---

Here are some general descriptions of what is expected from the work presented in your lab notebooks:

-Most importantly, your notes should demonstrate a clear understanding of the material.
-The notes should be clear and easy to follow. The reader shouldn't have to flip around too much or spend a lot of time searching for things. You shouldn't refer the reader to the manual or to any of the supplemental material posted on the course website. You shouldn't refer the reader to Wikipedia or to other online resources. Your notes need not follow a rigid format, but the reader should be able to easily follow your train of thought.
-Although a rigid format is not required, you should provide a statement of the purpose of the experiment at the beginning of your notes.
-You should provide a neatly drawn schematic of the experimental setup.
-Tables of data without any comments or without an explanation of the experimental setup are not useful.
-Plots without labeled axes are incomplete.
-Print outs of plots and/or figures should be trimmed and taped neatly into your notebooks. Loose pages and pages stapled in the notebooks represent sloppy/careless work and may not be graded.
-You should clearly explain how the data is being analyzed. For example, what, if any, approximations are being made? If fitting to a straight line, what does the slope represent? What does the y-intercept represent?
-You should explain how the uncertainties of measured values were estimated. If appropriate, you should discuss how you implemented propagation of errors. Sample calculations can be very useful.
-Most numbers require units (an exception would be, for example, when you are taking the ratio of two voltages).
-Most often, fits to data should be weighted fits. Note that Excel does not easily do weighted fits (at least as far as I know).
-There should be some kind of summary statement that reports the key results of the experiment (with uncertainties). Usually, there should be a comparison to theoretically-predicted results.

Here's a link to some additional notes about maintaining a good lab notebook. There are also scanned pages from a high-quality notebook with additional comments from a "picky" TA.

Finally, here is a document that outlines what should appear in a well-done and complete PHYS 231 lab notebook. The document was prepared by an experienced and thorough PHYS 231 TA, so it's worth a read.