Formal Lab Report
You are required to write a formal report on one experiment you performed during the semester. This report will be in the format of a scientific journal article. An example journal that might be helpful is the American Journal of Physics; this journal often contains articles which describe experiments suitable for undergraduate laboratory courses. I have linked to a few examples below. Please read these only to get a general feel for the tone of the journal articles, and the level at which the material is presented. Do not try to emulate one article exactly.
"Measurements of the horizontal coefficient of restitution for a superball and a tennis ball", Rod Cross, Am. J. Phys. 70, 482 (2002).
"One-dimensional laser cooling of an atomic beam in a sealed vapor cell", C. J. Vale, M. R. Walkiewicz, P. M. Farrell, and R. E. Scholten, Am. J. Phys. 70, 71 (2002).
"Ferroelectricity: Measurement of the dielectric susceptibility of strontium titanate at low temperatures", Matthew Trainer, Am. J. Phys. 69, 966 (2001).
"A simple experiment for measuring the surface tension of soap solutions", F. L. Roman, J. Faro, and S. Velasco, Am. J. Phys. 69, 920 (2001).
"A closer look at tumbling toast", M. E. Bacon, George Heald, and Matt James, Am. J. Phys. 69, 38 (2001).
"Demonstration of surface plasmons in metal island films and the effect of the surrounding medium—An undergraduate experiment", P. Orfanides, T. F. Buckner, and M. C. Buncick, F. Meriaudeau, and T. L. Ferrell, Am. J. Phys. 68, 936 (2000).
Abstract
The A-technique was employed to measured the B-parameter in System C. Under conditions D, we find values for the B-parameter of ____. These values imply _____.Introduction
Body of the Paper
Here is where you tell your story. You first must explain your
instrumentation and the experiment. Be sure to include in your
descriptions all the conditions under which your experiments were
performed, e. g., PMT voltages, temperatures, pressures, etc.
You should give enough information that someone else should be able to
repeat your experiments. In addition, if your results need to be
compared to another's, apples will be able to be compared with apples.
Finally, since these are experimental papers, a long and tedious
calculation or derivation should appear in an appendix.
Each figure should have a descriptive caption. One should be able to
look at a figure and discern its meaning without reading the text. For
example, captions for a spectrum in the ultrasound experiment in
liquids should state the substance, driving frequency and temperature
under which the spectrum was obtained. Within a figure, labels should
be in all caps. Sometimes it is helpful to give a figure a title, but
not always. Do not substitute a screen dump for a figure.
Tables also should be made with care. Sometimes you will want to
include a table caption to explain table heading or footnotes to
explain table entries.
References
When necessary, you must properly cite previous works. Some
citations may be found in the lab manual. Also be sure to cite Melissinos
or other texts if you make use of specific techniques from them.
You do not need to cite equipment manuals.
Format
The suggested format of the paper is that outlined in the
AIP Style
Manual for journal submissions. Place the title, author,
address, and abstract on the first page. Follow with the body of the
paper, then the references, tables (one to a page), figure captions,
and figures (one to a page). This is the standard format that
scientists use when preparing a manuscript for publication. You
may wish to format your paper to look more like the print version of a
journal article, but you do not have to do this.
Tips
Start with the figures (and tables). When people read journal
articles, they typically look at the figures first. Your figures
should tell a complete story from beginning to end; you should have
enough figures to convey all the information you want to convey, but no
more. Next write the body around the figures. Make clear
segues when you change topics. Often you will want to start a new
paragraph with "Figure 2 shows the signal from the PMT tube..." or
"Table 1 lists the results of the analysis procedure ...". This
is helpful for readers who are looking for a point of reference in the
text. Spend some time on the title and abstract. Both
should be as concise as possible while conveying the importance of the
paper.
Grading
Papers are graded according to the following six categories.
Category | Points |
---|---|
Abstract & Title | 10 |
Introduction/Background | 10 |
Theory/Instrumentation/Experiment | 20 |
Results/Analysis
|
20 |
Figures and Tables | 20 |
Overall
|
20 |
Last updated Tuesday July 08, 2003.