Homework problems will be assigned at almost all class periods, and will be due on the day of the following class.
The assignments are posted on the appropriate homework webpage, available from the main homepage for the class.
You should note that

• homework will be counted as 25% of your final grade, and
• many exam problems will be similar to HW ones.

There will be three sorts of Homework Assignments this semester:

• computerized questions and problems, done on the Internet, via WebAssign, at this link, due in the early morning (1 AM) after the class;
  please see detailed description and discussion below, and also on the class WebAssign page as well.
• questions and problems turned in on paper, due at the beginning of each class;
• bonus problems, with one assigned every 3-4 weeks, with grades that go "on top of 100%"

• Regular paper problems are graded at 5 points per problem, or sometimes 10 for one with several more parts or level of difficulty. Solutions are available on the web, from the page where the assignment was found.
• Webassign problems begin at 1 point per part of a problem. In order to normalize them with the paper problems, I will do two things. Firstly, when there are several parts to a problem, I will sometimes make fractional grades for some of the parts. How many points I have allocated to any individual part of a question will be displayed directly on your computer screen, if it is different from the default value of 1 point.
  Secondly, the total WebAssign grades will be "normalized" at the end, so that they constitute about 2/3 of the total homework score.
• The grades for Bonus Problems are kept separately. Each one counts as 1 week's total of homework scores. After the grades for all the other problems you have done are added together, that will be declared 100%. At that point the grades for the bonus problems will be added "on top," and then your grade will be calculated. This of course means that you can either use them to make a grade of more than 100%, perhaps to bring up your exam scores, or to bring your actual homework grade somewhat closer to 100% than it would otherwise have been.

All numerical problems turned in should have no more than 4 or 5 significant figures, please!
1. Problems done on paper are to be turned in at the beginning of the following class period, since we may well discuss some of the problems during that class.
   This homework should be put into the large, roll-about box at the front of the room, as soon as you arrive;
   that box has bins labelled alphabetically; please insert your paper into either of the two bins labelled by the first letter of your last name.

   You are encouraged to work in a group on your paper, regular Homework problems. In this case, please make ONLY ONE COPY of the HW with everyone's name on it;
   groups may consist of two to four people.

   It will be graded, by the class Teaching Assistant, and returned to you as soon as possible, usually within 1 week. Solutions for these problems will be placed on the class Web page, almost always on the day they are due.

   The Teaching Assistant for this class is named Hank Anderson.
   All questions concerning HW grades must first be taken up with the TA.
   He has a weekly office hour, and may also be contacted by email, which may be used for specific questions or for arranging meetings. To send such mail, click on his name just below:
       Hank   .

2. The Web-based homework system we are using is called WebAssign; it is based at North Carolina State University. The WebAssign assignments are announced on the class's usual homework-assignment webpage, but may also be seen directly at your own WebAssign assignment page. Each of you will do similar problems, by computer, although the answers for each student will be different since the computer randomizes some of the input numbers for the problems. After you have finished the problems, you click on the button marked Submit and the computer will then determine which parts of each problem are correct, or not, and give you a summary of the grades. When you page through the problems a second time it will have marked those parts that are incorrect with a big red X. The computer will then give you a chance to revise your answers on the ones that are wrong, until you have used up all your "chances." (You are allowed a total of 3 trials.)

   You may then correct them, and re-Submit the problems. You are allowed a total of three such submissions, with the computer counting for your grade only the last one you submit. AFTER the time they are due, the computer will show you the correct answers for the problems.
   WebAssign accepts as correct any response that is within 1% of the exact, correct answer. There is no need to carry numbers to 8 or 9 significant figures. I also note that scientific notation is to be entered using the "E" format, i.e., 4.2 x 10^-3 should be entered as 4.2E-3

   In order to see complete solutions for the problems, go to my webpages for the solutions for that set of problems.
   For each WebAssign problem, the input numbers to the problem, such as the mass of a box, the speed of something, or some temperature, are randomized so that every student receives different input numbers. Therefore, when I create the solutions I use those particular numbers that WebAssign gave me. The method is important, but your final numbers are likely to be different from the ones I determined, since our input numbers were probably different.

   In order to use WebAssign you must have a username (for our class), a password (for our class), and a registration number that proves that you are in fact registered in our class.
   After the first class of the semester I will upload into the system all the members of our class, and you may use the algorithm described on the class WebAssign webpage to determine the username and password that I have assigned you, during that upload process.
   Then, when you first log on, you will notice that the computer asks that you Register. This is done by giving them a number that you have acquired, on an Access Ticket that I have provided you in class.
   Some more comments, including directions for determining your username and password, are at the class WebAssign link.
   Note also that you can obtain a manual by clicking in the right places at the top of the login page.

   I will track the grades and monitor your progress.
   I will also post solutions to the WebAssign problems, that I create, in the same way as the other solutions.

3. The Bonus problems are more interesting, and more difficult, than the regular problems. Grades on them may be used to raise your regular homework grade, as explained above.
   They are found on the regular homework assignment pages. However, they may NOT be done in groups, but must be done individually.

I will hold extra problem and HW sessions at special times during the semester when this seems most appropriate, such as prior to exams, or when requested. These will be announced in class and posted on the main class webpage.

There are other professors who hold office hours in Regener Hall, Room 109. They are there to answer questions that you may have and, thus, if you are unable to come during my office hours, you should feel free to question any of them.

1. homework sets I-X, preparing for Exam 1;
2. homework sets XI-XXI, preparing for Exam 2;
3. homework sets XXII - XXXIII, preparing for the Third Exam;
4. homework sets XXXIV-XXXIX, finishing up the work of the term, and preparing for the Final Exam.