Course Syllabus
Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. Please complete all items highlighted in yellow.
Title of Course [Measurement of Radioactive Materials]
Prefix and Number [CHEM 265]
Semester and Year [tbd]
Number of Credit Hours [3]
Prerequisites [CHEM 161, and concurrent enrollment in CHEM 101, 105, or instructor permission]
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: [Dr. Zachariah Heiden]
Instructor Contact Information: [Dodgen 250C, (509) 335-0936, zachariah.heiden@wsu.edu]
Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
Chem 265 : Measurement Of Radioactive Materials 3 (2,1) Course Prerequisite: Chem 161, and concurrent enrollment in Chem 101, 105, or instructor permission. Focuses on the handling, characterization, and analysis of radioactive materials. Nuclear theory, nuclear physics, radiation safety, radiation detectors, alpha spectrometry, gamma spectrometry, separation and analysis of radionuclides, and nuclear forensics.
Course Materials
Books: [None required]
Other Materials: [none required]
Fees: [none]
|
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Fill out a hazard assessment analysis | Class Discussions, Laboratory Experiments | Laboratory Reports for Experiments |
| Develop strategies for analyzing radioactive materials and use different characterization techniques | Class Discussions, Laboratory Experiments | Laboratory Reports for Experiments |
| Work safely and independently with radioactive materials |
Class Discussions, Laboratory Experiments |
Laboratory Reports for Experiments, Safety Quiz, Safety Poster |
| Improve formal technical writing skills |
Class Discussions, Laboratory Experiments |
Laboratory Reports for Experiments |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Radiation Physics Radiation Safety |
Lab Experiment #1 |
Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review Radiation Safety Quiz Radiation Safety Poster |
| Week 2 [dates] |
Radionuclide Decay |
Lab Experiment #1
|
Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 3 [dates] |
Radioactivity Counting Statistics |
Lab Experiment #2 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 4 [dates] |
Gas Ionization Detectors | Lab Experiment #3 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 5 [dates] |
Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors | Lab Experiment #4 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 6 [dates] |
Semiconductor Detectors |
Lab Experiment #5 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 7 [dates] |
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring |
Lab Experiment #5 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 8 [dates] |
Liquid Scintillation Analysis | Lab Experiment #6 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 9 [dates] |
Liquid Scintillation Analysis | Lab Experiment #6 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 10 [dates] |
Alpha Spectrometry |
Lab Experiment #7 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 11 [dates] |
Alpha Spectrometry |
Lab Experiment #7 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 12 [dates] |
Gamma Spectrometry | Lab Experiment #9 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 13 [dates] |
Gamma Spectrometry |
Lab Experiment #9 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 14 [dates] |
Separation and Analysis of Radionuclides | Lab Experiment #10 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
| Week 15 [dates] |
Nuclear Forensics | Lab Experiment #11 | Laboratory Report and Lab Report Review |
Expectations for Student Effort
As per WSU academic regulation 27, “Academic credit is a measure of the total minimum time commitment required of a typical student in a specific course. For the WSU semester system one semester credit is assigned for a minimum of 45 hours. Achievement of course goals may require more than the minimum time commitment.” This guideline includes time spent in class.
This guideline essentially states that a student can be reasonably expected to spend two hours outside of class on assignments for every one hour spent in class, or six hours per week outside of class for a three-credit course such as this. This is approximately the amount of time you should expect to spend on studying class notes, preparing laboratory reports, and preparing a safety poster.
Grading [add more lines if necessary]
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Formal Lab Reports | 700 | 70 |
| 10 Lab Report Reviews | 100 | 10 |
| Safety Quiz | 50 | 5 |
| Safety Poster | 100 | 10 |
| Class Participation and Lab Techniques | 50 | 5 |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
100-92 |
C | 76.9 - 72 |
| A- | 91.9 - 90 | C- | 71.9 - 70 |
| B+ | 89.9 - 87 | D+ | 69.9 - 67 |
| B | 86.9 - 82 | D | 66.9 - 62 |
| B- | 81.9 - 80 | F | 61.9 - 0 |
| C+ | 79.9 - 77 |
Grades are rounded to the nearest 0.1%, with 0.05 being round up to the nearest 0.1%
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Attendance is mandatory in this course. Unexcused absences will not be allowed
to be made up. If you plan to be absent from the laboratory because of unforeseen or foreseen circumstances
you must notify the instructors in writing explaining your situation, prior to the event. You must also give a copy
of the letter to the TA. In addition, you need to arrange to make up the missed laboratory.
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:
-Receive no credit for the assignment in question
-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards
-Have the right to appeal my decision
-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.