In order to properly document the laboratory experience, a consistent view of the purposes and expectations connected with laboratory work is necessary. Whenever you perform an experiment in the laboratory, always try to think about the procedures you are performing with an eye to comparing the measurements you are taking with the theory, or mathematical model, which is supposed to describe the phenomena you are measuring. These are philosophical and spiritual issues which go beyond scientific inquiry. Validating a theory gives us the confidence that our mathematical model mimics reality accurately enough so that we can use the model, ultimately, to design something that works as expected when we actually build it.
Many experiments contain several procedures.
It is important to identify what elements of theory are being validated by each procedure, as well as the general area of validation for the experiment as a whole. In order for an experimental result to validate a theory, the results must be repeatable . This means that someone else, using the same equipment and experimental procedure, should produce the same results that you produce. Many measurement instruments have dozens of controls, each with a range of settings. If someone is going to duplicate your experiment to verify your results, instrument settings for each measurement must be recorded.