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Reports should usually include a narrative text that describes and explains the information presented. Use the results section to explain the purpose of every figure, schemes, equation and table. Published research results never include "orphan" data, that is, information that is not explained or put into context by the written text. This is also a good rule to follow in lab reports.
When referring to a figure, table, or equation, use its number in the text, for example:
A plateau was observed at reduced pressures greater than 0.1, as indicated in Table 1.
It follows that every figure, table and equation needs a number. Figures and tables require a caption that includes the number and a descriptive title:
Figure 1. Mass uptake vs. reduced pressure for Zeolite 5A.
Table 1. Powder Diffraction Data Obtained for Zeolite 5A.
Note that the labels "chart" and "graph" are somewhat antiquated terms, and have been largely replaced by "figure". Equations will normally have a number placed in parentheses at the right margin:
Here are some additional tips for preparing figures and tables: