Course material

1. writing a lab
physics writing question and need a sample draft to help me learn.
Hi, I need help writing a lab report about Kirchhoff's Rules I have the lab information. I need
it as a word document
Note: the PDF is an example of how the paper should look, (APA format)
Requirements: 900
Reports for Physics LabPHY 1048L and PHY 1049LTarpon Springs Campus
Disclaimer•The information provided here is intended to introduce you to the general
format of a paper in a professional physics or astronomy journal.•The rules for formatting
and style vary from one discipline to another. In other words, what is considered
acceptable in a physics journal might not be acceptable in a chemistry publication. •If this is
your first lab class, please note that each SPC instructor has unique requirements for their
lab reports.
General Information•Write as though your reading audience is a student enrolled in a
similar physics class, but keep in mind they might be a few weeks behind us and have a
different textbook.•One written assignment is submitted per group. All members of the
group should be given an opportunity to proofread and offer suggestions before the final
report is handed in, so be sure to agree upon a deadline for each person to submit their
contribution.
General Information (continued)•Please use pdf or docxfor your submission and double
space between lines. •Correct spelling and grammar are expected, just as would be the case
for any professional publication or technical document.•Instructor comments will be sent to
the group drop box, usually within one week of the due date. Pleaseread through the
comments and ask questions if clarification is needed. If you cannot see the comments, alert
Dr. Simunac.
1. Descriptive Title (and)2.List of AuthorsThe title should give the reader an idea of what
the experiment is about. (“Lab #3” is not informative.) Some scientific journals use full
names, others (like the example below) use initials and family names only. Either one is
fine here, butbe consistent.Observing Voltage and Resistance in CircuitsM. Smith, R. Tomas,
and S. Taylor
3. AbstractA one-paragraph summary of the experiment andyour results. Don’t forget to
include appropriate units. Note: Most journals do not permit tables, graphs, or other images
in the abstract section.We investigated the local acceleration due to gravity in Lawrence,

2. Kansas by dropping a mass that emitted sparks at a regular (known) interval. By measuring
the spaces between the burn marks on the wall and applying the equation y = y0+ v0t +
(1/2)gt2, we found that the average local acceleration due to gravity is: g= -9.79 m/s2.
4. IntroductionDescribe the scientific objective of the experiment. What are you testing?
What do you expect to happen? Introduce relevant theories and/or equations. Be sure to
cite one or more reputable resourcesin your introduction, butexplain the big ideas in your
own words.Write as though your report will be read by a student at another college. You
can assume they have taken the same pre-requisite courses, but they could be covering
concepts at a slower paceso you need to provide some background information about the
idea being tested.
5. ProcedureExactly what did you do? Your readers should be able to read your description
of the procedure and carry out the same study independently (with similar equipment). Do
not copy the procedure directly from the lab handout.Write it in your own words in
narrative format. Use complete sentences, not a list of steps) and avoid second person
(commanding) voice.It is recommended to include a photo or diagram of your experimental
setup. If you include a figure copied from the experiment handout or from the internet, then
you mustinclude a citation in the figure caption.
6. Data and CalculationsShow what information you collected in graphs and/or tables as
appropriate. Are there any uncertainties due to how you collected your measurements?
(Other reasons?)Table 1Mass[±0.01 kg]Height [±0.05
cm]1.0031.102.0328.523.0124.174.0217.815.009.906.000.23Tables are numbered at the
top in the order they appear. (Table numbers are independent of figure numbers.)
6. Data and Calculations (continued)Images and graphs are numbered below as “figures”
and need to be captioned. The numbers need to follow the order of presentation. (Figure
numbers are independent of Table numbers.)Figure 1:This graph shows the position of an
object that follows a quadratic time dependence.Be sure to label axes and include
units.Include the equation of the function fit to the data and alsothe goodness of fit
parameter.
6. Data and Calculations (continued 2)If any of your data is calculated from measured
quantities be sure to include at least one complete sample calculation. Start from the
general equation (in variable form), then plug in measured quantities (with units), and
show the results (with units).For example, if you measure the diameter dof a circular track
and the time tit takes to go around once you can obtain an average
velocity:vavg=circumferencetime=πdt=π0.104m()6.68s=0.048911 m/svavg≈0.049 m/s
7. Discussion and Conclusion•What have you learned from the experiment? What is the key
idea the reader should get? Be sure to back up your findings with specific examples from
the data collected.•Do the data agree with your expectations?•Do the measured (or
calculated) values agree with a theoretical value? By how much do they differ?•What
arepossiblesources of uncertainty? (”Human error” is not a specific cause, and the phrase
suggests you did not follow the instructions.)
8. References•When you use information/text from others, such as something you read in a
book or journal, or a handout related to the experiment, you need to give the author(s)
credit. Please give a brief citation at the point of usage within your text (example: Smith et

3. al. 2014), and then include a complete reference at the end of your document.•Be sure to
use a format for the complete reference that would allow someone from outside the class to
find your reference in the library. (Don’t say “textbook p. 24.”) You are welcome to use
styles such as APA, MLA or CSE. Whatever you choose, be self-consistent within the
document.
9. Acknowledgements (if needed)If you had any outside help writing your report (like
someone from the writing center), say “thank you” here.The authors wish to thank Mrs. R.
Commerfor proofreading this report.