ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Physics => Topic started by: hipeeps on September 10, 2018, 10:28:18 pm
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I remember using past tense for a chemistry practical report, I assume it's also the same protocol for a physics one...?
Why past tense though?
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I remember using past tense for a chemistry practical report, I assume it's also the same protocol for a physics one...?
Why past tense though?
Lab reports are usually written in third-person past tense (so no I/We/Us etc)
I don't know why it is used apart from making the report impersonal and objective. Appears to be a standard of sorts, I believe. :)
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Lab reports are usually written in third-person past tense (so no I/We/Us etc)
I don't know why it is used apart from making the report impersonal and objective. Appears to be a standard of sorts, I believe. :)
Wow, quick reply! Thanks :p
Third person obviously makes sense, but past tense in a practical report, especially the methodology just seems unnecessary.
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Lab reports are usually written in third-person past tense (so no I/We/Us etc)
I don't know why it is used apart from making the report impersonal and objective. Appears to be a standard of sorts, I believe. :)
From my understanding, it's about being impersonal and objective. The more objective it is, the less likely it is to be influenced by bias - from both the writer and the reader. If you absolutely must refer to yourself for the sake of clarity use "the experimenter" (again, to keep that objectivity) but you shouldn't have to do this.
Past tense is the most clear and accurate, because when you're writing this up, it did occur in the past
There's actually some interesting debate about how scientific writing is generally passive "eg. the beaker was washed rather than ____ washed the beaker" because passive tense aids the scientific ideal of being objective /but/ can hinder the goal of having clarity. To be on the safe side, stay passive
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From my understanding, it's about being impersonal and objective. The more objective it is, the less likely it is to be influenced by bias - from both the writer and the reader. If you absolutely must refer to yourself for the sake of clarity use "the experimenter" (again, to keep that objectivity) but you shouldn't have to do this.
Past tense is the most clear and accurate, because when you're writing this up, it did occur in the past
There's actually some interesting debate about how scientific writing is generally passive "eg. the beaker was washed rather than ____ washed the beaker" because passive tense aids the scientific ideal of being objective /but/ can hinder the goal of having clarity. To be on the safe side, stay passive
Interesting..., Writing up the prac report I now realise that past tense is actually pretty useful for the discussion part. Maybe that answers why
Present tense.
What? explain please :)
Mod edit: merged posts :) for future reference, you can put multiple quotes into a single post! :)
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This resource may help address remaining confusion:
https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/adviceforteachers/physics/si_scientific_posters.aspx
(Basically use past tense except for when it wouldn't make sense to)