Every formal report in this course uses the same six sections. Learn the shape once and it serves you for every science course after this. The seven reports that are marked — and the criteria they are marked against — are on Lab Reports.
| Section | What belongs there | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | The question, in one sentence | Restating the title |
| Hypothesis | A prediction with a reason | ”I think it will work” |
| Materials | Everything, with quantities | Forgetting sizes and concentrations |
| Procedure | Numbered steps someone could repeat | Written as a story afterwards |
| Observations | Data, tables, graphs — no interpretation | Explaining results here |
| Analysis and conclusion | What the data means, and its limits | Claiming more than the data supports |
Hypotheses
A hypothesis needs a because.
❌ The disc will float faster in bright light.
âś… The disc will float faster in bright light because photosynthesis produces oxygen faster when more light energy is available.
Conclusions
Answer the purpose, using your numbers, then be honest about limits.
The discs floated in a median of 4.2 minutes at 10 cm and 11.7 minutes at 40 cm, supporting the hypothesis. However, the lamp also warmed the water by 3 °C at the closest distance, so temperature was not fully controlled and may account for part of the difference.
That last sentence gains marks. Hiding it loses them.
Write the procedure in the past tense
You are reporting what you did, not giving instructions. “The solution was heated to 40 °C”, not “Heat the solution”.