This seems like a simple question... (+rep)

[learningtoneopet1]

So I'm writing a lab report right now for an experimental sciences class and am on the part where you have to "process raw data correctly". I've written so many of these that I should know it by now, but what exactly do you do to process data? I always end up getting low points on this part and want to learn what I actually need to do to process it

[Bettser]

It means like taking the results you have acquired through experiment, and explaining exactly what they mean. Like what should have happened, versus your results, and why or why not the results ended up as they did. That's how I see anyways, and I took sciences for 5 years xD

[learningtoneopet1]

It means like taking the results you have acquired through experiment, and explaining exactly what they mean. Like what should have happened, versus your results, and why or why not the results ended up as they did. That's how I see anyways, and I took sciences for 5 years xD

I was thinking it was something along those lines at first, but that seems to fit better in my evaluation section It says for the processed data, I need graphs, tables, etc.

[Skarl]

From (you need an account to see links), " Raw data consist of actual measured values recorded during the experiment. Use tables to present this information. All tables should have descriptive titles, and they should show the units of data entries clearly." I vaguely remember having to have the tables; if memory serves, it's like a statistically-analysis of the results produced (and an introduction for your evaluation of the experiment). I like to think of it as the "works cited" portion of the lab' report, where you justify your derived conclusions by thoroughly presenting the results (and any variables you introduced among the elements, et cetera).

[Bettser]

I was thinking it was something along those lines at first, but that seems to fit better in my evaluation section It says for the processed data, I need graphs, tables, etc.

Skarl pretty much answered the graphing portion haha.

Bar graphs are lifesavers.

[boomer]

Depends on the data you got.

But regardless of what data you have, first look at it generally. See if there are any outliers (a histogram often helps with this, or a box plot).

If the data is supposed to be continuous (measured numbers), find the mean, standard distribution, etc. Make a plot to represent the data (ex: histogram if you measured 1 thing, scatterplot if you measured something over time, etc.)

If the data is discrete (split into categories, like for example if you observed what colors your samples were), make a different type of plot (ex: pie chart if you want to show proportions), or a table.

Use your analysis to compare your experimental data to expected results.

[Foxglove]

Processing data is, from my understanding, whatever you did to the raw data (the info you got directly from doing the experiment) to get to the final results. Someone correct me if my explanation is wrong. I'm almost never 100% on anything, even if I just read it from a textbook lol!

So, for example, I remember in my chemistry lab classes we'd often required to calculate the percent yield of a crystal that we managed to produce. First you'd need to first get the weight in milligrams of your initial material (raw data), and you'd process that data to get the info into moles. And after doing things to the initial material you'll get crystals and then weigh the crystals in milligrams (to get the raw weight data), and use math to convert the weight into moles (processing the data again). And to get the percent yield you'd need to process the data again (moles of product/moles of initial material * 100%) to get the final result.

Other sorts of experiments might require that you graph the results in order to get an understanding of what happened in the experiment, etc