Nuclear power stations based on fission of uranium Essay

Nuclear power stations based on fission of uranium - Essay Example The process of splitting the nuclei is known as fission reaction which distinguishes nuclear power stations from ordinary power generators. Uranium is a non-renewable resource which means that once all the uranium present inside the earth’s crust is used then it cannot be reproduced. Nuclear fission is basically a chain reaction i.e. once the chemical composition of uranium nuclei starts to break then reaction continues until all the uranium material is used by the reactors (Nuclear Fission, 2013). This chain reaction is built and processed under high supervision because if the reaction goes out of control then it will turn in to a nuclear bomb. Hence the primary responsibility of power stations is to keep the process under control in order to avoid destructive consequences. The overall process of splitting the nuclei and converting them into small parts is also known as radioactive decay. Nuclear power stations play a vital role in production of heat and energy which are bene ficial to generate electricity on comparatively larger scale. However, the overall process of fission reactions has numerous environmental hazards in terms of waste products which are significantly harmful for future human generations. Moreover, protecting the nuclear plant incurs huge costs while still bring a threat of nuclear explosion (Nuclear Fission, 2013). Physical Principles of Power Generation The nuclear fission reaction starts with the mere activity of neutrons. When a neutron is fused with another heavy nucleus i.e. Uranium-235, then the uranium nucleus captures the neutron in order to form a compound nucleus (Physics of Uranium and Nuclear Energy, 2012). That is: When Uranium-235 is kept as a thermal reactor in the nuclear plant then collision with the new neutron increases the overall energy of the reactor. Hence the total energy is equally distributed among 236 neutrons and protons which make the nucleus comparatively unstable. Consequently the heavy nucleus is broken down into smaller nuclei while producing huge amount of energy. Around 85% of the released energy is categorized as kinetic energy which is then converted in to heat. Nuclear Fission Reaction also produces certain by-products including Barium (Ba), Strontium (Sr), Caesium (Cs), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe) etc. Approximately 6% heat is produced due to the formation of these fission by-products (Physics of Uranium and Nuclear Energy, 2012). The following equation explains the formation of Barium during the Nuclear Fission Reaction. With the split of nucleus two or three other neutrons are produced which again fuse with the heavy nucleus of uranium while splitting the nuclei and producing immense energy. Hence in this way the chain reaction is carried in the nuclear reactor. As more and more neutrons are produced more energy is generated and therefore the reaction is restricted to take place under high observation and controlled equipment (Physics of Uranium and Nuclear Energy, 2012). Fo llowing is the Graphic Representation of the Nuclear Reaction Using Uranium Controlling Mechanism of Nuclear Fission Reaction As discussed above that the uncontrollable nuclear fission can turn into a nuclear bomb therefore it is highly significant to make extensive security measures so as to control the activity of neut

Assess the Ontological Argument Essay Example for Free

Assess the Ontological Argument Essay The ontological argument was first formulated by St. Anselm in the 11th century. It argues the existence of God from a deductive and a priori stance. God is a being than which none greater can be conceived. This is the response given by St Anselm to the fool in the psalm who believed there was no God. St Anselm the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the Benedictine Order explained that for God to exist in the mind he would not be the greatest being. However were God to exist in the mind and reality this would make a being ‘than which none greater can be conceived’, this means God must exist. This demonstration for the existence of God was immediately criticised by his contemporary Gaunilon. He argued that Anselm’s argument could easily be used to prove the existence of many different beings or even places. In Gaunilon’s ‘response on the behalf of the fool’, he argued that he could conceive of a perfect island ‘blessed with all manners of delight’, yet it did not mean it must exist. However, Anselm responded to this claim arguing that a perfect island contains contingency; it is dependent, whereas God possesses aseity, is self-sufficient. This means that God’s existence is therefore, necessary, independent. Descartes famously wrote his version of the ontological argument in the ‘Meditations’ in which he argued that God is an infinite being, perfect. For God to remain perfect he must then retain existence. He used the illustration of a triangle with three angles which all add up to 180 degrees. This quality of the triangle allows the triangle to be perfect and to be defined as a triangle. If the angles were taken away from the triangle it would no longer be a triangle. This is similar as to God; he could not be God if he did not exist. This proves according to Descartes that God’s existence is necessary. But, it can be argued that the ontological argument is using an analytic format to define God as existing. Immanuel Kant refutes this as he believes that existence as a predicate or property cannot define God. For instance, the analytic statement ‘a spinster is an unmarried woman’ is tautological and true by definition. But if you were to add the predicate existence it would have no direct effect on the statement, this means that existence cannot be a property of God. David Hume also went on to support this idea, as we cannot prove that existence is even a positive attribute, we know that ‘evil’ exists yet could this ‘existence’ be the same as the ‘existence’ of God? They would argue that the ontological argument failed to understand and make existence a meaning of God. However, there have been responses by other philosophers such as Frege who argues that existence is actually a first level predicate which is able to explain the second level predicate. For instance, the ‘greenness of the apple’ is known through our senses but by adding ‘the greenness exists’ we are able to understand that such a predicate exists in reality. This means that ‘God exists’ allows us to understand that such a being as powerful as God does exist in reality as well as the mind. However from an empirical view, Thomas Aquinas would argue that the flaw in the ontological arguments attempt to demonstrate God’s existence stems from the fact that Anselm wanted to argue that God’s existence can be proven from ‘de dicto’ instead of what is ‘real’, and this caused the argument to be weak. On the other hand, some will still argue that St Anselm and the ontological argument is still strong in the second half, ‘God is a necessary being’. This is due to the fact that only God’s existence can be either necessary or impossible and because it is possible, God is proven to exist. To evaluate the whole ontological arguments’ attempt to prove and demonstrate God’s existence, it is clear due to the deductive stance, it shouldn’t be argued as the conclusion drawn must be ‘God is a necessary being’, ‘God is a being than which none greater can be conceived’. But as soon as you understand that definition you will find that it could be used to prove the existence of many things and beings. The ontological argument proves the idea that if God exists he is going to be a necessary being, but it does not prove that he actually does exist. Therefore as Richard Dawkins would describe it ‘infinite, playground argument’ and does not demonstrate God’s existence.

The Late Bronze Age :: essays research papers

Trade and Phoenician Development in the Late Bronze Age   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little is known about the Phoenician way of life other than the fact that they were a society founded on trade with other, larger nations. These people made use of their natural resources to establish trade with such nations as Egypt and Assyria. The geographical locations of the Phoenician city-states were also advantageous to their role as a trading state. Located on the east coast of the Mediterranean, where Israel lies today, the Phoenicians were able to trade with virtually all of the Mediterranean nations. Little else is known about their actual culture, other than what is written about them in other nation’s texts. In a text from the seventh century, the rules of trade are established, and appear to have been independent of any local rulers, traders acted on their own accord. Phoenicia became one of the greatest trading states in all of history, due to the fact that they possessed a large amount of valuable materials, a good location for trade, and a n unsurpassed knowledge of the sea. It is through these advantages that Phoenicia was able to become such an influential state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phoenicia was located in what is now present-day Israel, a very valuable plot of land even today. This was an undeniable resource for the Phoenicians, and without it there success as a trading nation would have been severely deterred. Being located on the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians had equal access to both Egypt and Assyria, the two most influential nations in the region. In the text, it is clearly stated that should a trader be stranded in another nation they should be returned to their home, but their ‘booty’ is free for the taking (Kuhrt, 407). This fact made trade easier, due to the idea that fear of capture was greatly reduced by the trade rules. Clearly, if Phoenicia had not been located where it was, their influence on trade would have been dramatically decreased. By making use of their location the Phoenicians capitalized on trade, and their wealth of resources contributed greatly to their role.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phoenicia was rich in natural resources such as timber and metal. â€Å"Because of the demands made on them . . . the coastal cities appear to have concentrated their energy and resources on the production of luxury commodities such as ivory inlaid furniture for royal consumption† (Kuhrt, 407). This fact produced a wealth of skilled craftsmen, who are still famous today for their creations.

Last poem Essay

Dogen was greatly surprised by the fact that making a strong accent on the study of koan Chinese masters did not teach their disciples Buddhist sutras, which made the core study in Buddhist monasteries in Japan (Tanahashi, 5). Dogen’s discontent with the style of teaching became even a reason of his refusal to take Dharma transmission from one of the masters. In 1225 Dogen decided to leave Rinzai school of Chan Buddhism and started his journey in order to visit Ru-jing, whose style of Zen teaching differed from ones which disenchanted Dogen. Ru-jing was the thirteenth patriarch of Soto lineage of Zen Buddhism. During that time he lived at Tiantong Mountain in Nongbo. Soto school, presented by Ru-jing made an accent on sitting meditation, or zazen. In general it used much softer methods than Rinzai School did. Studying Zen with Ru-jing Dogen has finally reached enlightenment of mind and body. The legends state that he finally reached liberation after hearing the Master’s words: â€Å"Cast of body and mind† (Tanahashi). These words became especially meaningful for Dogen and he later used them in many his writings. As he states in one of his works: †To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe. To be enlightened by all things of the universe is to cast off the body and mind of the self as well as those of others. Even the traces of enlightenment are wiped out, and life with traceless enlightenment goes on forever and ever† (Kim, 195). In 1227 Dogen received Dharma transmission from Ru-jing and finally admitted that he has reached the answer for the question of all his life. Dogen was greatly influenced by his teacher Ru-jing. All Dogen’s religious philosophy is marked by two major tendencies. The first peculiarity of all Dogen’s teaching is his attachment to Buddhism tradition and second one is a strong accent on individual search. These tendencies can be traced not only in Dogens’s books but also in his lifestyle. Dogen did not reject traditional Buddhism. He only wanted people to give critical evaluation of its doctrines and principles. Dogen criticized competition among different schools of Zen because they were tiring Buddhism to pieces. He proclaimed identity of faith and believed it could have been found in Soto Zen. He did not even want to apply the name Zen for his sect and did his best to follow his teacher’s lifestyle living without attachment to anything. In 1228, after reaching enlightenment, Dogen returned to Japan. He came back to ti Kennin-ji, a monastery where he spent several years learning from Eisai and his successors. After coming back he wrote a detailed description of sitting mediation called Zazen. The manual was called Fukan Zazengi, which can be translated as â€Å"Universally Recommended Instruction for Zazen. † His teaching appealed to many people and he gathered a lot of adherents around himself. After some time he had to leave Kennin-ji because of tension, which arouse inside the Tendai community. This tensions with caused by the desire of Buddhist leaders to suppress new forms of Buddhism, including Zen. Dogen left Kinnin-ji temple in 1230 and moved to empty temple situated to the south from Kyoto in the place called Uji (Tanahashi , 40). Dogen founded small temple in this place and soon this temple grew into Kosho-Hirniji Temple. The tension between Dogen and Tangai community did not stop, though. That is one of the reasons Dogen gladly accepted Hatano Yoshishige’s proposition to relocate to Echizen province, located far from Kyoto. After relocation Dogen’s disciples built a new center for Zen practice and called it Daibutsuji Temple. Dogen later renamed this center to Eihei-ji. This temple remains one of the most popular Zen temples in modern Japan. Dogen spent all his further life living and teaching in this temple. Shogun regent Hojo Tokiyori invited Dogen to come and teach him Zen in 1247. Dogen accepted this invitation and made a long journey to Kamakura in order to meet Shogun and retuned to Eihei-ji the next year. In 1252 Dogen became seriously ill and after realizing that he was not going to recover he gave his robes to his favorite disciple Koun Ejo. This way Koun Ejo became Abbot of Eihei-ji. After appointing Koun Ejo an abbot Dogen left for Kyoto looking for remedies from his illness. The remedy was not found and Dogen died in 1953. Soon before death he wrote his last poem.

Ancient Art

Panel of Lions- Chauvet Caves Queen Nefertari Art history is a record of how people in the past lived, felt, and acted; it allows us a glimpse of a long ago deceased culture. To look at Ancient Greek art is to realize the importance and accomplishments of human beings. Though the Greeks used art to honor the Gods, it was those same Gods that were created in human image. Even their sculpture, pottery, and temples, were created under the fundamental principle of ar ©te, meaning to reach one's fullest potential. Without Rome's influence, we would not have concrete or the Pantheon, which is still in use today.While more secular and utilitarian in form, the Romans developed the use of the arch, the vault, and the dome, leading for a much grander form of architecture. From the Greeks example, the Romans developed mosaic decorations, which became a very important aspect of patrician domestic decoration. The Paleolithic Period is referred to as the Stone Age, mainly because stone artifacts are the only artifacts that have survived. In Paleolithic paintings, the images of humans rarely appear and when they do they are more simplified and abstract than the images of animals, which portray an expressive naturalism.Discovered by three cave explorers in 1994, the Chauvet Caves, located in the Ardeche region of Southern France date back to around 30,000 BC. The most famous cave findings in the world, this Pont d' Arc find holds the oldest known paintings. Painted in charcoal and earthen pigments, lifelike images of horses, rhinoceroses, tigers, and other animals that long ago became extinct show us what life was like for our ancestors. It has long been the belief of scholars that the purpose behind this naturalistic art was to bring the spirit of the animals into the rituals of the hunt.It is believed that he Chauvet Caves were used as a sanctuary where the Paleolithic people initiated their youth in ceremonies. This theory is based on both symbolic and metaphysical associ ations with the animals portrayed in these ancient cave paintings. The Chauvet Cave features a coveted scene of a pride of lions hunting together for bison; as this was a permanent place of inhabitation for man, this art represents a level of development for mankind. Chauvet Caves is divided into two parts. While the first part is mainly red images with some black imagery, the second part is mainly black images of animals.Along with the pride of lions is a painting of three horses More than 60% of the animals identified at Chauvet-Pont-d'-Arc were considered dangerous mammoth animals. These animals represent the animals that primitive man hunted at the time. It is surprising the amount of shading and perspective that went into the creation of these cave creations. These refinements contrast greatly with the images we are used to seeing. Egypt, known for such mesmerizing works as The Great Pyramids, had deserts on both sides of the Nile.Because of this, Egypt remained relatively unsc athed from utside influence for 2,500 years, leading to their own distinctive style of architecture, painting, and sculpture. While their religious belief focused largely on life after death, care and preservation of the body was essential for extending life beyond the grave. â€Å"Upon death, bodies of royalty and nobility were embalmed; together with accompanying artifacts, tools, and furniture, they were then buried in pyramids or in hidden underground tombs. Architects put great effort into funerary structures. As a result, most of what we know about ancient Egypt comes from such tombs†.Frank, 2010). Nefertari's tomb is considered to be one of the best preserved, most eloquent paintings of any Egyptian burial site. Discovered in 1904 by archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli, he spent two years excavating both this site and other sites around the Valley of the Queens with limited success. Humanity and humidity, mixed with landslides and salt deposits, had left the tomb in dep lorable condition. In 1986, the Ministry of Culture and the Egyptian Antiquities Organization in Cooperation with Getty Conservation Institute were determined to complete restore Queen Nefertari's tomb.Queen Nefertari was believed to be King Ramesses II's favorite wife, and as such, he commissioned a beautifully painted tomb in a small rock-cut temple for her to be placed next to his own. It was located in the Valley of the Queens, which is located in Thebes. Reigning during the 19th Egyptian Dynasty, the queen's tomb consisted of several rooms and hallways with paintings of Queen Nefertari in various positions doing many different things. At the entrance is a depiction of a sun between Isis and Nephythys, which leads into an offering hall, with several paintings that show the Queen in worship and offering items to different Gods.

