How to Write an Organic Chemistry Lab Report
People who are new to preparing organic chemistry lab reports often find that writing the report is a more difficult task than performing the experiment. The key to a well-written report is providing clear, specific and factual information about what was done, how it was done and what was the outcome of the experiment. Presenting relevant data under appropriate headings will give useful information regarding your experiment. Remember that lab reports are statements of scientific facts in an objective manner, not personal opinions, and write your report accordingly.
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Instructions
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Give a clear title that describes the nature of the work in specific terms. For instance, the title "Isolation of Caffeine from Coffee by Solid Phase Extraction" is more specific than just "Isolation of Caffeine".
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Write an abstract that provides a concise summary of the entire experiment. Make this part a specific, brief description of what the experiment has attempted, the manner in which it was done and the significant outcome of the experiment.
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Provide an introduction that explains the aim of the experiment. Give background information of the chemical compounds used in the experiment. Support this with chemical structures if necessary. Use chemical structure drawing software such as ChemDraw. Explain the procedure followed with respect to what reagents were used, any special conditions of temperature, pH or pressure that were maintained and the detection methods used. Offer balanced chemical equations where necessary.
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Describe the outcome of the procedure -- both positive and negative -- in one or two paragraphs. Explain the interpretation of your findings and discuss your results in the context of previous such experiments. Compare your findings with results of prior work in the area and arrive at a concluding statement that explains your conclusions on the basis of what your experiment proved. Use relevant data tables, graphs and charts to back up your experimental results. Make sure you number these figures in a systematic manner.
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Provide a complete bibliography that shows the sources you have used as a reference for the information you give in your organic chemistry lab report. Put these references in the order in which they are cited in the report.
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Write the report in the past tense. Don't include first person statements such as "I added the solution into the flask". Instead, say "The solution was added into the flask". Use words in a scientific manner to convey exact meanings. For instance, saying "The solution appeared clear" is different from saying "The solution was colorless". Provide the right units and quote results with suitable number of significant figures. Check your report to see that it is a statement of facts and not personal opinions.
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Tips & Warnings
Provide physical data like solubility, molecular weight, empirical formula, melting and boiling points in a tabular form for all major chemicals used in the experiment.
Although it is good to run a spell check on your document, remember that many chemical terms may not be a part of the dictionary. Check before you adopt the suggestions for changes in spelling.
References
- Photo Credit flasks image by Wolszczak from Fotolia.com
