LOGBOOK MUSTS:  MATERIALS, METHODS, OBSERVATIONS

One way the logbook is useful is to allow you to limit the results you display.  You must always present the raw data (measurements) and detailed materials to judges in your project summary and log book, but you only need to put the general materials and  results on your display, not the details. This also helps if you present your project online and prevents others from copying your work.

Here are good examples of the kind of data you might have in your logbook or project summary, but not on your display.

Materials and Methods

A. Write out a list of materials with details.

For example:

for an experiment your online list might include white vinegar, a solution of baking soda, water, stopwatch, but without any details.

Your logbook should state the following

Materials

• Compliments white vinegar
• Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
• distilled water
• Erlenmeyer flask
• Graduated beaker
• Stopwatch on Samsung 7 phone
• Taylor Kitchen Scale

If you constructed a device, your online report might include wood, glue, piping.

Your logbook should state the details – and where you got them from.

• Weldbond Universal Adhesive
• 3/8th inch 4 ft x 8 ft spruce plywood
• PVC 3/4 inch piping

so that only the judges can see the complete details of your materials.

B. Write out your exact procedures in detail

If you did an experiment, your online project might state:

Several different combinations of diluted vinegar and baking soda dilutions were mixed and the length of time that the bubbles were observed were recorded.

In your logbook, you would write the following:

Procedure

1. Four different solutions were prepared as follows. All solutions were at room temperature (21.0°C).

• 100% vinegar,
• 50% vinegar (100% vinegar diluted with ½ distilled water)
• 08 g/mL baking soda: 16 g baking soda dissolved in 200 mL distilled water
• 04 g/mL baking soda: 50 mL of 0.08 g/mL diluted with 50 mL distilled water

2. 50 mL of baking soda solution was placed in a clear Erlenmeyer flask.
3. The stopwatch was started as 50 mL of the vinegar solution was added from a graduated beaker. The Erlenmeyer was swirled once as the timing started Timing of bubbles ended when no further bubbles were observed. This time was recorded.
4. Steps 2 and 3 were repeated twice with the same solutions. The Erlenmeyer was emptied and rinsed with a small amount of the baking soda solution between runs.
5. The beakers were thoroughly rinsed with distilled water and dried between trials.
6. The results of the three different runs for each Trial were averaged.

The same idea should be followed for construction projects.  A brief outline should be given online. Your logbook would include the exact details with detailed drawings and sketches if necessary.

Observations (Raw Data)

Online, you would have graphs that support your conclusions.  You would not list the actual observations you recorded.

For your online project you would have the following Chart with no further details.

In  your logbook,  you would report the following Observations.  This is called the Raw Data – the actual measurements you made.

Observations for Chart 1 of Report:  Bubbling Time for Vinegar and Baking Soda Solutions

Trial #       Quantitative Observations	Vinegar Concentration          (% volume)	Baking Soda Concentration         (g/ mL)	Time (s)
Trial 1 (21°C) Both solutions were clear and colourless.  When mixed, the mixture bubbled up to the top of the Erlenmeyer with large bubbles, but subsided. Small bubbles were then seen rising from the bottom. The mixture remained clear and colourless.
	100	0.08	180
	100	0.08	205
	100	0.08	172
		Average	186
Trial 2 (21°C) Both solutions were clear and colourless.  When mixed, the mixture bubbled up to the top of the Erlenmeyer with large bubbles as in Trial 1, but subsided. Small bubbles were then seen rising from the bottom. The mixture remained clear and colourless.
	100	0.04	640
	100	0.04	578
	100	0.04	620
		Average	613
Trial 3 (21°C) Both solutions were clear and colourless.  When mixed, the mixture bubbled up about ¼ of the height of the Erlenmeyer with smaller bubbles than Trial 1 but subsided. Small bubbles rose from the bottom.  These were much smaller than in Trial 1.
	50	0.08	187
	50	0.08	205
	50	0.08	190
		Average	194
Trial 4 (21°C) Both solutions were clear and colourless. When mixed, the mixture bubbled a little at the surface.  Small bubbles were then seen rising from the bottom. The size of bubbles were the same as Trial 3.
	50	0.04	540
	50	0.04	601
	50	0.04	679
		Average	607

Please use tables with Headings; include Units in correct format.

If you have made some measurements or observations with your construction, these would be expected here in the same way.