This section summarizes a few common mistakes that students make in their lab reports. Learn to avoid these!<\/p>\n
1. Do not use nouns adjectives:<\/p>\n
\u2022 BAD: ATP formation; reaction product<\/p>\n
\u2022 GOOD: formation of ATP; product of the reaction<\/p>\n
2. \u201cThis\u201d or \u201cThat\u201d must always be followed by a noun so that its reference is explicit.<\/p>\n
\u2022 BAD: This leads us to conclude\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 GOOD: This observation<\/u><\/strong> leads us to conclude\u2026.<\/p>\n 3. Describe experimental results in the past tense.<\/p>\n \u2022 BAD: Addition of water gives the product.<\/p>\n \u2022 GOOD: Addition of water gave<\/u><\/strong> the product.<\/p>\n 4. \u201cSpectra\/Spectrum\/Spectroscopy:<\/p>\n Spectroscopy is the technique.<\/p>\n The data we collect is a spectrum<\/em> (singular), and the plural form is spectra<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u2022 BAD: \u201cIR spectroscopy showed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 GOOD: \u201cThe IR spectrum<\/u><\/strong> of the product showed\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Filtered\/Filtrated<\/p>\n The past tense of \u201cto filter\u201d is \u201cfiltered\u201d not \u201cfiltrated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFiltrate\u201d is technically a verb, but chemists only use it as the noun corresponding to the liquid collected from a filtration.<\/p>\n \u2022 BAD: \u201cThe product was vacuum filtrated\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 GOOD: \u201cThe product was vacuum filtered<\/u><\/strong>\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This section summarizes a few common mistakes that students make in their lab reports. Learn to avoid these! 1. Do not use nouns adjectives: \u2022 BAD: ATP formation; reaction product \u2022 GOOD: formation of ATP; product of the reaction 2. … Continue reading