Regents Chemistry Laboratory Conclusion
*Below I have attached an outstanding example of a regents chemistry conclusion.
Laboratory Write-ups:
1. Data and Calculations. Most of our Labs are quantitative and require careful measurement and calculations that follow the rules of significant figures. Also all numbers must be associated with the proper units.. This part of your lab is highly scrutinized!
2. Writing Objectives: What is the purpose of this lab? You should be writing these down as I explain the laboratory before the class begins the experiment….What Am I going to accomplish? What concepts Am I testing? Am I finding an unknown?Percent Error? You must be specific in your objectives!
Not Acceptable: Playing with equipment, working as a group, learning chemistry
3. Writing a Conclusion: Did I accomplish all that I set out to do? (Did I accomplish all of my objectives that I wrote earlier?) If not why? How did the data support or not support your objectives? What did you discover from the empirical evidence? Did the experiment reinforce any previously learned concept or laboratory technique? How did your findings relate to class or the world? Your conclusion can only be wrong if it is not supported by your data or evidence. What errors or flaws were there in the experiment that caused your data to deviate from theoretical values. How could we improve this experiment? You must think!!! You must use complete sentences!!
This is the most important part of your lab. The first paragraph or section of your lab must parellel with your objectives. In your objectives you told me what you were going to accomplish and now you must tell me what you actually found. If you set out to do something and do not then points will be lost. In this section you must write what you did according to your objectives. For instance in the 1st lab, we calculated density, determined composition, and evaluated accuracy (percent error) for 4 metal objectives. I want you to write what you obtained. This really a results section which summarizing the most pertinent data that you collected. This is half of your conclusion.
In the second paragraph of the conclusion, you must evaluate your lab as being successful or not through error analysis. This is not an easy answer because high percent error (a lab with a lot of error) may not necessarily be unsuccessful because it may provide insight on the flaw of the main design of the lab that could lead to a better experiment. In this section you will use your numbers generated to quantify success. You will describe all errors and tie them to your results. For instance if you obtained a value greater than the accepted value you must try to account for this result with an appropriate error that would raise your result above the standard. Your conclusion should parallel your objectives in that if you do not discuss an outcome on something you set out to do (objective) then points will be lost. This analytical writing thus no statements like, “I feel” or “I believe” should be used. This writing is based on your empirical data.
Writing Lab Conclusions:
Neatness is rewarded and sloppiness is penalized. It is advisable that you type or word process you lab conclusion.
Plagiarism will be dealt with severely consequences, according to our Honor Code.
Conclusions are written individually, not as a group.
Not Acceptable: Measurement and human errors; learned a lot, peace out, incomplete unreadable words and sentences:
This is my SONG
If I can’t read it : IT’s WRONG!
If I can’t see it; IT’S WRONG!
If I can see it but can’t read it; ITS WRONG!
If I can read it but can’t see it; ITS WRONG!
This is my SONG!
By Mr. Grodski III
A member of the tall poets society specializing in short poems.
This example is from a past student. Thank you Francesco! I have omitted the data pages and have only included the Title page and the conclusion pages that follow. I omitted the data page (sorry!)