Does the focal length of a lens depend on the colour of light used Essays

Does the focal length of a lens depend on the colour of light used Essays Does the focal length of a lens depend on the colour of light used Essay Does the focal length of a lens depend on the colour of light used Essay I intend on using light with as much difference in wavelength as possible so that I can compare my results with more ease and so that errors in my experiment do not lead to overlapping results that have no distinct difference in them. However as I am restricted to a school laboratory I shall be using light on the part of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye. This is because filters for red and blue light can be found and used easily and have a large enough wavelength difference (red light with a wavelength of around 700nm whilst blue light is nearly 400nm) as they are on opposite parts of the visible spectrum to each other. Before I started the experiment I was given the lens I was going to use in the experiment so that I could work out the rough focal length of the lens. This meant that I could work out the distances I will I was going very useful because the equation I was going to use was 1/U + 1/V = 1/F My hypothesis is that light with shorter wavelengths will ha ve shorter focal points. Throughout my coursework U will stand for and V will stand for.Apparatus1) Ray box (12V)2) Power supply (able to supply12V)3) Object slide4) Lens of unknown focal length5) Lens holder6) Screen7) Screen holder8) Meter rule9) 30cm ruler10) Light blocking slides x 3Working out appropriate Object distancesOn my graph I want at least 8 points to make sure that the line made is as accurate as possible. And I worked out the rough focal length by using my lens by producing an image of the trees outside the classroom on the wall, and found this to be around 19cm. So I choose points on the graph I am going to do separated out as far as possible by first finding the reciprocal of 0.2 (the previous measurement in meters) to be 5 then working out the reciprocals for the points that have a 0.5 difference from this.I used three decimal places in the object distance because my meter rule can measure to the closest one millimetre not 5 millimetres.Graph value (1/U)Object di stance (meters)50.2004.50.22240.2503.50.28630.3332.50.40020.5001.50.66611.000Method/ clear plan1) Collect the apparatus listed earlier2) Set up the diagram up as shown.3) Insert the red filter into the ray box4) For each different object distance move the screen until the image is in focus.5) Repeat this twice for each object distance listed earlier then carry out the same procedure using the blue filterData treatmentOnce I have the results for the object and image distances the first thing I will do is find the average image distance for each object distance in both of the filters. Once I have done this I will find the reciprocal values of the image and object distances for both of the filters.I will be using the equation1/U + 1/V = 1/FI have worked out that this can be rearranged into the equation for a straight line (y=mx +c) with a gradient of minus one and a constant of 1/f1/U = -1(1/V) + 1/FUsing this equation I can plot the respective reciprocal values of the object and image distances onto a graph showing 1/U against 1/V. This straight line can be extended so that the point where the line intercepts the y axis is found. And at this point the x value is zero meaning 1/U=1/F so the intercept of the y axis finds the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. I will plot the graph for both the blue and red filters and compare their focal lengths. The graph will look like the one below1/U1/VThen using sound physics I shall explain the graphs and draw a conclusion from them.Due attention and consideration to accuracy and sensitivityWhen setting up my apparatus I will make sure that everything is exactly in line. This means my screen, lens, image and light source will all have to be as close to parallel to each other as possible. If they are not in line then my image and object distances will not be accurate because the light hasnt travelled in a direct straight line from the light source through the image and lens onto the screen, and my meter rule or tape measurer will be measuring these distances as if they were straight. If they are all in line then the image should be projected onto the screen without having to move the screen (I may have to put the ray box or screen on top of a book to ensure this).I have worked out appropriate object distances so that when I am plotting my graph the points are evenly spaced. This means that I will be able to see the correlation of the points on my graph more easily.I will also keep everything as constant as possible by; using the same ray box, using the same voltage to the ray box, using the same screen, keeping the screen tilted perfectly in line with the other apparatus all the time, and obtaining all of my results in the same level of light. The only variable will be object distances and the type o filter.I will be doing repeats so that my results become more reliable, and therefore ensure a more accurate conclusion and a higher likelihood of success in completing my aim.I will be using a met er rule which can measure distances to the closest millimetre. The meter rule is the most accurate measuring device I could get for measuring distances ranging from 200cm-20cm. This will keep the errors in my experiment low allowing a more reliable conclusionSafetyI will be carrying out the experiment in the dark so I will be careful not to walk into other people and objects because this could lead to an injury.The ray box will be on for a long period of time and may get very hot so I will let it cool down before touching it (to put it away) so that I do not hurt my hand. I will also make other people aware of this so that they dont burn their hands.Results tablesred filterU (cm)V (cm)V (1st repeat)(cm)V (2nd repeat) (cm)average V (cm)minimummaximumminimummaximumminimummaximum20.0220.2247.0225.6255.3222.7245.0236.022.0154.7163.0150.2165.0152.6165.2158.525.078.581.580.588.879.288.982.928.562.064.060.063.061.363.562.333.348.149.546.048.347.048.347.940.039.540.038.739.438.640.039.450.0 33.033.432.733.032.933.333.166.728.529.028.628.928.628.928.8100.025.125.225.125.025.125.125.1blue filterU (cm)V (cm)V (1st repeat) (cm)V (2nd repeat) (cm)average V (cm)minimummaximumminimummaximumminimummaximum20.0210.0235.0212.0230.0215.4230.0222.122.0140.0162.0145.0165.0144.0161.0152.825.075.584.378.582.079.783.080.528.560.362.059.162.259.562.560.933.347.548.245.747.647.048.147.440.039.238.738.339.138.038.738.750.033.033.432.332.633.032.632.866.728.528.728.228.728.428.828.6100.025.425.525.024.725.225.425.2red lightreciprocal of U (1/m)reciprocal of average V (1/m)1.03.9841.53.4722.03.0212.52.5383.02.0873.51.6054.01.2064.50.6185.00.423blue lightreciprocal of U (1/m)reciprocal of average V (1/m)1.03.9781.53.4972.03.0492.52.5843.02.1103.51.6424.01.2424.50.6545.00.450There are no anomalies in my resultsAnalysing the graphThe lines on my graphs both have gradients of around -1 and are parallel to each other. This shows that the only variable could have been the colour of the light. The gradient was minus one because of the equation of the straight line I was using (1/U = -1(1/V) +1/F) had a theoretical gradient of minus one.The graph shows that the blue light has a shorter focal length because the blue line is above the red line meaning the reciprocal value of the focal length is greater. Using the graph I worked out that the blue light focal length was 0.187 meters and the red light focal length that was 0.192 meters (I did this by finding the y axis intercept). This is because the blue light has a shorter wavelength compared to the red light and travels at the same speed as the red light so the blue light must have a greater frequency. Because the blue light has a greater frequency it travels a greater distance inside the lens and this means the lens to bends the light more because the blue light is affected by the different density of the glass more than the red light.Conclusion stated and related to resultsThe focal point of a lens changes as the colour of li ght changes. This is shown in my results because the blue light (which has a longer wavelength than the red light) always had a smaller average focal point for each respective object distance compared to the red light. For example when U was 22cm the average focal point for blue light was 152.8cm and for red light the focal point was 158.5cm. In conclusion the colours of light with smaller wavelengths like blue light bend more than light with longer wavelengths like red lightQuantitative and qualitative discussion of limitations, errors and conclusionIn the experiment there were many errors that could eventually be magnified making inaccurate results. These were the range of the focal point because I could not find the specific focal point with my eye, measuring the meter rule or tape measurer, estimating where the lens was because the lens holder obscured the vision of the meter rule. These percentage errors can be worked out using the equation percentage error = (error x 100)/read ing. To find out the largest amount these could have affected my results I will find the percentage error for the longest length measured, which was when I was measuring using the object distance of 20cm with a red filter. The also for a blue filter and compare to find any overlapRed filter for U 20cmApparatus nameerror in apparatuslargest reading (cm)largest percentage error (%)meter rule (mm) for U0.52000.25tape measure (mm) (for V)0.523600.02focal range (mm)263236.011.14Blue filter for U 20cmApparatus nameerror in apparatuslargest reading (cm)largest percentage error (%)meter rule (mm) for U0.52000.25tape measure (mm) (for V)0.522210.02focal range (mm)240235010.21CalculationsFor red light0.25 + 0.02 + 11.14 = 11.41Using 1/U + 1/V = 1/V the focal length is 0.192 metersLargest possible focal length = 0.192 x 1.1141 = 0.214(m)Smallest possible focal length = 0.192 x 0.8859 = 0.170(m)For blue light0.25 + 0.02 + 10.21 = 10.48Using 1/U + 1/V = 1/V the focal length is 0.183 metersLarges t possible focal length = 0.183 x 1.1048 = 0.202(m)Smallest possible focal length = 0.183 x 0.8952 = 0.164(m)From these values I can see that the focal lengths of the red and blue light do overlap, in that the blue lights highest focal length (0.202(m)) is greater than reds smallest (0.170(m)). After seeing the extent at which they overlap I would say that my errors are so big because of the limitations that my results have limited reliability and therefore my conclusion has limited reliability. However the trends and patterns were still present. These percentage errors were chosen because they are the largest possible error in my experiment. In conclusion I have the experiment was successful because the aim was achieved. The focal length of a lens is inversely proportional to the frequency of the light travelling through the lens.I think that I did enough repeats to make my results reliable enough for it to make my conclusion more accurate. I also found no anomalies in my results t hat could affect the way in which the results manifest themselves on a graph this would make my conclusion harder to make and less reliable. However in the experiment I choose the two most extreme wavelengths in the visible light spectrum. I can only presume that the rest of the wavelengths in between behave the same way. This limits the reliability of my conclusion.My aim was achieved but the conclusion is not very reliable.ModificationsTo make my results more accurate I could use auto focus technology that can be found in some projectors and cameras rather than the human eye (which has questionable reliability) to determine the focal point. This will ensure that I have the smallest possible error in the perception of the best (most in focus) image distance. And in my experiment I found the percentage error in the determining of the focal point to be over 10%. Without this error my conclusion would still have been the same. I could also use a see through lens holder because it was hard to determine the object distance using the lens holder provided, and because I was using reciprocal values a small difference is magnified when dealing with small object distances. I would also measure more distances to increase the reliability. I would also use different lenses so that I could compare that affect to gain a more reliable conclusion. And I would also a transparent lens holder designed to slide over a meter rule to increase he accuracy of my results.

Stamp Act essays

Stamp Act essays In the spring of 1765, Parliament enacted another tax on Americans, the Stamp Act. This legislation required all valid legal documents, as well as newspapers, playing cards, and various other papers, to bear a government issued stamp, for which there was a charge. The Sugar Act, though intended to raise revenue, appeared to fall within Britains accepted authority to regulate commerce; Stamp Act, by contrast, was the first internal tax (as opposed to an external trade duty) that Parliament had imposed on the colonies. Grenville, a lawyer, realized that it raised a constitutional issue: Did Parliament have the right to impose direct taxes on Americans when Americans had no elected representatives in Parliament? Following the principle of virtual representation that members of Parliament served the interests of the nation as a whole, not just the locality from which they came Grenville maintained that it did. Americans he would faid, vigorously disagreed, and so did some members of P arliament. One, Colonel Isaac Barre, who had served in the colonies, opposed the Stamp Act and referred to Americans as Sons of Liberty a label Americans would soon adopt for themselves. Unlike the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act had an equal impact throughout the colonies, and the response to it was swift and vociferous. Newspapers and pamphlets were filled with denunciations of the supposedly unconstitutional measure, and in taverns everywhere outraged patrons roundly condemned it. The minds of the freeholders, wrote one observer, were inflamed...by many a hearty damn of the Stamp Act over bottles, bowls, and glasses. Parliament, Americans were convinced, did nor represent them. Its members did not share their economic interests and would not pay the taxes that they imposed on Americans. Parliament therefore could not legitimate tax Americans. The colonial legislatures were also quick to ...

