Lab Report Any tip writing a good conclusion for lab reports?

[freedude]

Hey guys,

I recently got my lab report draft back based on an experiment on measuring specific heat capacity through a electric heater.

From the criteria, I got a pretty decent grade for my DCP (data collecting&Processing), though I got a 1/6 for my CE (Conclusion & Evaluation)

Is there any sort of way to improve the CE section, or any sort of tips to get a good score for this criteria?

[SurajM]

Make it easier for the examiner to understand your conclusion. Give references to graphs and tables you used in your lab. Also make sure your interpretations during the evaluation part are thorough. It doesnt hurt to use a reference to another lab that did the same experiment as you, so you can compare your results. Add it to your footnotes.

[Negotiation]

It's not as bad as it seems. C&E's are marked out of 2, so you got a 1/2. You hand in 3 in total for a potential total of 6.

In evaluation it's vital that you discuss errors, their effect on the results, and possible improvements.

Talk to your teacher about how you could improve.

[susanne]

Be brutally honest with the whole experiment; of course, the examiners probably won't expect perfect results, so

1) does your result support your hypothesis

if yes, explain why referring to results

if no, explain how does uncontrolled variable, errors and other happeningds during the experiment might have affected it; include a numerical evaluation

also explain the theoratical happenings? I'm not sure about that; but if you are burning mg in crucible, it is highly likely that nitrogen reacted with Mg instead of O, then you have to explain why

2) what is your limit/weakness in this experiment?

e.g. limited equipment (happens with all schools unless you are from one of those richy-richy school like Eton or Pembroke)

not much repetition?

3) how can you improve your experiment

4) for conclusion, give a very solid, and honest overview of your report. but do not include any unecessary informations. Dad also says it's a good idea to say where does this experiment lead to