Scribd
Upload
17 views

problem_set_guidance

Uploaded by

apple
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
17 views

problem_set_guidance

Uploaded by

apple
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Physics 41 Problem Set Guidance

Problem Sets are due on Fridays at 11:59pm and Reflections/Revisions are due Tuesdays at 11:59pm.
Submissions will be made through Gradescope

Writing Your Solutions


The purpose of a physics problem set is not (only) to prove that you solved the problems, but rather for
you to formulate a physical argument and practice communicating it in written form. While the solution
to a physics problem set will generally contain symbols, equations, and numbers, it should not omit
words describing your physical reasoning and the physical meaning of the mathematics.

The structure of your solutions should be to do the solution on 2/3 of the page and leave 1/3 blank for
your reflections & revisions. See below for details on how this should work.

The target audience for your solution should be, roughly, that of your peers in this class; in particular,
you can assume familiarity with the course material, but not expert knowledge. In other words, you have
to explain your reasoning -- not rely on the member of the teaching team who is grading your work to
interpret your equations correctly.

The problem sets will contain a variety of problems. Some will allow you to practice using a new concept
in a relatively straightforward way. Other problems will require you to demonstrate physical reasoning or
demonstrate a derivation. Some will require that you get outside information to solve the problem and
make some assumptions.

In grading the problems, we will be looking for the following:

• Physical reasoning: correct use of relevant physical concepts, physical interpretation of


mathematical statements, making appropriate assumptions based on physical reasoning, and
justifying the plausibility and consistency of answers. We will tie our grading rubric to our class
learning goals.
• Technical skills: correct and skillful application of mathematics to the problem, including signs,
arithmetic, algebra, and computing derivatives and integrals.
• Presentation: a clearly presented logical argument for the solution of the problem. As described
below, you would then have the opportunity to recoup up to half of the points you lost on a
problem, through a reflection & revisioning process, if the problem was seriously attempted on
the first round.

You are welcome to collaborate with other students or to ask the teaching team for help on problems.
However, you must write up your solutions individually. The final product must be in your own words
and should reflect your understanding of the problem. We strongly recommend that you first attempt
each problem on your own before you seek help. Working on problems is an essential part of preparing
for exams, and more importantly, becoming a scientist or engineer!
DO: DON’T:
1. Do describe your reasoning 1. Don’t write a solution with only
equations (i.e. with no words)

2. Do collaborate with your classmates and 2. Don’t write up your final solution as a
ask the teaching team for advice group or copy another’s solution

3. Do attempt all the problems (you can’t 3. Don’t leave a problem blank when you
revise problems that you don’t attempt) can’t solve it: write down what you tried
and why it didn’t work

4. Do feel free to check your calculations 4. Don’t rely on WolframAlpha to solve a


with, for example, WolframAlpha or problem, as you need to practice
Mathematica fundamental mathematical skills

5. Do explore concepts using vetted sources 5. Use generative AI cautiously to help


of information reason through confusion or explore new
concepts (see syllabus for AI policy)

Submitting Your Solutions on Gradescope


Problem Sets for Physics 41 will be submitted through Gradescope, which can be accessed through the
course Canvas page. The application allows TAs to grade your work rapidly online, as well as facilitates
reflections and revisions. Generally speaking, you will be submitting a single PDF of your completed
Problem Set solutions. There are two main ways to do this:

1. Direct export of a PDF from a digital notetaking application (like Goodnotes or Apple Notes)
2. Using a mobile application like CamScanner or the Gradescope Mobile App (search for it on the
Apple App Store, or the Google Play Store) to generate a PDF of your work by taking successive
pictures of each written page of your solutions

Best practices for submitting an assignment

- General guidance with further links for specific questions/concerns

Submitting a PDF for an assignment

- How to submit a PDF via Gradescope, specifically with the web browser interface
- Useful for direct-export PDFs, where you have the file on some network capable device
- These instructions include guidance for tagging problems correctly, which you must do each
time you submit a Problem Set

Using the Gradescope Mobile App for Students

- A collection of instructions on how to use the Gradescope Mobile App


- Includes how to download/login to the application, general use of the application to view
assignments, and, most importantly, submission of assignments through the application
Reflect On and Revise your Solutions
In Physics 41, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your solutions and recoup up to half of the
points you lost on a problem, through a reflection and revisioning process, if the problem was seriously
attempted on the first round.

After the solutions to the problem set are posted (shortly after the submission deadline), you should
carefully review the detailed solutions, reflecting on where you either reached an inaccurate result or
conclusion, or “got the right answer” through an awkward or non-robust method, or through “sketchy”
reasoning. You then have the opportunity to revise your submitted assignment, as follows.

Identify and explain your mistake, and correct or improve your original problem solution using a colored
pen or pencil – i.e., a different color than your original work. If you need substantial additional room you
can insert more pages; however, all of your revisions should be in a different color than your original
work.

The revision must include an explicit statement of what was incorrect or inefficient (and therefore error
prone) about your original approach on the open 1/3 of the page that led to errors or led to your
solution being much more complex than necessary. This reflection is the most important part. Also
comment on any checks you could do to avoid similar mistakes in the future (e.g., checking dimensional
consistency, special or limiting cases, etc.) or mathematical approaches you could use to simplify your
solutions.

Submitting your Reflection & Revision


Submit revisions to the same Gradescope assignment as the regular submission. We will interpret the
last submission before the assignment deadline as your assignment and any submission received after
the assignment deadline and before the “late deadline” as your reflection and revision.

If you are not submitting a reflection & revision for a particular problem, do not upload the original
unannotated solution (i.e., leave the problem as “unassigned” in Gradescope); otherwise it takes time
for the teaching staff to identify that there are no revisions for that problem.

The revision of each problem set is due (uploaded to Gradescope) on Tuesday after the original problem
set deadline by 11:59pm, with adjustments announced in advance by the teaching team to
accommodate other deadlines, etc. Although we will try to grade your problem sets as quickly as
possible, you don’t need your graded problem set to begin working on the reflections and revision, since
the solutions will be posted promptly. If you are not revising any solutions, you do not need to upload
anything to Gradescope.

You might also like