An acceptable homework problem solution must meet the following criteria:

1. Each problem must begin on a separate side of a sheet of paper. Each problem should be clearly stated in your own words. Photocopies of the assignment do not meet this requirement.

2. All work must be shown, and the reasoning behind each step must be clearly stated.

3. Numerical answers must have units and an appropriate number of significant figures.

4. Multi-step problems must be solved with good problem strategy. This means showing all steps of the problem, using calculus and algebra appropriately, not performing arithmetic until the last step, indicating unit cancellations, and reporting the final answer appropriately (units and significant figures).The following is not acceptable: excessive arithmetic, using pre-programmed calculator routines (including the solve function), or memorized intermediate steps.

5. Answers to thought questions must be complete explanations consisting of concise paragraphs with complete sentences. They must be well written. This means that the paragraphs should be between 5 and 8 sentences. Each sentence should be well written and foussed.. Merely copying text from a book or internet sites is not acceptable.

Homework assignments will be graded and corrected. The homework grade will be based on the above six criteria and NOT on the correctness of the solution. Homework assignments will be assigned a grade of: Excellent (10 pts.), Good (8 pts.), Marginal (5 pts.), or Unacceptable (0 pts.). In order to receive a grade of excellent, all problems must be completed in accordance with the criteria listed above. Assignments with missing problems will most likely receive a grade of 5 or 0. You should plan on spending between 5 and 6 hours per week completing the homework assignment.

In most cases it will not be possible to "look up" the answer in a book or on a website. You will need to synthesize the material. All material directly quoted must be referenced. Failure to do so will be considered cheating. Using web-sites for information is not encouraged and will likely result in reduced credit. However, failure to reference a web site will be considered cheating.