The lectures will present the main ideas of the course and will include topics that deserve emphasis. I tend to derive all of the important equations so that you have a good understanding as to where the results come from and when they might be applicable. I will attempt to show real world examples of where the physics learned in the course is important and will works out many examples in class. Thus, homework assignments are an essential part of learning the course material. I highly recommend that you do all of the problems, but I will not collect them.
Similar problems are likely to appear on exams.
In physics we stress the understanding of basic concepts and creative problem solving using those concepts, not memorization of facts. Hence, in solving problem sets, the student should try to understand the underlying physics rather than treating each problem as a completely new adventure. I guarantee that the more homework you do, the more you will learn. It is only through solving problems that you develop your analytical skills and your physical intuition. As an incentive to keep up with the lectures, you will be given out of class quizzes using the web based tool, Mallard.