LAB REPORT OUTLINE
TITLE One sentence; includes independent and dependent variable being
investigated.
INRODUCTION 1 -2 paragraphs describing prior knowledge (i.e. scientific theories and
laws) on which the experiment is based
it should also include the purpose of the investigation.
HYPOTHESIS One sentence stating what you think will happen during the experiment
and why.
Use the format: If ... then ... because ...
MATERIALS List of items used, organized in a chart similar to the one below.
If appropriate, include drawings of the apparatus setup
Safety /
Chemical Amount Equipment
WHMIS
PROCEDURE A numbered list outlining the key steps (much like a recipe) in past tense,
passive voice
do NOT use personal pronouns like I, we, or you; For example,
We are taking the temperature every 2 minutes.
The temperature was taken every 2 minutes
The procedure must include multiple trials
OBSERVATIONS Record your quantitative and/or qualitative observations in a TABLE(S).
A detailed caption must be written above the table
Be sure to include the units.
ANALYSIS Create a graph or complete any calculations using the data collected.
Graphs must have
A descriptive title with IV and DV
axis labels with units
a legend (if appropriate)
a caption below the graph
Calculations - one example of each type of calculation should be
included. Results from numerous calculations should be placed in a
data table with the proper number of significant figures and correct units.
DISCUSSION In this section, you must include the following:
State the trends observed in the graph/data using examples
Explain the trends using scientific principles, laws, theories
Sources of errors in method (do not include human errors!)
Suggestions for improvement
Applications in the real world
Answers to additional questions
CONCLUSION 2-4 sentences stating if the hypothesis was correct. State what
happened in the experiment and explain why.
REFERENCES In this section, you list any books, publications, or websites you cited
in the report.
References must be in APA format and in alphabetical order
use the following link to create references
http://www.citationmachine.net/apa
NOTE:
• do your own work
• the entire lab report must be in THIRD person
• use a pen or computer - do not use pencil
• use a ruler when necessary
• put your name, lab title, and date at the top
• write on one side only
• watch your spelling and grammar
Effects of Sunlight on Plant Growth
First and Last Name
Group Members
Student #
Teacher
Introduction
Light sustains all life on this planet. Plants use sunlight to carry out photosynthesis. During
photosynthesis, plants trap sunlight with their leaves (Nature Works, 2019). Plants use the energy of
the sun to change water and carbon dioxide into a sugar called glucose. This chemical reaction is
represented by the following equation (Vidyasagar, 2018).:
6CO2 + 12H2O + Sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Glucose and oxygen produced by photosynthesis is used by the plants to help cells grow. Excess
oxygen is released into the atmosphere where it is available for other animals to inhale. Animals also
consume plants to access the glucose produced during photosynthesis.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine how sunlight impacts plant growth.
Hypothesis
If the amount of sunlight relates to rate of growth in the plants, then if a plant receives more sunlight,
then it will grow faster because the plant needs the sun’s energy to make food (glucose) to grow
(NatureWorks, 2019).
Materials
Chemical Amount Equipment Safety / WHMIS
• water • 20 m L/day • graduated cylinder • wipe up all spills immediately to prevent slips
Procedure
1. A 10cm tall sunflower plant was placed in direct sunlight.
2. A second 10cm tall sunflower plant was placed without light.
3. Each plant was given 20 mL of water each day.
4. The height of each plant was measured with a ruler each day for two weeks.
Observations
Table 1: The table below shows the height of the Sunflower plant in direct
sunlight vs the shade, over a two-week period. Height is measured in
centimeters. Data was only recorded 4 times in the two-week period.
Height of Sunflower
Day in Sunlight (cm) in Shade (cm)
0 10.0 10.0
1 10.0 10.0
2 11.5 10.5
3 14.0 11.0
Analysis
Figure 1: The graph above shows the height of Sunflower plants in
shade and in direct sunlight. The sunflower plant placed in direct
sunlight grew more than the sunflower placed in the shade.
Discussion
From the graph it is evident that plants with sunlight grow faster than plants without sunlight. For
example, the Sunflower that was placed in direct sunlight grew to a final height of 14cm, whereas, the
Sunflower without sunlight grew to a final height of 11cm. Sunlight helps plants grow because it is
necessary to carry out photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs in two parts; the first of which captures
the energy (known as light dependent), and the second which makes sugars (known as light
independent) (UCSB ScienceLine, 2010). If sunlight is not captured, glucose (a type of sugar) cannot
be created. According to Ciereszko (2018), sugar helps plants growth and defend against pathogens.
Hence the Sunflower in the shade was unable to grow because it was unable to carry out sufficient
amount of photosynthesis resulting in little sugar production, and therefore little growth.
A source of error that affected these results is the availability of sunlight. During the two-week
period, four days had significant cloud cover and so the Sunflower did not receive as much sunlight.
Had it received an equal amount of sunlight daily, the plant could have grown more. To prevent this in
the future, the Sunflower should be placed under artificial light, preferably blue or red light, as that is
best absorbed by plants (Nelson Biology 12).
Conclusion
It was hypothesized that plants would grow faster with sunlight than without sunlight. Based on the
data above, plants do grow better when exposed to sunlight because plants use sunlight to make
food to grow. Therefore, the hypothesis is accepted.
This information is extremely useful to gardeners because they need to understand where to place
plants depending on the plants sunlight requirements. For example, rosemary is a heat-tolerant, sun-
loving herb that can be grown in areas with full sun (Tilley,2015). However, other plants such as
bromeliads, maidenhair fern, parlor palm, snake plant, and creeping fig do not require as much
sunlight and so can be grown indoors (Tilley, 2015).
References
Ciereszko, Iwona. "Regulatory roles of sugars in plant growth and development." Acta Societatis
Botanicorum Poloniae, vol. 87, no. 2, 2018, p. 1g+. Academic
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549271596/AONE?u=miss91533&sid=AONE&xid=e
5ac918e. Accessed 14 Feb. 2019.
DiGiuseppe, M., & Adam-Carr, C. (2012). Nelson biology 12: University preparation. Scarborough,
ON: Nelson Thomson Learning.
Full Sun Plants – Plants And Flowers That Do Well In Direct Sun. (2015, April 13). Retrieved
February 14, 2019, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/full-sun-
plants.htm
How are sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide significant to the process of photosynthesis? (2010,
February 17). Retrieved February 14, 2019, from
http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2264
Photosynthesis - NatureWorks. (2019). Retrieved February 14, 2019, from
https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwepphotosynthesis.htm
Vidyasagar, A. (2018, October 15). What Is Photosynthesis? Retrieved February 14, 2019, from
https://www.livescience.com/51720-photosynthesis.html
