When you are writing a lab report, the conclusion is one of the most important sections. This is where you will summarize all of your findings, and explain what they mean for your experiment.
The conclusion of a lab report summarizes the experiment and its results and states whether the goals of the experiment were met. The first step is to restate the goals of the experiment. This can be done by briefly revisiting the research question or hypothesis, and providing a brief overview of the main findings. Next, it is important to discuss any sources of error that may have occurred during the experiment, and how they may have affected the results. Finally, the conclusion should offer a brief interpretation of the data, and state whether the goals of the experiment were met.
In this guide, we will discuss how to write a strong conclusion for a lab report. We will include tips on formatting and structure, as well as how to effectively communicate your findings. Let’s get started!
Contents
How to Write a Conclusion for a Lab Report
Writing a conclusion in a lab report can be tricky, especially if you are not sure what to include. Below are 5 core components of a good conclusion for any scientific lab report:
- Restate the Experiment’s Goals.
- Discuss the methods used.
- Include and Analyze Final Data.
- Summarize the findings.
- State Whether Your Experiment Succeeded.
1. Restate the Experiment’s Goals.
At the beginning of your lab report, you should state the goals of your experiment. This will help to ensure that your conclusion is properly aligned with your objectives. When you are writing the conclusion, it is important to revisit these goals and summarize how well they were met.
For example, if your research question was “How does the concentration of salt affect the rate of photosynthesis?”, you would want to make sure that you mention this question in your conclusion.
2. Discuss the methods used.
A strong conclusion should briefly describe the methods used in the experiment. This will help to ensure that readers understand how the data was collected and can evaluate its reliability.
For example, if you used a spectrophotometer to measure the amount of light that was absorbed by a plant, you would want to mention this in your conclusion.
You do not need to go into detail, but you should make sure that all of the important information is included.
3. Include and Analyze Final Data
A lab report should include a conclusion that analyzes the final data. The conclusion should include a discussion of the implications of the data, as well as any errors that were made during the experiment. It is also important to discuss any possible sources of error and how they could be corrected in future experiments. Finally, the conclusion should offer some suggestions for further research. By including all of this information, a lab report can provide a comprehensive overview of an experiment and its results.
4. Summarize the findings.
Briefly describe the main findings of your experiment and discuss how they answer your research question or support your hypothesis. Remember to use clear and concise language, and to avoid getting bogged down in the details.
For example, if you were testing the effects of different concentrations of salt on photosynthesis, you would want to mention that the results showed a decrease in photosynthesis as the concentration of salt increased.
Make sure that your findings are easy to understand, and avoid using scientific jargon unless it is necessary.
5. State Whether Your Experiment Succeeded
The final step in concluding a lab report is to state whether the experiment was successful or not. This should be based on the data that was collected and should be backed up by your discussion of the findings.
If the experiment did not meet its goals, be sure to explain why. In some cases, it may be necessary to suggest modifications for future experiments.
Lab report conclusion examples
Below is an example of how to write a conclusion for a lab report on photosynthesis.
Topic: The effect of salt concentration on the rate of photosynthesis.
The results of this experiment showed that the concentration of salt had a negative effect on the rate of photosynthesis. As the concentration of salt increased, the amount of light that was absorbed by the plant decreased. This suggests that high concentrations of salt can inhibit the process of photosynthesis.
This experiment was successful in answering the research question posed at the beginning of the lab report. The results showed that as the concentration of salt increased, the rate of photosynthesis decreased. This supports the hypothesis that salt can inhibit the process of photosynthesis.
The experiment was not without its flaws, however. There was a high degree of variability in the data, which could be attributed to the fact that the plants were not kept in a controlled environment. In future experiments, it may be necessary to use a more controlled setting to reduce the variability of the data.
Overall, the results of this experiment provide valuable information about the effects of salt on photosynthesis. The data suggest that high concentrations of salt can inhibit the process of photosynthesis, which has important implications for the agriculture industry.
Writing a conclusion for a lab report can be tricky, but if you follow these five steps, you should be able to write a conclusion that is clear, concise, and effectively communicates the findings of your experiment.
Further Readings
- Science: Lab report – Learn HQ – Monash University
- Sample Lab Report #2
- Writing conclusion paragraphs in a science lab report
- The Lab Report – University of Toronto Writing Advice
- How to Write a Scientific Laboratory Report
Now you know how to write a conclusion for a chemistry lab report, biology lab report, or any other kind of scientific experiment paper.
