How to Keep Your Lab Journal

On The Cover

CHEMISTRY-CANOVA_________Period ___

YOUR NAME

YOUR PERIOD

1. ON THE INSIDE COVER-Write your lab partner(s) name,and contact info, email

address, etc

-

-Also, in the upper right hand corner, write down your lab station number.

Joe Schmo Lab:3

908-555-1234 h908-555-4321 cjschmo@email.comjschmo-aim24 Mockingbird Ln1-Chemistry Rm 2322-Chem Lab3-English Rm 206

2. Number Your Pages

-In the upper right hand corner, number the first 25 pages right now.

-Do not number the back side of the pages.

1

Joe Schmo Lab:3

908-555-1234 h908-555-4321 cjschmo@email.comjschmo-aim24 Mockingbird Ln1-Chemistry Rm 2322-Chem Lab3-English Rm 206

 -Your Table of Contents should include the title of the lab and the page number in your journal where that lab begins.

-Title the first two pages, Table of Contents

1Table of ContentsTitle PageSafety Rules 3Safety Map 4Safety Equip 5Instructions 6-10LEGO 11

3. Table of Contents

Joe Schmo Lab:3

908-555-1234 h908-555-4321 cjschmo@email.comjschmo-aim24 Mockingbird Ln1-Chemistry Rm 2322-Chem Lab3-English Rm 206

    Staple the Lab Safety Rules Into Your Notebook. Onto Page 3

4. Lab Safety Contract

3

Safety Rules Folded in Half

    Draw a map of the room and identify the location of all lab safety equipment that you see.

Onto Page 4

5. Lab Safety Map

4

TEACHER DESK

    List all of the safety equipment you just identified on the map, and explain its function.

Onto Page 5

6. Safety Equipment

51. Goggles-eye protection

2. Blanket-smother fire

3. Etc……..

Stay on page 5 of your Notebook• The following slides contain important information.• Write down this information in your lab notebook on

the back of page 4.• Take notes on the left pages (class notes section).• Put examples on the right pages (pre-lab section).• If the left page contains notes, and nothing is

written on the right page, draw an “X” through the right page.

Class Notes

8

EXAMPLE:

6 Date: 9/15/07Partner: Suzie QueTitle: How to Keep Your Lab NotebookPurpose: To investigate …Materials: (alphabetical)Safety: (see safety contract)Diagram: (not always needed)

Class Notes

How to Write in Lab Notebook

How to Write?Example Prelab Entry

Procedures Observations

1. 3 Tbsp of glue should be added to cup.

None

2. 3 Tbsp of Borax solution should be added to cup.

Sticky, gooey, slime formed.

     Write all pertinent information on the RIGHT pages. Save the LEFT pages for special instructions or notes.

EXAMPLE:

7Data/Calculations:

-All entries into lab notebook must be made in ink, NEATLY (BLUE or BLACK ink ONLY!). NO PENCILS (EVER).-Use a ruler to draw any tables/charts. -If a mistake is made, cross it out neatly with a single line- DO NOT USE WHITE-OUT

How to Write?Class Notes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East

W est

North

Pasting stuff in

You may and should, when you can, carefully paste stuff into your journal.

Including : Spreadsheet data charts and graphs with trend lines. You may use a camera to take pictures of your lab setup and reaction observations and paste the pictures into your Journal as long as they don't flop around.

On the Inside Back Cover

Use a glue stick to paste in the Lab Techniques Checklist. I will initial each technique that you properly demonstrate through out the year.

The checklist is also found at my chemistry web site.

REMINDERS

-You must bring your prepared notebook to the laboratory or you will receive a zero on the prelab section (worth about 25% of total lab grade).

-Only blue or black ink may be used, no pencil or different colored ink.

No white-out.

-No loose paper inside lab notebook.

Class Notes 8

Before the Lab:Class Notes

EXAMPLE: SEE PAGE 6

Date: 9/15/07Partner: Suzie QueTitle: How to Keep Your Lab

NotebookPurpose: To investigate …Materials: (alphabetical)Safety: (see safety contract)Diagram: (not always

needed)Procedures Observations1. 3 Tbsp of glue should be added to cup.

None

2. 3 Tbsp of Borax solution should be added to cup.

