Your name, Penn State Harrisburg
An abstract is a short summary (50-100 words) about your lab report. It is designed to give your reader: Knowledge of the general method used; Results of the main measurements, including values and errors; Relation to other measurements; and Relation to a theoretical prediction. You will typically write the abstract last.
Your introduction should include a short statement of the lab objective (what you are trying to determine, why you did this work, and what you tried to accomplish). Briefly describe the physics theory, using one or two equations, that you used to explain how you will get from your raw data to your final results.
This is a description of the experiment that you carried out. You should write a brief overview (one paragraph) of how the data was collected. You should briefly describe the experimental setup including the equipment used, their arrangements, any calibrations/settings, and other information for your reader to understand what is going on.
This is where your raw data should be presented, along with the results of any calculations, graphs, etc. It should also include an analysis of the data, which will primarily be a comparison of your results to the theoretical or actual values, along with an uncertainty analysis. If you are including data tables, they should be referenced as "Table 1", "Table 2", etc. Any included graphs should be referenced as "Figure 1", "Figure 2", etc. Data tables and/or graphs should be created by word processor or graphic software (i.e. Excel). If including tables and graphs, be sure to include legends and keys as necessary so your reader can interpret the information. It is important that all results must be quoted with units and the experimental uncertainty. You are expected to use the techniques of estimating and reporting uncertainties in measurements as presented in the class discussion on error analysis.
This section is a summary of your results and observations about things that could be done differently in future experiments. You should include the physical concepts that you have investigated and discuss how external factors might have skewed your results. Did you learn anything that you did not previously know? If so, include it in this section. The conclusion should also present and discuss potential improvements that would achieve better results. This section should be kept to approximately half of a page.
You are not expected to cite the lab procedure or template, anything in the class notes, or anything you can derive from first principles. However, if you used figures or information from another source, those should be cited appropriately. If you need to cite references, you should utilize the Phys Rev Letters style. If you need assistance with citing your sources, please contact Andrea Pritt, STEM Librarian, at alp5088@psu.edu
Note: This guide was adapted from Temple University's PHYS 2796 guide (2024) and Penn State University's Sample Lab Report #2 (n.d.).