Learning Goals
- Name the six sections of a scientific report in the correct order.
- Identify which report section each type of scientific information belongs in.
- Recognise the difference between reporting results and interpreting them.
Warm Up
Order the steps
A scientific report has six sections. Number the sections from 1 (first) to 6 (last) to show the correct order they appear in a report.
| Order (1–6) | Section name |
|---|
| Discussion |
| Method |
| Aim |
| Hypothesis |
| Results |
| Conclusion |
Your Turn
Sort it!
Each statement below comes from a student's scientific report on enzyme activity. Write each statement letter into the correct section box. Each section should receive at least one statement.
A. "The experiment was conducted at 22 °C room temperature with 10 mL of enzyme solution."
B. "At 40 °C, enzyme activity was highest at 95 units/min."
C. "The data supports the hypothesis that temperature increases enzyme activity up to an optimum."
D. "This investigation aimed to measure the effect of temperature on enzyme activity."
E. "Temperature affects enzyme activity because higher kinetic energy increases collision rate."
F. "It was predicted that enzyme activity would increase with temperature up to a point, then decrease."
G. "The investigation supported the hypothesis. At 40 °C activity peaked at 95 units/min."
H. "Activity decreased from 95 to 8 units/min as temperature rose from 40 °C to 60 °C."
I. "A water bath was set to each temperature for 5 minutes before adding enzyme."
J. "A 5 mL sample of enzyme solution was added to each tube."
Show What You Know
1. Explain in one sentence why the Results section should NOT include any interpretation of the data.
Recall
2 marks
2. Why should the Hypothesis be written before data is collected rather than after?
Recall
2 marks
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what is the most important rule for organising a scientific report?