Sticky, gooey, slime formed.

9BE SURE TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PRELAB:1)Date2)Partner3)Title4)Purpose5)Materials6)Safety7)Diagram8)Anticipated Procedures9)Data/Calculations

Title

The full title of the experiment should be clearly written on the first page of the lab notebook entry.

Introduction

A brief (five- to ten-sentence) introduction to the experiment should be written at the top of the page. The introduction should state the goals and objectives of the laboratory and describe what data will be collected and how that data will be used to arrive at conclusions at the completion of the laboratory. If hypotheses can be made about the outcome of the experiment beforehand, they should be stated here.

Chemicals Table (or Reaction Table):

Make a table of the chemicals (reagents, starting materials, etc.) that will be used during the experiment. List the chemicals and their formula, structure, molar mass and physical state. Make a note of any safety hazards identified in the lab’s written materials or the MSDS for each reagent below the table or as a column in the table. If it will be useful to know a reagent’s melting point, boililng point, density or other physical property, include that information as well. For experiments involving chemical reactions or where stoichiometry is important, the quantity of each reagent used should be listed and the number of moles (or millimoles) should be calculated for each quantity.

Calculations & Equations:

Write out all relevant equations with variable definitions that are applicable to the experiment. Write out calculations that can be done ahead of time (e.g., determining the theoretical yield; determining limiting reagent).

Anticipated Procedure:

Make a numbered list of the tasks that you must complete during the experiment. Including a list of materials and supplies you need.This list does not have to be exhaustive, but should accurately summarize all aspects of the procedure you are going to complete that day. During the lab, you may deviate from this outline as the requirements change in response to observations that you are making and data that your are collecting.

Example of a Pre-Lab Notebook Entry

Pre-lab cont.

Pre-Lab Cont.

During/After the Lab:Class Notes 10

1) Fill in observation section.2) Collect and record data in table.3) If time permits, start

calculations.4) Consider the focus of lab

questions.5) If required, a formal typed of

lab report that contains, in addition to what you wrote in your lab notebook, a typed conclusion (more info on typed lab reports to follow).

In-Lab

The in-lab section should be divided into two columns on each page for Procedure and Observations. The left-hand column will list your actual procedure that you followed during the experiment. The right-hand column will describe the observations that were made and will also contain data that you collected. The details in the Observation column should be written as closely to the procedural step where they were collected. When large amounts of data are to be collected or where it is necessary to construct graphs, a separate page for the Observations should also be used. Be sure to label graphs accurately including both y- and x-axis.

Procedure:

The procedure listed in this column should be significantly more detailed than the outlined procedure listed in your pre-lab. Essentially, more details are required. Invariably some labs will require steps to be repeated, modified or eliminated based upon observations and collected data. These details should be included.

Observations

Here, the more details you record, the more complete this sections will be. Use all of your senses—except taste!—when making observations. Make notes about the state of your reagents (e.g., physical state, color, smell) where appropriate, what happens when reagents are mixed (e.g., color changes, gas evolution), and temperature changes. Also, use this section to accurately record data that the manual asks you to collect during the experiment (e.g., masses, volumes, pH). Be as precise in your measurements as possible. If calculations are required in order to continue with the experiment, you may also do that math in this section while listing that procedural step in the Procedure section.

Post-Lab

The primary function of the post-lab section is to analyze the data that was collected during the experiment to reach valid conclusions about the chemical phenomena that was investigated in the experiment. A complete post-lab should contain the following elements:

Questions

Most experiments in the lab manual pose questions at the end of the manuscript. These should be answered carefully and completely.

Calculations

If calculations are required using the data that was collected during the experiment, these should be clearly written here. Where applicable, write the full equation being used at the start of each calculuation. Show all work for full credit. Write any new chemical equations that are relevant.

Analysis and Conclusion

Finally, your post-lab should contain a medium length paragraph stating the conclusions that you were able to reach during the laboratory experiment. These conclusions should be well supported by the data that you collected and by the calculations that were written in both the Observations column and the Calculations section above. In other words, analyze the data; explain how the results of the experiment(s) led you to the stated conclusions. Also, discuss whether any hypotheses that were postulated in the pre-lab section were supported or unsupported