Instructor Insights

Instructor Insights pages are part of the OCW Educator initiative, which seeks to enhance the value of OCW for educators.

Course Overview

This page focuses on the course 22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation as it was taught by Professor Michael Short in Fall 2015.

This course is a hands-on approach to ionizing radiation. Radiation is the central aspect that makes nuclear science and engineering (NSE) its own discipline, and sets the foundation for almost all of modern physics. The course begins by retracing the steps of famous radiation experiments and hypotheses. Next, the stage is set for the study of radiation, by showing details of the systems and reactors that use radiation. The remaining portion of the course is dedicated to describing the origins, interactions, uses, detection, and biological/chemical effects of ionizing radiation.

Course Outcomes

Course Goals for Students

  • Develop fluency in basic nuclear physics
  • Learn about seminal radiation experiments and hypotheses
  • Explore systems and reactors that use radiation
  • Describe the origins, interactions, uses, detection, and biological/chemical effects of ionizing radiation
  • Apply knowledge of nuclear physics to evaluate quality of scientific claims

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

This course, which is the first subject in the Nuclear Science and Engineering undergraduate degree sequence, has no prerequisites. It is generally taken in the first semester of sophomore year, after two semesters of freshman calculus and physics.

Requirements Satisfied

GIR

Nuclear Science and Engineering bachelor’s degree requirement.

Offered

Every fall semester

 

Instructor Insights

22.01 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation, more than any other course in the department, is the one that every nuclear scientist and engineer has to know like instinct.

— Michael Short

 

Assessment

Grade Breakdown

The students' grades were based on the following activities:

The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by 10 homework assignments. 40% Homework assignments (10)
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by 3 quizzes. 60% Quizzes (3)

Student Information

18 students took this course when it was taught in Fall 2015.

Breakdown by Year

Mostly sophomores

Breakdown by Major

Mostly Nuclear Science and Engineering majors, with some Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering students.

Typical Student Background

This is often students’ first experience with modern physics.

 

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

Lecture

3 hours per week

Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 25 sessions total.

 

Recitation

2 hours per week
  • Met 1 time per week for 2 hours per session; 12 sessions total.
  • Recitation sessions included explanations of course content and demonstrations.
 

Out of Class

7 hours per week
  • Problem sets or labs
  • Quiz preparation
 

Semester Breakdown

WEEK M T W Th F
1 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
2 Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
3 Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Recitation scheduled
4 Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and explanation scheduled
5 Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
6 No classes throughout MIT. Class session and quiz scheduled Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Recitation scheduled
7 Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
8 Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and explanation scheduled
9 Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
10 Class session and quiz scheduled No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. Recitation scheduled
11 Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Demo and recitation scheduled
12 Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Class session scheduled and problem set due. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
13 Class session scheduled No session scheduled. Class session scheduled and problem set due. No session scheduled. Demo and explanation scheduled
14 Class session scheduled Class session scheduled and problem set due. Class session and quiz scheduled No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT.
15 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
Displays the color and pattern used on the preceding table to indicate dates when classes are not held at MIT. No classes throughout MIT
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when class sessions are held. Class session
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when recitations are held. Recitation
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when problem set is due. Problem set due
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when no class session is scheduled. No class session scheduled
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when demonstrations are held. Demo
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when explanations are held. Explanation
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when quizes are held. Quiz