Homework Guidelines

Failure to follow the homework guidelines may result in lost points.

General guidelines

Homework problems should contain the following sections:

  1. Given
    • Draw (or redraw) the problem
    • Include any additional given information
    • Write down any assumptions
  2. Required
    • Identify the quantity(ies) to be determined
    • If the problem has multiple sections, identify the quantity for each
  3. Solution
    • Draw additional sketches as needed
    • Apply the appropriate principle(s)
    • Underline important intermediate results
    • Box answer; use no more than 4 significant digits; include units

Other requirements

  • Solutions should be neat (there should be no scratched-out work)
  • Solve problems in the order assigned
  • Number all pages in the upper right corner using the format X/Y where X is the current page number and Y is the total number of pages; include other identifying information as well
  • Start each problem on a new page OR draw a double line across the page that clearly distinguishes the end of one problem and the beginning of another

Example homework