Physics 207 WebPages - Fall 1999

Homework Rules & Suggestions

Homework Rules:

Please observe the following rules when preparing and turning-in your homework assignments:

1. Please write your name on every page that you turn in.
2. Please write only on one side of each page, and turn in the problems in the correct numerical order.
3. Please underline or draw a box around each answer.
4. Please Staple the pages of your homework together before you turn them in.
5. Please turn-in your homework ontime. Late homework will not be graded, unless you have a valid excuse (such as a doctors note indicating you have a illness).

Homework Suggestions:

The following helpful suggestions are aimed at improving your comprehension of the material covered in this course. Use them as you see fit.

1. Really do every homework problem! Mastery of the homework problems is the key to this course (as well as many of the science course you will take during the next few years. Working in a group can be can be a very good way to enhance your learning process, but BEWARE: unless you yourself push a pencil through each and every problem, you will not fully understand the subject matter.
2. Neatness Counts! Consider everything you turn-in as supporting evidence of your comprehension of the subject matter. The neater your homework solutions are laid-out, the more clear your thinking processes appear to be, and the more likely you will receive a superior grade. Of course, there's no substitute for the right answer. However, if I can follow your reasoning (by laying out the problem neatly, drawing a clear diagram, etc...), the more likely I can give you maximal partial credit for getting the physics right.
3. Always draw a diagram. Always draw a diagram or schematic when you are first setting-up and thinking about a new problem. Most physics homework problems are challenging-you shouldn't expect to "see" how to attack the problem instantly. Sometimes it take several minutes (or hours) before you finally "crack" the exercise. This is part of the normal learning process every student must go through in order to really learn the material.
4. Avoid plugging-in numbers into you calculations until the last possible moment. When solving for an unknown, work toward the answer until you arrive at an analytic expression for the desired quantity. then plug in the numbers. [Ex: F=ma -> a=F/m].
5. Working new homework problems in one of the best ways to study for the Exams. Start with some of the "E" problems, then graduate to the more difficult "p" problems at the end of each problems section as your mastery of the material increases.

 

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