Lab Summary

Title and Author

Lab/Grade/Date

Give topic and scientist information

Center the title on your paper on the top line.

Beneath the title write your name.

Next place the lab location.

Finally, write the date.

Sheri Edwards

Frost Action

Grade 8

5/2/01

Science Research Question

Explain why this lab or experiment was made: What question are you trying to answer.

The question should show that one thing has an effect on one other thing. These "things" are variables. For instance, temperature and liquid water are variables.

Write your science question, or rephrase your title to indicate how you are testing one variable and its affect --or change--on another.

What effect does freezing temperatures have on water?

Hypothesis

Before the lab or experiment, a scientist makes an educated guess as to what s/he thinks will happen during the experiment.

Write what you think the answer to your question will be.

The water bottle will expand and the lid will pop off.

Materials and Method

Other scientists must be able to conduct this experiment also. This information provides a summary of yours. They will ask for a more detailed report if another experiment needs to be completed.

Explain how the experiment was set up to find the answer (the truth) to the question. Provide the materials used and a description of how the experiment was done. This will be a summary of the lab report.

Completely fill a plastic bottle with water, getting all the air out and capping the bottle tightly. Place the bottle in a plastic bag. Put the bag and bottle into a freezer over night.

Observation

This explains what did happen in the experiment.

Or the research you did.

Write a summary of your field data--what did you observe? What did happen?

For research, link to your notes and a list of sources.

The next day the bottle had bulged out on one side.

Conclusion

This explains the truth--why the hypothesis was accurate or not.

Explain what the observations mean. Use the information from your research question to explain what happened. Tell if your hypothesis was accurate. Explain why you think it was or why it was not accurate. Explain if another experiment needs to be completed to get further information.

The freezing temperatures turned the water from a liquid into a solid. When water turned to a solid, it expanded and took up more space so the plastic bottle had to bulge. The hypothesis was correct, although the cap did not pop off. The experiment could be done again, this time making sure all the air is out of the bottle.

Application

Explain how this information is helpful to the people and the world.

Write how other people can use this information.

In the real world, water gets into pavement. The water freezes and expands, breaking the pavement and creating potholes. To prevent this, perhaps the top of the roads could be made smoother with less holes so less water would get in. Keep heavier vehicles on special roads, not on regular streets. Put drains a system of capilary drainage tubes to collect and drain the water. Put protective coats on roads to keep water out. Put a heating system in the roads.