36 Poetry Terms

36 Poetry Terms 36 Poetry Terms 36 Poetry Terms By Simon Kewin Poetry is an area of writing that has a language all of its own, as contributors to the recent poetry competition will be aware. The following are some of the terms specific to the writing of poetry : alliteration A repeated sound, usually applied only to consonants. anapest A metrical foot : two short/unstressed syllables followed by one long/stressed syllable (dee-dee-DUM – e.g. â€Å"energize†). assonance A repeated vowel sound. ballad A narrative poem in short stanzas, especially one that tells a popular story. blank verse Verse that doesn’t rhyme (often iambic pentameter). caesura A pause in the middle of a line, often indicated by punctuation clerihew A witty, biographical poem of four lines (two rhyming couplets). couplet A pair of successive lines of verse, especially when riming together and of the same length. dactyl A metrical foot : one long/stressed syllable followed by two short/unstressed syllables (DUM-dee-dee – e.g. â€Å"poetry†). doggerel A word applied to verse of irregular rhythm, trivial content and inappropriate diction. Much comic verse is deliberately written as doggerel. elegy A poem mourning the dead. elision Deliberate omission of unstressed syllables, typically in order to maintain a rhythm – e.g. â€Å"o’er† for â€Å"over†. enjambment the lack of a pause between two lines of a poem foot The unit of poetic rhythm; a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. free verse Verse that follows no particular form, metre or rhyme scheme. haiku Seventeen syllable poems, generally split into three lines of five, seven and five syllables, often with a theme related to nature. half rhyme A rhyme where two words have similar consonant sounds but different vowel sounds – e.g. â€Å"hell† and â€Å"hill†. Also called a slant rhyme or an imperfect rhyme. heroic couplet A rhyming pair of iambic pentameter lines. hexameter A poem in which the lines have six metrical feet. (And so forth : dimeter = 2 feet, trimeter = 3 feet, tetrameter = 4 feet, heptameter = 7 feet etc.) iamb A metrical foot : a short/unstressed syllable followed by a long/stressed syllable (dee-DUM – e.g. â€Å"today†). internal rhyme A rhyme within the words of a line. metre The rhythm of poetry; the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables ode A dignified, lyric poem expressing praise or some other elevated notion. pastoral Poetry dealing with rural life. pentameter A line that has five metrical feet. quatrain A four line stanza. (And so forth : quintain, sestet, septain etc.) rhyme A repeated sound, usually at line endings. rhyme scheme The pattern of rhyming line-endings in a poem – e.g. â€Å"abab† means each stanza has four lines, with lines one and three rhyming with each other (rhyme â€Å"a†) and also lines two and four rhyming with each other (rhyme â€Å"b†) sonnet A 14 line poem, of which there are various forms (Shakespearean, Spenserian etc.) spondee A metrical foot : two long/stressed syllables (DUM-DUM – e.g. â€Å"heartbreak†). stanza A a group of metrical lines or verses, usually no fewer than four, arranged in a certain pattern. A stanza is often called a â€Å"verse†. strong ending A stressed syllable at the end of a line. tercet A set or group of three lines bound by rhyme. trochee A metrical foot : a long/stressed syllable followed by a short/unstressed syllable (DUM-dee – e.g. â€Å"poem†). weak ending Ending a line on an unstressed syllable. wrenched rhyme A rhyming word whose pronunciation is altered in order to force it into a rhyme scheme This is far from a complete list : an exhaustive glossary would fill many pages. But it does contain some of the main terms used by poets to discuss their work. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)List of Greek Words in the English LanguageWoof or Weft?

Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enterprise - Essay Example The success results from competitive advantage resulting from Enterprise 2.0 usage. The marketplace imperative to access the right information and people at the exact time has resulted in an enhanced interest in building a next-generation enterprise place of work setting where users carry out daily trade activities. Such a workplace necessitates for Enterprise 2.0 technologies and usage pattern to transition the workplace to an internet powered, which is user centered, as well as community centered. Web technologies have sites that form collective fabric tying people, processes and systems together. As such, Enterprise 2.0 technology can be used both as a resource and as a capability by an organization to give rise to competitive advantage (Taprial & Kanwar, 2012). Organizations can use social media platform to their advantage through what is referred to as the resource based view of the firm (RBVF). The resource-based view of the firm holds that firms possess resources that enable t hem achieve a competitive merit. In turn, the attained competitive merit results in excellent long term performance. Resources that are precious and rare may result in the creation of competitive merit, which can be continued for longer times periods if the business will be able to safeguard against resource imitation. Firms may use web 2.0 resources to make their resources and capabilities valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and non substitutable (Westner, 2009). Web technologies will be valuable if they help a firm to put in place strategies than enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Priceless organizational resources owned by many rival firms cannot be sources of a competitive merit. Therefore, a firm should adopt web technology in an agile manner to ensure that its capabilities and resources will be rare, eventually resulting in a sustainable competitive advantage. In addition, the resources and capabilities should not be imitable and substitutable. Modern businesses face a wor ld of changing technologies, increased global competition and dealing with enlightened customers. Customers precisely know what they want, and use the web to look for every detail of their product of choice. This calls for businesses to use the fresh wave of enterprise 2.0 technology to act swiftly to optimize reaction to market opportunities to gain a competitive edge (Qualman, 2012). Web technologies in social media can be utilized as a resource for increased interaction between a corporation’s different stakeholders. The use of web 2.0 technologies can be used as a resource for driving revenue. Companies are looking for ways to enhance their efficacy in their innovation programs in a bid to gain essential competitive differentiation. This has come about as a result of a worldwide marketplace pattern of increasing rivalry and adding new competitive elements and means of conducting business online. It is worth noting that contemporary businesses will not succeed only by cutt ing costs and doing usual business activities day in day out. For instance, South West Airlines use social media to give information of flights, and notify customers on any flight changes. South West Airlines uses social sites like Facebook to build relations with the public, and this presents a potential to gain new

Public relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public relations - Essay Example â€Å"Corporate reputation, a key (albeit implicit) responsibility of business continuity managers for years, has become a topical and vital asset and risk for companies to manage.† (Binneman, 2006). Earning good reputation as a successful company in construction industry requires a lot of input from the owners. In the dynamic environment of the modern world, a company needs to be good at things more than just the end products, in order to satisfy the critiques and gain room and value in the business world. Modern age is an age of technology. Everybody is interconnected. Communication is frequent, meaningful and effective. In such an environment, it has become very essential for the companies in the market to earn a good reputation to progress in the market. Companies need to take care of professional ethics in their style of dealing and relationships with other companies, people and the society. â€Å"The adoption of a code of conduct is a fundamental step in the attempt to improve the ethical culture in todays business world†. (Rotta, 2007). They need to work in a way that would conform to the standards and requirements of the corporate social responsibility. The need of reputation management is increasing. To explain these concepts, it would be very appropriate to achieve this with the help of a practical situation. Therefore, a construction company named Bridgestone Construction Company is referred to in this case study. This construction firm is serving as a contractor on one of the mega projects in Pakistan. Name of the project is Canyon Views. It is a house-development project. The client of the project is EMAAR, and Kasif Aslam Associates (KAA) is serving as the consultant on the project. Project manager firm selected by EMAAR for the project is Turner Inc. all of the information has been collected from my friend who has served in the Bridgestone Construction Company as a Site Engineer for three months as a part of his internship. The project is

Understanding carbohydrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Understanding carbohydrates - Essay Example Carbohydrates are a major source of energy needed for accomplishing everyday physical activities and bodily functions. According to the Canadian Sugar Institute (1997), carbohydrates make up for 40 to 80 percent of the total food energy intake among humans worldwide. As the name implies, carbohydrates are carbon hydrates, that is, they are formed from the union of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are commonly taken from cereals, root crops, sugar crops, pulses, vegetables, fruit and milk products (Canadian Sugar Institute, 1997).Some sources of carbohydrates have undergone processing and therefore have different effects on the body as compared to those carbohydrates that did not go through refinements or processes. Because of this, it becomes essential to properly select the carbohydrate-rich foods that would be included in the everyday diet.Carbohydrates, also referred to as saccharides, are basically divided into simple and complex types. The simple carbohydrates are monosaccharid es, or the simple sugars such as glucose, which are composed of single chain molecules of sugar. Complex carbohydrates are made up of di- or polysaccharides, which means that several monosaccharides make up the molecular structure. Simple and complex carbohydrates can be distinguished by taste. Simple carbohydrates are sweet, while the complex types, such as potatoes, are not (Kennedy, 2006).There are other ways of classifying carbohydrates. For example, the Canadian Sugar Institute (1997) classified them into three: sugars, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Carbohydrates supply energy to the body once it is turned into glucose. When food rich in carbohydrates are ingested, they are broken down into a simple form of sugar, glucose, which is then absorbed by the red blood cells for energy (Kennedy, 1997). It is also the preferred source of energy by the brain, the nervous system, placenta and fetus (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2005, p. 1). When carbohydrates are converted into simple sugar, not all of the sugar is used for energy, and some are stored as glycogen. For athletes or individuals wishing to complete high intensity workout lasting for 90 minutes or more, carbo-loading is essential in order to store more glycogen and thereby enhance stamina and performance (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2004). This, however, is not recommended for people who are only engaging in normal everyday activities. Carbohydrates are also essential vehicles for micronutrients and phytochemicals, and they are also important in maintaining glycemic homeostatis and for gastro-intestinal function (Canadian Sugar Institute, 1997). They are most beneficial if they are taken from nutrient-rich sources such as fruits and vegetables. Scientists and medical professionals usually differentiate one carbohydrate from another using the glycemic index. This index is based on the comparative increases in the level of blood glucose (sugar) as the carbohydrate-rich food is ingested (Iowa State University Extension, 2003). Foods with a low glycemic index are digested slowly resulting in a gradual increase in blood sugar. These foods would include high-fiber fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, and legumes. Foods with high glycemic index are easily digested causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. These usually include processed food such as white bread, refined cereal products and candy bars because processing removes the fiber content, which slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into blood sugar. The glycemic index is often used to help balance blood sugar levels in people suffering from diabetes. However, some dieticians are not satisfied with the use of this index, as it does not address other factors relating to excess intake of sweeteners such as fructose, which registers with a low glycemic index (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson & Segal-Isaacson, 2004, p.

