GUIDELINES FOR WRITING LABORATORY REPORTS FOR HEAT

TRANSFER
As part of this unit, there is a laboratory investigation of the problem of Heat Transfer.
To report this investigation, you will need to write one laboratory report with three parts, with
each part reporting on one stage of the investigation. For each stage, you must write the Aims
of the experiment, the Results and Discussion and the Conclusions as follows.
1. Aims and objectives:
State the aims of the experiment.
You may have several aims in your experiment list them all if this is the case.
Aims and objectives must be written in complete sentences or in point form.
Examples
Aim: This experiment aims to determine the effect of steam flow rate on pressure.
OR
Aim: To determine the effect of steam flow rate on pressure.
.
Distinguish between aims and tasks. A task is what you have to do in the lab.
Examples
Task = Measure the flow rate of the steam.
Aim = To determine the effect of steam flow rate on pressure.

2. Results and Discussion

Present and discuss the major experimental results. In essence, this section seeks to answer the
problem that you addressed in your experiment. In the discussion of results, you interpret your
results and explain the significance of what you found.
Presenting Your Results
Figures and tables
Present your data in figures and tables. Figures can be sketches, images or graphs.
Regardless of type, they are all called Figures in the report.
Number figures and tables in the order in which they appear in the text.
Give all tables and figures a meaningful captions, not just Graph of Y vs X.
Examples of figure and table captions:
Figure 1
Circuit used to measure resistance
Figure 2
Effect of temperature on the resistance of a banana
Table 1
Data for wave speed as a function of wire diameter
Equations
All equations should be centered and must be numbered as follows:
y = mx + c

MEC 2401

(2)

2008

Presenting Your Discussion

In the discussion you interpret your results and explain what they mean.
To interpret your results you may have to

compare your experimental results with each other

discuss the verification of your results in the lab.

explain errors or deviations in your results

comment on the suitability of the method used in the experiment

Answer the following questions in your discussion:
1.
Do the calculated results achieve reduced vibrations of the machine and agree with the
theory? Why or why not?
2.
Were there any experimental limitations that might have affected the accuracy of your
data?
3.
Were your results expected?
Use formal and precise expressions in your discussion.
If your measurements correspond well with the published values, state that:
o The measurements are consistent/ agree well with the standard value.
If your measurements do not correspond well with the published values, state that:
o The measurements are significantly different from/ do not agree well with the
standard value.
To explain the source of errors, use the following expressions:
o The error may be the result of incorrect calibrations.
o The discrepancy may be due to human error.

3.

Conclusions

Present a short conclusion for the experiment. State whether the aim of the experiment has been
achieved or not. Summarise what you did and what your key findings were. This is NOT a
repetition of your discussion it is your conclusion. Include key numerical data, along with
experimental uncertainties, and comparisons with expected values. Where appropriate, summarise
the limitations of your work as well as mentioning future work that should be done.

MEC 2401

2008