and appropriate units.

No more than two or three sentences are usually necessary.
Comparison of the actual experimental result to an expected value, if available, commenting briefly if the two values differ significantly.

Post-Lab Question Answers

Answers to all of the Post-lab questions, unless otherwise notified.

Graphs

If graphs are necessary for reporting the results of an experiment, they should be included with the lab report. They will be counted as part of your data (see grading rubric below).

Axes should be labeled with appropriate units.
A title, sufficient to identify the graph, should it be detached from the report, must be included.

Notebook

A duplicate "carbonless" notebook with pre-numbered and quadrille-ruled pages is required. You will record all measured values and observations in this notebook. The carbonless copies of your notebook pages will be submitted with your report.

Each notebook page must have your name, the date, and the experiment title on it before your T.A. initials it at the completion of each lab.
Record the number of your unknown (if applicable) immediately in your notebook.
Make entries only in ink, and cross out mistakes with a single line. Do not overwrite entry errors.
Copies of notebook pages in your report must remain in numerical order.
Be sure to record all quantities in your notebook with their appropriate units.

Grading

Although the various experiments have differing contents and requirements, the following approximate point breakdown will be used in grading experiment reports:

**Grading Rubric**
Abstract		2
chemical principles	1
purpose	1
Prodedure		1
Data		4
tabulation	2
graphs	2
Discussion		4
chemical principles	1
observations	1
logical conclusion	1
overall understanding	1
Conclusion		2
results	1
success	1
Calculations		3
units	1
clarity	1
correctness	1
Questions		4
pre-lab	2
post-lab	2
Total		20

For experiments that require two consecutive weeks to complete, only a single lab report will be submitted. The above rubric is for Chem 119M reports. For Chem 119H, the point total will be multiplied by 0.9, resulting in a maximum grade of 18 points.

Reports submitted after the due date will be considered late and will be graded according to the following equation:

Grade = G x (1/2)^0.2n

where G is the grade that the report would have received had it been submitted on time, and n is the number of days that the report is late, where n ≤ 5. Late days will be counted based on 24 hours after reports are due, which is at the beginning of the lab period. Reports submitted more than 5 class days late will not be accepted for grading.

Laboratory Report Guidelines