International Law Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

International Law - Article Example Development with its unfathomable vaults and bounds has always been oriented towards the amalgamation of men and women in the pursuit of common accepted objectives. Law is simply an aspect that binds the members of the community jointly in their observance to approved standards and customaries. Law is tolerant or laissez faire in that it allows persons to establish their own legal relations with rights and duties, as in the creation of contracts, and compels as it castigates those who would want to contravene its directives. Law comprises of a sequence of rules modifiable performance, and shimmering, to some extent, the ideas as well as obsessions of the community within which it purposes. The guiding ethical standards that define international law are national states and not individual citizens. There exits many disparities flanking the law within a country as well as the law that functions beyond the precincts and between nationalities, international originations as well as in part icular cases, persons. International law is clustered into variance of laws. The former is more concern with those cases, inside a fastidious legal configuration, in which foreign elements obtrude, raising queries as to the functionalities of alien law or the position of overseas, Rodriguez-Orellana, Manuel (1994). For instance, supposing two English make a contract in France to sell goods that are in Paris, an English court employs French edict as regards the legitimacy of that indenture. By distinction, public international law is not simply an adjunct of a lawful order, instead a separate structure jointly. Unrestricted international decree covers between nationalities in all their innumerable forms, from combats to satellites and controls the functionalities of the numerous international edifices. These laws can be widespread or wide-ranging, in which cases the stipulated rules bind all the states or regional, whereby a group of states associated demographically or philosophically may recognize special rules applying to them for instance, the performance of diplomatic sanctuary that has urbanized to its furthermost extent in Latin America. The policies of transnational edict must be differentiated from what is known as international comity, or traditions such as addressing the flags of for eign warships at sea, which are exclusively employed through civility and are not observed as lawfully obligatory. Correspondingly, the inaccuracy of bewildering international edict with transnational integrity must be precluded. Although thy may convene at various summits, the previous restraint is a permissible one both as regards its content and its form, while the impression of transnational morality is a division of moral code. The implicit here is that international edict can not be alienated from its principles Harhoff Frederik (1994). Law and politics in the world community The first question to be fronted should be the permissible eminence of the transnational edict. Each divide of the transnational argument will probably claim legal justification for its actions and within the international configuration there is no disconnect body that has the ability to resolve the issue and grant a concluding verdict. Practically, everyone that starts reading about transnational edict does so having cultured or acquired about the principled features of regular or conjugal law. Such recognizing smudges incorporate the existence of a recognized body to legislate or create

Psychological Reaction to the movie American Beauty Essay

Psychological Reaction to the movie American Beauty - Essay Example The family is portrayed as normal but as the films tag line suggests look closer then it is possible to fully understand the implications that takes place in this seemingly happy home. My perception is that the film is masterfully directed by the famous theater director Sam Mendes and encompasses a great number of cinematic techniques that appear fresh and exciting. Critics have mentioned many of these techniques. However, they failed to notice the clever use of color used throughout the film, especially the color red. Psychologically speaking, Sam Mendes effectively uses the color red; as a central design to accentuate mood and theme, to contrast families, and to reveal characters personalities and feelings. This paper speaks of whether the movie should be allowed to see on the part of the college students or not and it looks at the reaction to this movie in the psychological sense. Since this paper delves into the psychological tone that I have set in reaction to the movie, I have focused on the color red which has been used widely in this paper and it is thus the point of discussion in the following lines as well. As we know that in American culture red is a color of various meanings and images.

Summarizing and explaining the data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Summarizing and explaining the data - Essay Example I resembled too with my class males in extroversion but three points above the females of my class. It gave the thought that female class students were lesser aware of the outer social environment than the males who had greater adaptability to intimate with the outer environment. However, the scores in quirkiness declared all students the same. They had similar levels of oddity attached to their minds and personalities. In aspects of conscientiousness and agree-ability, my classmates were three points below than me. Above all, my scores in these important aspects were closer to the national students’ averages (Sharma). In comparative analysis, the next step is to compare results with respect to gender. The results articulate that the scores are almost the similar of class males and of the national male students altogether. A slightest difference is in the openness factor where the class males are slightly above (two points above) than the national male students. Similarly, the scores of our class females are almost the same to the national scores of females. A slightest difference is in the extroversion factor where class females are two points below than the national females. The results assert that class males are more open-minded than national males and class females are less extroverted than national females. This is the only major projection of difference found in the scores, a difference which is also identified in the average curve graph. Moreover, the results depict that class males are more extroverted than national males, which is another noticing factor. Overall, the average scores of c lass males and class females stand out the same-close to each other, which shows that there is no such significant difference found in scores with respect to gender. Furthermore, the results depicted high scores in agreeability and low scores in quirkiness with respect

Psychological Reaction to the movie American Beauty Essay

Psychological Reaction to the movie American Beauty - Essay Example The family is portrayed as normal but as the films tag line suggests look closer then it is possible to fully understand the implications that takes place in this seemingly happy home. My perception is that the film is masterfully directed by the famous theater director Sam Mendes and encompasses a great number of cinematic techniques that appear fresh and exciting. Critics have mentioned many of these techniques. However, they failed to notice the clever use of color used throughout the film, especially the color red. Psychologically speaking, Sam Mendes effectively uses the color red; as a central design to accentuate mood and theme, to contrast families, and to reveal characters personalities and feelings. This paper speaks of whether the movie should be allowed to see on the part of the college students or not and it looks at the reaction to this movie in the psychological sense. Since this paper delves into the psychological tone that I have set in reaction to the movie, I have focused on the color red which has been used widely in this paper and it is thus the point of discussion in the following lines as well. As we know that in American culture red is a color of various meanings and images.

The Psychology of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

The Psychology of Marketing - Essay Example Value possession can be judged on the ground of materialism and personal trait. Customers prefer value possessions are not always status seeker because sometimes they purchase valuable product to show self image to external world. Researchers have pointed out that customers do valued material possession to show adjusted and refined self image (perceived self image of customer which might differ from real self assessment of the person). Sometimes customer purchase valued product in order to imitate other person’s purchasing habit. Many of the time it has been observed that purchasing valued item increases confidence level among customers. Opinion leaders also plays significant role to motivate customers to purchase valuable product. General trend shows that materialists have a tendency to purchase valuable item in bulk volume by spending huge amount of money on acquiring new items. These customers are lucrative target for marketers. Marketers decide unique business strategy to cater demand of high value customers. Why Valued? Value of a product is dependent on various factors such as brand name attached with the item, usability, social image and many others. Value of product can be analyzed in the following manner. Possession might help us to reflect personality we want to show cast to external world. ... Purchasing a particular might help us to achieve highly respected social group membership. Purchasing product and then consuming it help us to evaluate our self image in a right manner. The process can be classified as symbol for us to show our connection with significant portion of society. Many customers believe purchasing a valuable item associated with strong brand image might help them to achieve ideal self image and ideal social self image. Psychographics of consumer behaviour is contributed by two variables. 1-Actulizers- customers belong to uppermost income group prefer to spend huge sum of money on in order to purchase premium priced products. They purchase high net worth products in order to show status and financial power. 2- Fulfilled- customers purchase high value product after gathering sufficient information about the product in order to show social status to other people (Young, and Pagoso, 2008, p. 116). Customers show various types of purchasing behaviour including impulsive and compulsive buying. In 1989, O’Guinn and Faber have argued that compulsive buying is a result of behavioural disorder and directly linked with attitude of consumers to purchase valuable products. In 2004, Roberts and Pirog in their research paper have suggested that compulsive buying is linked with satisfying personal goal rather than rather than fulfilling need. In compulsive buying purchase motive of customer is cantered on satisfying external need rather than satisfying internal needs. In 2002, Kacen and Lee have pointed out that in valued possession customers get enjoyment from item purchased and sometimes they become obsessed about the purchase (Fitzmaurice, 2008, pp.

Timeless or Everlasting God Essay Example for Free

Timeless or Everlasting God Essay The definition of an everlasting God would be a God that has existed throughout time and space, linked to God’s characteristic of being omnipresent, basically meaning that He is present everywhere at all times. This would mean that he is a personal God as he is immanent and is involved with humanity. This back up events like miracles and revelations within the world, as they are caused by God so are evidence of his personal relationship with humans. The definition of a timeless God would mean that God exists outside of time. This links to the characteristic of God which some believers believe he is; transcendent. This means that God exists outside of time and space so therefore has an impersonal relationship with humanity, meaning He would not be able to influence humanity in the form of miracles or revelations. This view is commonly thought by believers of deism, who believe that an omnipotent God created the world, but then left it to ‘do its own thing and learn from its own mistakes’ and no longer looks over it. There are more benefits to an everlasting God, mainly because it would explain how miracles occur. However it also means that there can be revelations in the form of praying as a personal God may answer one’s prayers as He is within the universe. Another advantage would be that a personal God can also try to teach us right from wrong and would discipline us like a parental figure. This is shown in Genesis chapter 1, where God is also shown to have more human-like characteristics and he punishes Adam and Eve much like a parental figure showing his personal relationship with humans. Also the biggest benefit would be that it be proof that Jesus was the Son of God. However an advantage of having a timeless God would be that as God exists outside time and space then he would see all events and therefore he would know everything; past, present and future. This would mean that he would be an omniscient God.

Andy Warhol :: essays research papers

Pop art is a movement that occurred near the end of the 1950’s. It was a reaction to the seriousness of Abstract Expressionism. Pop art emphasized contemporary social values, the sprawl of urban life, the vulgar, the superficial, and the flashy. Advertising provided a number of starting points for the subjects. A particular favorite advertisement form that Warhol likes to use was product labels. You will see quite a few examples of this in some of his work. (Grolier 1996)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Warhol did most of his well-know works in a four year span from 1960 to 1964. He started out by reproducing images such as comic strips on much larger canvases. Some examples of these would be Nancy, Dick Tracy, Superman, and Popeye. He later became much more interested in reproducing labels of products and some people. This became a standard procedure for Warhol during this period. He later began to make movies and photography. (Coplans pg 47-48)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of his work, he started out with the making comic strip â€Å"reproductions.† They really shouldn’t be considered reproductions because they aren’t always an extremely accurate portrayal of the product. Some of his pieces such as the thirty-two painting collection of Campbell’s Soup Cans, are almost identical to the models he used. While others have a looser quality and are merely starting points on which to begin. (Coplans pg 47)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He accomplished the mass amounts of the same subject through many methods. Sometimes he would just paint each of the subjects by hand, one by one. Other times he would use stamp molds and silk-screening. The silk-screening process is very similar to that of an intricate and sophisticated stencil. There is a screen made of fine silk or similar material that is made impermeable to all places except that of the area wanted to be colored. This is done photomechanically, a process that makes photographs into silkscreen. The silk-screening process is fairly simple. You pour ink or paint into the silk-screen, and then you run a squeegee across it so it goes through the open pores of the screen. You repeat this procedure for each of the colors to be used. An advantage to this it that you can used them more than once. To date, silk-screening is the cheapest and most effective means of reproducing many products of it type and quality. (Coplans pg 50) (Crone pg 11)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main focus of serial imagery is redundancy.

