Writing a Conclusion
For this lab, you will concentrate on writing concluding statements rather than the whole report. A helpful tool when writing a conclusion is this mnemonic device:
| RERUN | |
| R | Recall the purpose of the lab and what you did in the lab. |
| E | Explain what you did in the lab to accomplish the purpose. |
| R | Reflect on whether the lab results supported or rejected your hypothesis. |
| U | Uncertainty – how sure are you of your results? Are there things that would make the lab better if you ran it again? |
| N | New questions – are there any new questions that came up during your investigation? |
When you write your concluding statements, make sure to include summary statements that address each of parts above. Make sure to address whether or not the results of the experiment supported your hypothesis. Also, discuss any possible sources of error and how the experiment could be improved. In your reflection, address the following questions:
- After two days, what do you notice about the water level in the jar with the steel wool compared to the water level in the jar with no steel wool?
- The steel wool contains iron and the air inside the jars contains oxygen. What happened to the oxygen in the jar with the steel wool?
- How does this activity demonstrate the fate of oxygen in Earth’s early atmosphere, when iron in the oceans was still removing oxygen from the air?
Download your lab report form to enter your conclusion.
