Communicating+with+clarity+and+precision

Communicating with clarity and precision
This quarter really allowed me to work on communicating with clarity and precision in my lab reports. Previous lab reports I did in 9th grade lab science did not require the detail and attention that lab reports this year in chemistry required so the first lab report I did did not contain many necessary components. For example, I didn't even contain the equation for the chemical reaction I was investigating, Originally, I assumed I did a decent job on my lab report and consequently was extremely surprised when I got my report back with a mediocre score. From this first report, I could see in which areas I needed to add more clarity for the reader, such as when labeling graphs or adding detail to my procedure. For example, for the first lab, I did not label each of my tables or graphs. I also omitted the chemical equation and did not use the correct units when comparing the results in my analysis.

[|Gas lab with corrections.pdf]

I needed to mend these seemingly small problems in my next lab assignment to precisely and clearly illustrate the experimental process and analysis. Thus, I first made sure that a balanced chemical equation was included in my report. Next, I included meticulous details in my experimental procedure, such as the exact amounts of each chemical needed. I then included more information on the my graphs and tables by labeling them "Table 1, 2,..." Finally, I made sure I compared the right data, which had to be the rate of the chemical experiment (1/time) versus the temperature. Lastly, in my conclusion, I made sure to include small details such as comparing both the raw data and the processed data. I also closely followed the expected format, such as centering all my tables.

From this experience, I realized the difference that small details make to the clarity and precision of a lab report. Only by adding these things can a reader know exactly what's going on and how to replicate the lab. I realized the impact of these seemingly insignificant items when I included it in my second lab report, which helped refine my lab report. Thus, I am extremely proud of the improvements I made to my report and was able to perform much better the second time. :)