Essay on the Use of Chiaroscuro in The Scarlet Letter -- Scarlet Lette

Use of Chiaroscuro in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚      Nathaniel Hawthorne the author of The Scarlet Letter uses the literary device of chiaroscuro to effectively develop his characters.   Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804 to a prominent family.   His father passed away on a voyage when he was four years old.   His relatives recognized his talent, and they helped pay his way to Bowdoin College.   Hawthorne and his classmates became the most prominent people in America at that time.   He had many strong ties with important people from attending Bowdoin, such as:   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Franklin Pierce.   In 1828, his first novel, Fanshawe was anonymously published at his own expense.   In 1842, he befriended Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott, and married Sophia Peabody, an active member of the Transcendentalist movement.   In 1846, he was appointed surveyor of the Port of Salem where he worked for the next three years, being unable to earn a living a s a writer.   He wrote The Scarlet Letter in 1850, showing the Puritans as hypocrites fixated on sin.   This romance was an immediate success, even though it received many criticisms for its risquà © topic.   In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne effectively uses chiaroscuro to develop the personalities of Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale.   Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to show Hester Prynne as a woman whose sin has overtaken her, and made her impure.   One example of this is:   â€Å"The mother’s†¦medium through which were transmitted to the unborn infant the rays of its moral life; and however white and clear originally, they ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne effectively uses chiaroscuro to develop the personalities of Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale.   Hawthorne uses chiaroscuro to show the depth of Hester’s guilt and strength of bearing her sin and Arthur’s secret.   Pearl is characterized as radiant through Hawthorne’s vibrant descriptions of her beauty.   He uses the sun to depict the purity of Pearl.   Hawthorne uses shadows to show how Arthur is a meager man compared to Hester, also bearing the sin.   Hawthorne shows Arthur deteriorating from his guilt, while Hester pushes herself to live on and try to overcome it, still always bearing its weight and pain.   In conclusion, chiaroscuro is effectively used by Hawthorne to develop the personalities of his characters.     

Torture and Ethics

Torture and Ethics Bradley Sexton April 13, 2013 University of Phoenix AJS 512 Dr. Miron Gilbert Torture and Ethics The torturing of human life always has been and always will be unethical, immoral, unjust, and wrong. Torturing enemy combatants or high-value targets does violate standards of morality in the free world. In addition to violating international laws against such practices, torture violates every basic human right. Torture is a form of cruel and unusual punishment by any standard regardless of the end result.Torture of one individual is only justifiable by saving the lives of the many, but that does not make it moral or right. The only ethical theory that justifies torture as moral acceptable is the utilitarianism view. This view should remain in the dark ages where it belongs because it is not an example of the moral standards that exit today. For some people, the thought of torturing one person to save the lives of many sounds like the right idea. The problem with tortu re is the end result is not guaranteed. Under extreme measures people will say whatever it takes to stop the pain.Torturing lowers the moral standards of the people performing the act to the same standards they are fighting against. In the long run this only fuels the enemy's commitment to their cause and makes them stronger. An enemy combatant who is considering volunteering information will not come forward if he or she thinks there is a possibility of torture on the other side. Although it is true that other countries have already used torture on American people, future prisoners of war may receive even worse treatment if the enemy knows their prisoners are undergoing torture.The use of cruel and unusual punishment during interrogation violates human rights and makes any evidence obtained unusable in a court of law. The government and the criminal justice system must observe and follow the same laws they expect society to follow. Laws apply to everyone equally in American society (Evans, 2007). Reasoning, deceiving, and bribing the suspect with rewards will produce more accurate results than torture. The victim of torture under a state of duress and pain may not even think clearly enough to speak the truth.He or she might even think their own lies are truth. Often only the threat of torture against the suspect or their family is enough to convince them to cooperate. The technology available in the modern world makes torture obsolete and unnecessary. The government can easily put together enough proof to make the suspect think he or she is about to undergo torture, or think someone they care about is in custody. Police agencies use deceitful tactics all the time to cause a suspect to make mistakes or tell the truth without resorting to immoral or unethical acts of violence.The results prove to be more accurate than torture and do no harm to the suspect. Considering torture only as a last resort after all other attempts fail is up to the people in charge of t he interrogation in compliance with the law. Regardless of the outcome the actual act of torture is always morally and ethically wrong. Ontological View Torture is not justified under the ontological theory of ethics because it is wrong to cause harm regardless of the consequences. Freewill allows people to make their own decisions about right and wrong and sharing of information.Forcing people against their will to tell the truth or lie is morally wrong under the ontological view. Although even under this view, knowing it is wrong to do so will not stop some people from torturing another if the ends justify the means in their eyes. A father may well be within his right to torture the suspect who kidnapped his child. This does not make the act morally or ethically right for the father but may lead to the safe recovery of his offspring. Society would not hold anything against such an act under the circumstances (Himma, 2009). Deontological ViewTorture is not justified under the deont ological view because the consequences of the actions do not matter. Society considers torture ethically and morally wrong so the deontological view of torture is also wrong regardless of end result. Deontological ethics state that people should always follow their obligations and duty to society. In the case of torture a person's duty and obligation is to uphold the rights of the suspect. Even if the end result saves the lives of thousands of other people torture is still unethical and immoral. This does not stop many governments from performing the act of torture.In any given situation in which many lives are at stake a government will resort to anything that reduces the risks and saves the lives of the many. When human life is at stake, morality, and ethics tend to take a back seat to humanity for all (Souryal, 2007). Utilitarianism View Torture is justified under the utilitarianism view because pleasure for the majority outweighs the pain of the few. Utilitarianism sees pleasure for the most people as justice regardless of the pain this may cause a few people. Torturing enemy combatants and high value targets does not violate standards of morality under the utilitarianism view.Whether this act violates basic human rights is not a concern for utilitarianism as long as it results in happiness for the majority. The problem with this view is that it opens the door to other immoral acts. If torture continues until the suspect is dead without gaining any knowledge that could provide happiness, then the act is immoral. Many innocent people could face torture leading to no results and utilitarianism becomes immoral. Under this justification using humans as guinea pigs for the happiness of the majority is also moral.Causing cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners is moral if the acts deter future crimes. Genocide is moral if the minority population is interfering with the happiness of the majority (Driver, 2009). Natural Law View Torture is not justified under n atural law because the basis of right and wrong is on the act itself not the results. Causing harm to another human for any reason is immoral and wrong under natural law. Humans have moral standards that prevent them from acting like animals in that they do not harm another person to survive. The strongest find another way to survive without harming others.Humans help their fellow man live rather than taking advantage of them. Everyone has equal rights to freedom from persecution in any manner. Even the worst criminals who are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt are free from cruel and unusual punishment. Although this right is granted in the United States Constitution, it began as a natural law. Under natural law the use of any type of physical or mental pain to seek information or the truth is a form of torture and is ethically wrong. Although society may agree with harsh sentences for prisoners, they do not cross the line to unusual punishment (PSU, 2007).Conclusion Even during time s of war against another country the standards of morality in America should not to heed to same immoral acts the enemy has. The moral and ethical standards in America are higher than anywhere else in the world. Torture of any type is never a good idea and rarely produces effects great enough for the ends to justify the means. Any country that condones torture of their enemies eventually will use torture against their own citizens if it fits their agenda. Out of four ethical theories only utilitarianism views the act of torture as justice.In America the utilitarianism view is not the normal view of society in general. Torturing enemy combatants or high value targets does violate the standards of morality in America. Torturing should never be given legal status as there are always other options to choose from that do not violate human rights, ethics, or morality. References Driver, J (2009) â€Å"The History of Utilitarianism†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edward N. Zalta  (ed. ), URL = .Himma Kenneth (2009) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Philosophy of Law Retrieved on 4-14-2013 from http://www. iep. utm. edu/law-phil/ PSU (2007) Ethics in Criminal Justice components of justice retrieved on 3-31-2013 from https://courses. worldcampus. psu. edu/welcome/crimj465/moral_05. html   Souryal, S. (2007) Ethics in criminal justice: In search of the truth (4th ed. ). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Pub. /LexisNexis. Evans, R (2007) The Ethics of Torture, Human Rights and Human Welfare. Retrieved on 4-13-2013 from http://www. du. edu/korbel/hrhw/volumes/2007/evans-2007. pdf

