Proper Lab Notebook Keeping

One essential aspect of working in the laboratory is maintaining an accurate and updated record of the experiment using a lab notebook. The lab notebook is essential in both academia and in industry, as it not only provides you with a record of exactly what was performed, but it also serves as a legal document that proves ownership and originality of research.

It is essential that you use a bound carbonless notebook so that the copy can be removed and submitted to the instructor. You must always write in pen, never in pencil. Prior to starting the experiment, you must generate a pre-lab report in your lab notebook.

To do this, you must first read the procedure thoroughly and determine the objective of the experiment. Then, you'll write down all of the background information needed to understand the experiment and protocol.

Next, you must write the procedure steps while including clarification of complicated steps and calculations of values you may need. Simply copying the protocol will not suffice. Creating a flow chart may be necessary to help you.

You will also write out all balanced chemical reactions and determine theoretical yields in advance and identify the physical properti