Lab report: conclusion
time to complete: 10-15 minutes
Although not always required, we will finish our exploration on reports by analysing the conclusion from the model provided.
In this section, you should summarise your key findings; think of this section as your last chance to remind the reader of what you found. You should not add information that has not been covered in your lab report, but you could include suggestions for future research (or leave them for a ‘Further Work’ section after your conclusion).
Task 9: Read the conclusion section of the lab report we have been looking at and answer the questions:
- What language does the author use to introduce the key findings?
- Does the author refer to methods?
- Does the author refer to specific results from the report?
- Does the author propose any further work or improvements for future research?
Conclusion
The elastic behaviour of bungee cord was found to be non-linear for varying applied loads apart from in the range of 2 to 6 N.
At applied loads ranging from 2 to 6 N, the spring constant was found to remain constant at approximately 908 ±0.027 N/m. At loads above and below this range, the spring constant was higher, and the spring-mass system was therefore stiffer.
For an applied mass of 250 g, the measured natural frequency (0.97 ±0.084 Hz) was found to be in good agreement (and within the predicted errors) when compared with the natural frequency predicted using the equation for a spring-mass system with the calculated spring constant (0.96 Hz).
- Language introducing the key findings
- Reference to methods
- Reference to specific details from the report
- There are no suggestions for further work or improvements of the experiment.
Conclusion
The elastic behaviour of bungee cord was found to be non-linear for varying applied loads apart from in the range of 2 to 6 N.
At applied loads ranging from 2 to 6 N, the spring constant was found to remain constant at approximately 908 ±0.027 N/m. At loads above and below this range, the spring constant was higher, and the spring-mass system was therefore stiffer.
For an applied mass of 250 g, the measured natural frequency (0.97 ±0.084 Hz) was found to be in good agreement (and within the predicted errors) when compared with the natural frequency predicted using the equation for a spring-mass system with the calculated spring constant (0.96 Hz).
Adapted from Beagles et al. (no date)
Final word
Remember to close your report by listing all the sources that you have used. Make sure that you use the reference system preferred by your department. If you are not sure how to do this, please check the referencing guides in the library.
References
- Gere, JM and Timoshenko, SP, Mechanics of materials, 3rd edition, page 22, Chapman and Hall, London, 1991
- Meriam, JL, and Kraige, LG, Engineering Mechanics Volume 2 Dynamics, 3rd Edition, page 595John Wiley and Sons inc, New York, 1993
- Strutt, JW, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, The theory of sound, Chapter 1, London, 1877.
Adapted from Beagles et al. (no date)