Article Review on Mentoring in the Workplace

IntroductionMentoring and its application is very much the vogue today in corporate America. It is a strategy employed by companies or institutions to enhance professionalism and the increased transfer of learning and building of skills from the more adept and/or experienced to the junior or neophyte employee. It is also a way of improved retention rate within a company.DiscussionA survey conducted by the TWA, a publication of the Society of the Petroleum Engineers, revealed that in the integrated major oil companies, 36% responded on the subject matter they posed on mentoring. Another which participated came from the service and/or manufacturing companies (28%). The article substantially presented the essence of mentoring, what an ideal mentor is like, and the prevalence of the practice in organizations as well as the projected status this process would attain in the future (Tealdi and Donachie, 2007).An excellently done study, the article mentions the many-faceted concept that ment oring is today. It was able to give the reader a balanced idea whether this practice has done well in terms of its success in the application. For instance, the finding that the reasons other companies’ mentoring program did not do well was due to a â€Å"fragmented approach.†It is remarkable that the responses of employees on their company’s mentoring program range from satisfaction to what the editors say as â€Å"demotivated mentors and mentees.† This has shown that planning is crucial to its successful implementation. The successful ones had their focus on the technical advice and career development that are the most important issues for employees and their dream for advancement. This is a selling point for those institutions which are hesitant in their implementation (Tealdi and Donachie, 2007).The article also mentioned the nuances of the practice in terms of the different schemes each company that participated in the survey might utilize. This mean s that mentoring can be formal or informal, and it can be monitored or with minimal attention at all. However, as mentioned, a careful study on method, conceptual framework, system of monitoring and evaluation might be an effective preparation before the practice starts (Tealdi and Donachie, 2007).I think it will work in my workplace. Although, not as formally introduced and practiced as many other companies had done already, a few other co-workers had started an informal working relationship as mentor and mentee. This must be the reason that renewed interest and enthusiasm permeates the workplace milieu since its informal inception. I guess it will even work well if my organization’s leadership will institutionalize the program.ReferenceTealdi, Loris, John Donachie, Forum editors. Mentoring today for tomorrow: The Way Ahead  ©2003 –2007. Accessed June 25, 2007

What does Safety Mean To Me

The second definition was first used in 1881. â€Å"Safety' has quite some history, but my definition has I Tots Of meanings. To me, safety means protecting from danger that may hurt us or endanger o r lives. Unsafe practice is a great risk to life and property. For example, a two wheeler who RI des recklessly not only risks his own life, but the others on roads. That's because of their lack of know ledge about overall safety, be it â€Å"die† road. While crossing the road, you mustn't run across in blind d panic.Wait until the raffia policeman or the Walk' signal appears. Even then look for some vehicle drivers who jump signals and cross â€Å"die† road with the others. So always be cautious, and some one once said, â€Å"Better a thousand times careful than once dead. † Next, be safe at work. This is really important, because once you know the par testicular hazards of your job or workplace, you can take steps to reduce your risk of workplace I injury or illne ss. Also always stay awake while working at dangerous places, for example, at fire deep rodents.If you don't, when you are rescuing lives in a burning house, you'll risk your life and the pee pole's too. So, you need to always stay awake. Something that happened recently over the past years is accessibility. Lots o f kids and teens keep getting bullied online, and sometimes it can go from never leaving your home to almost committing suicide. I just feel really bad for those people, and it's sad to hear stories about that. Everyone is different in the world and that's a great thing.There is no need of anyone to be getting bullied because no one is the same, everyone is unique. Therefore, you need to extra safe on the internet. You can do this by never talking to strangers when you are social me As you can see, safety means a lot to me. Now you should stop and think ABA UT what it means to you. Of course, we will have different meanings, but some may be alike. On e of my favorite quot es are â€Å"Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. † by William Shakes pare. What does safety mean to you?

Associations of Diet and Lifestyle with Hyperlipidemia for Middle-Aged Assignment

Associations of Diet and Lifestyle with Hyperlipidemia for Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons among the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han Populations - Assignment Example Since the study is focused Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han Populations, all other populations apart from ones used as control samples will be excluded from the study. Information on demography, dietary intake, and lifestyle factors was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and serum lipid levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. Data will be collected depending on various methods that will be used in the study to collect data. Since study will be conducted within certain period of time, there will be specific timing of measurements collected, depended variable like diet and lifestyle, and independent variables like middle-aged and elderly people. There will also be control variables as discussed above. In this study, people between the age of 25 and 65 (both male and female) were used in this study. This study will be focused on two clans Bai Ku Yao and Han. Their lifestyle and eating habits will also be used in this study. The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia in Bai Ku Yao and Han were 19.59% vs 36.13% (P0.05), and 28.45% vs 43.11% (P

Teacher-Student Physical Distance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Teacher-Student Physical Distance - Essay Example An art classroom is much more spatial than a normal classroom. The walls of classrooms were usually in light colors, with windows to allow enough sunlight. The posters on the walls were made of attractive colors and were arranged in a manner that is pleasant to look upon. Yes, there were differences, but there were also similarities. So I wondered, what were the reasons that classroom set-up was arranged in a particular manner? Does it influence the students’ learning? How? In particular, is the distance between the instructor and the student important? How does it affect the learning of the students? When the reasons for these set-ups are understood, then more individuals will support it – especially if it means learning efficiency. The mentors will employ this knowledge seeing that this will aid them in their endeavors to pass on knowledge to their students. Learners will also appreciate this, knowing that this will aid in them in gaining knowledge – the primar y reason why they study. LITERATURE REVIEW It has been well documented in literature that human emotions play a significant role in the way we live. We experience emotions in all of our activities, making these emotions sometimes control the activities that we engage in (Shan 142). As Shan (142) have said, â€Å"pleasant emotional experience can contribute to active and positive imitation and repetition, accompanied by pleasure, satisfaction and love etc., while the unpleasant one can cause people to behave negatively, leading to anger, complaints, hate, etc.† Since learning is also an activity that we do, emotions are therefore also important in the learning process. Classroom instruction is a communication process between the teacher and the students. Since emotions are involved here, the instructor’s emotions will affect the students just as the students’ will affect the instructor (Shan, 143). Astleitner (128) argued that influencing emotions during classroo m instruction is important as this will affect the learning of the students. The Fear Envy Anger Sympathy Pleasure or FEASP Theory is an approach that integrates emotions into classroom instruction (Astleitner 128; Astleitner, Hurek and Sztejnberg 63) saying that positive feelings (sympathy and pleasure) should be cultivated in the instructional design and conversely, avoid the negative emotions (fear, envy, anger). When Simon A. Lei (128) reviewed the literature about the effects of the physical design of a classroom to the learning of the students, he found a similar basic foundation. Though students learn in various ways, what remained the same was the fact that classrooms must be designed in such a way that positive feelings should be cultivated to empower both educators and learners. Then the various ways that students learn in the classroom will be facilitated. Seven physical attributes of a classroom that have a profound impact to student learning were identified by Lei (128- 129). First was the size of a room which could be small or large depending on the number of students on the class. Second was the furniture arrangement which could either be flexible or attached to the floor. Third was technology system arrangement in the classroom; if a modern technology was available there and where it was located. Fourth was lighting in the room; the intensity of light, its source, and if a multiple light settings were present. Fifth was the

Financial Analysis for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Analysis for Managers - Essay Example The WACC takes into consideration the relative weights of each element of the capital structure and presents the predicted cost of new capital for an organization. In this way the WACC is important for any firm or organization operating as it not only helps them identify the minimum returns they need to earn but also helps them maintain a constant stock price. The WACC also provides greater accuracy and stabilizes fluctuations (Robert Libby, Patricia Libby, 2005). The WACC is also an important decision variable in investment appraisal and capital budgeting. Every company or firm wants to increase its wealth and earn profits hence it invests wherever it sees an opportunity. To find the profits that would be earned in the future through the investment at present WACC is a very effective tool. WACC helps a firm take on greater range of projects, because with a lower WACC, more projects will have a positive NPV plus it provides greater firm value, and therefore, greater Stock Price, beca use you discount cash flows by a smaller number. Capital expenditures are the allotment of resources to huge, long-term projects. The capital budget is a declaration of the intended capital expenditures. It is far more than a straightforward listing, and is not the "budget" in the common sense. Provided the nature of capital expenditures, the capital budget is thought of as a declaration of the goals and strategy of the firm. Formation of the capital budget is an essential assignment that affects and is affected by all other areas of decision-making in a firm. Current and future business situations are the opportunities and constraints through which the goals of the firm are formulated. The goals force the strategic decisions of capital budget and financing but likelihood and uniformity with the mutually dependent financing and capital budget decisions must be measured in situating the goals. For projects that are similar to the normal operations of the firm and have a similar risk profile the opportunity cost can be estimated by the firm's weighted average cost of capital (WACC) (Paul D. Kimmel, Jerry J. Weygandt, Donald E. Kieso. 2006). The WACC is the rate of return that just meets investor expectations, leaving the worth of the shares of the firm unaffected. WACC is computed by initially approximating the rate of return compulsory to meet the obligations for each basis of capital. These obligatory rates are then weighted according to the objective capital structure of the firm to attain the in general rate of return required to meet the mutual obligations. This is the return that could be achieved by reinvesting the finances within the company. What are the risks and uncertainty related to capital budgeting There are plenty of risks and uncertainty associated with capital budgeting, Capital budgeting involves a lot of analyzing and studying because a wrong decision can be fatal for a firm. Mostly projects that have a positive NPV are selected to be undertaken. Capital Budgeting involves the risk of losing the invested money. As capital budgeting involves future investing decisions hence constraints such as

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology - Book Review Literature

