Presentation and Interpretation of Data

 

As you will remember, in this section of your lab report you basically report what happened when you did your experiment. However, you want to carefully choose only the results that are directly related to the purpose of the experiment. Some of the incidental results that are not related to the purpose of your experiment should be left in your lab notes and not included in your lab report. At the same time, however, you do not want to leave out of your lab report any data related to the purpose of your experiment. So, in writing your results, you need to distinguish carefully for yourself between incidental data and important data (5: 131-133).

When possible you should use a graph and/or a chart to supplement your account of the results. This visual dimension of your results section can help to clarify for the reader what your experiment showed. Such graphs should be clearly labeled and you should refer to them in the text of your results section.

In addition, your results might involve some analysis of raw data. This analysis might be as simple as computing averages, standard deviations, and so on. Sometimes such analysis might involve using calculus to differentiate or integrate. Whatever it is, it is important that you explain clearly the method you used to analyze your data.

As with all of the other parts of your lab report, in your results section you need to be clear, precise, and complete.

On the basis of these considerations and the description of the Volta pile experiment choose one of the following as the best abbreviated statement of the results for this experiment:

The voltmeter showed a much stronger current than in the experiment with the voltaic cell.

The voltmeter showed a reading of 6.6 volts.

The voltmeter showed a reading that was six times 1.1 volts.