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology - Book - Literature review Example Yet Barley doesn’t think that the anthropologists who are so respected for having lived among exotic cultures contribute very much to the body of knowledge of anthropological study. Barley comes off as being against the idea of fieldwork from the start, and paints it as something that is unduly revered and not tremendously useful for modern anthropological study. He then explains that despite these misgivings, he did what was expected of him and went into the field to do his own direct observation of a little known culture. He gives a harrowing and often hilarious account of his trials and tribulations, first of his attempts to get his course of study approved, then his attempts to get into Cameroon and deal with the odd practices of African bureaucracy, and then of his time living with the Dowayo people. This book gives the anthropological account of the Dowayo people that Barley was expected to collect during his stay with them in Cameroon, but it also serves as a cautionary tale about giving undue reverence to anthropological fieldwork. Most importantly, it gives a realistic and funny look at what anthropologists who are just starting out in the field can expect, or rather a warning about all the things that they can never expect. It is especially of interest to anthropology students and working anthropologists, but it is also a great read for practically anyone, whether they are people who are interested in anthropology, people who want to learn about tribal cultures from around the world, or just people who enjoy a good comedy. The best part of The Innocent Anthropologist is the sharp and witty writing style. It serves as both a contribution to academic knowledge and as a biting satire of certain academic practices at the same time. Barley draws the readers in and brings us along for the ride. Through his sharp eyes we see the hilarious absurdities and strange ironies he encounters in his quest to become a ‘real’ anthropologist. The boo k also paints a fascinating picture of the Dowayo people. Through Barley’s eyes we get to take a look at a unique culture, with very different ideas about the most basic parts of language and life. It practically boggles the mind to see how differently the Dowayo think about things our culture takes for granted, like hypothetical questions. It serves to teach us that our way of thinking is not the only way of thinking, and that even ideas that we think are so simple as to be a given are not necessarily universal. The only weaknesses I could see in the book were that Barley didn’t only joke about not liking fieldwork; he genuinely seemed to detest it, and always seemed somewhat contemptuous of the people he lived with and observed for so long. While the picture he painted of the Dowayo was fascinating, the author’s tone always hinted at condescension and superiority. I was expecting a revelation at some point that he saw redeeming qualities in the people, but tha t moment never really came to any satisfactory degree. As a reader I was more interested in the Dowayo people than the writer ever seemed to be. He tells of times when hearing their explanations for things like illnesses â€Å"annoyed [him] beyond all measure† (Barley 1980:114). The author does his best to paint a picture of a love/hate relationship, and wants to do his best to get into the work the way that he is supposed to, but it is clear that

Media Portrayal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Media Portrayal - Essay Example This essay discusse the connections between modern information, communication and the individuals with disabilities issue. Today, people can get information from various sources, that is mostly may be accessed with the help of mass media. Mass media is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience. It was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks and of mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. Unfortunately individuals with disabilities to a great extend are limited by not being able to make use of such opportunities. Access to communications and information can be available through many sources such as: newspapers, magazines, television programs, and movies, Internet etc. Depending on the type of disability i.e. deafness, blindness, and so on the individuals with disabilities are limited having no access to appropriate source of the information. This essay raises the question o f vital importance for the international community today, that is to create and promote approaches and technologies that will allow everyone including individuals with disabilities to get, to utilize, to exchange and to create information and knowledge. The researcher focuses on introducing the topic and analyzes in details many examples of mass-media articles, movies and tv-shows related to the individuals with disabilities issue. Some examples that were mentioned in the essay: Touch the Sound, Zatoichi, Be with me movies, etc.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Essay Example for Free

Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Essay Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Team Charter LAW 531 Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Team Charter This paper will discuss an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) clause that might be used by a Learning Team to resolve a disagreement among members. This paper will identify all provisions and information necessary to enable the ADR to occur and function effectively. The dispute that the ADR clause that might be used by a Learning Team will be when a member fails to submit their portion of the Learning Team assignment on time and therefore another member must write the portion assigned. I, Learning Team member, will settle all disputes or controversies arising from not submitting my portion on the time and date previously decided by the Learning Team to the Learning Team folder exclusively by mediation and a neutral third party mediator. The mediator will be chosen by the professor of the course that the Learning Team is associated. The mediation will be held within three days of said dispute or controversy and remedy will be completed within 5 days of said dispute. I will make myself available to the mediation and cooperate in any fashion with mediator. If a fair and equitable agreement for all cannot be reached than I will not be given rights within the Learning Team and the University will be notified that I have forfeited rights to the Learning Team. If and when settlement has been reached no party within Learning Team will mention said disruption within Learning Team folder. The above clause will allow the Learning Team to have a clear understanding that it is very important to make sure that their assigned portion is submitted on time. If the assigned portion is not submitted on time than they may have to submit to a mediation to work out the differences within the Learning Team and how they will make up to the Learning Team.

Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay

Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay IKEA achieves competitive advantage under the cost leadership strategy by producing at the lowest possible cost. Wherever possible, under this strategy IKEA will reduce costs at every stage of the value chain and either charge lower prices or charge competitive prices resulting in relatively high profit margins. IKEA cuts costs constantly and is always asking its makers to seek the least costly suppliers. IKEA also, seeks to offer prices much cheaper and target very wider audience. Therefore, to be able to achieve required margins. Differentiation Strategy: In the differentiation strategy, IKEA look for competitive advantage by offering products that are perceived to be different and better than competitors products by customers due to its unique characteristics, e.g. quality of the products. Focus Strategy: The focus strategy has two variants i.e. Cost Focus and Differentiation Focus. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market and applies a Differentiation strategy. IKEAs Hybrid Strategy: IKEA uses a combination of these strategies in achieving its vision which is Its business idea The part of the cost leadership strategy that IKEA adopts is that part aimed at producing at the lowest possible cost, so they can charge as low a price as possible to maintain their competitive advantage. For the differentiation strategy, IKEA focuses on quality designs. However, the IKEA does not do this, so they could charge a premium price. They do it to promote their brand. The differentiation focus strategy is also used in some segments of the market. For example, they produce customized plastic mats to commemorate the year of the rooster in China. Functional level strategy defines different functions within the business unit, such as sales, accounting or production, which contribute towards the success of the business level strategy. This contribution will differ from function to function, but the overall aim will be to support the overall strategy. If the strategy is to be a cost leader, then production will be integral in achieving cost advantages. Therefore, Functional strategy refers to the strategy of individual departments linked to achievement of business goals. For example, a Marketing department of a firm may have promotional or pricing strategy, while a finance department will have a credit control policy. Similarly, IKEA has functional strategies aimed at achieving its vision and business ideas. For example, under the Marketing function, IKEA increased its distribution channels by opening 19 new retail outlets in 2006. This is to support its business growth strategy. In the US, by the end of 2010 the number of IKEA outlets is expected to be 50, in comparison to 25 in 2006. To support its hybrid strategy, IKEA is determined to ensure that This policy applies to the research and development and well as the purchasing functions of the company. The customer perception of IKEA is that the company offers quality products at affordable prices. Going shopping at IKEAs is treated more like an event to be looked forward to by the customers, rather than a task which needs to be completed. The following quotes demonstrate how IKEA is seen by many people: If it wasnt for IKEA, most people would have no access to affordable contemporary design. IKEA makes me free to become what I want to be. Half my house is from IKEA and the nearest store is six hours away. Every time, its trendy for less money. IKEA is addressing the needs of most customers. Customers buying behaviour usually demonstrate price sensitivity, with the average shopper constantly looking for bargains or discounts. On the other hand, these same customers would look for a higher quality product over what they perceive a lower quality product where both cost the same almost always. IKEA is perceived as providing to the needs of the modern and cool as well as those with aspirations for the finer things in life. There appears to be a strong bond as parents are generally comfortable leaving their children in the shops playroom while they go about shopping, which create a trust. As it mentioned above, the IKEA strategy is a hybrid strategy, which incorporates elements of cost leadership, differentiation and differentiation focus strategies. IKEA brand is very strong, most competitors do not possess the strengths that IKEA does and, which are important in achieving a hybrid strategy. Consequently, IKEA is able to attract good quality of customers and even better is able to duplicate its quality and price ranges globally. It also has economies of scale and a strong research and development team constantly looking at innovative ways to meet its business objectives. Therefore, for the strategy to be imitated, the distinctive competencies of competitors must be strong, they must have the resource to deal with any potential price wars, and they must also have the capabilities to react to changing external environment. The main threats of IKEA come from its external environment. IKEAs threats can be measured with PESTEL, Porters Five Forces and SWOT analysis. Political, relates to the influence of government legislation and regulations on a business. Economic, how economic factors like interest rates, inflation and exchange rates affect businesses Social, refers to social trends and includes things like change in consumer taste and fashion and demographical changes Technological, level of automation and the rate of technological advancement and the impact on businesses Environmental, relates to how businesses are impacted by environmental factors such as global climate change Legal, health and safety laws Porters five forces, is a tool used to analyse how competitive pressure impact on businesses, i.e. the extent of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, buyer power, supplier power and the availability of substitutes. SWOT, summarises the key issues from the business environment and the strategy capability of an organisation that most likely to impact on the strategy development. In IKEAs case, the main potential threats come from three of these factors, i.e. Economic, Social and Competition. In terms of economic factors, the global recession has significantly reduced business growth as customers have less disposable income and are consequently spending less. With limited income, consumers prefer to spend only on necessities mainly, and saving. Many governments affected by the recession have been putting stimulus packages in place partly to encourage consumer spending. As far as the social threat is concerned, due to a collapse of the housing and mortgage market which started the downward spiral into global recession, the amount of first time buyers, who are mainly IKEA customers, has considerably reduced. From a competitive point of view, there is the threat the extent of competitive rivalry will put at risk IKEAs strategy. For instance, it has to compete with major competitors Target Corporation and Kmart in US, Fly in France and Nitori Co. in Japan. Furthermore, increasingly buyer power will increase as competition increases demanding review of price or even design. This could potentially hurt the IKEA brand. IKEA must constantly analyse its internal and external environment to determine what the business is at for any given point in time and to identify what needs to be done going forward. For the internal analysis, IKEA must analyse its resources and capabilities with a view of making improvements as appropriate. They must always seek to ensure that their resources and capabilities are superior to those of their competitors to reduce the threat of imitation, which would eliminate their competitive advantage. In terms of the resources, they could look at the following with a view of identifying strengths and weaknesses: Finance what is the state of the business in terms of profit and loss, cash flow and the balance sheet position? Marketing they must continue to revaluate their marketing strategy. for example: Are the products priced adequately? Is the roll out of new stores meeting growth targets? Promotion how successful have the gift initiatives activities been? Product how environmentally friendly and are they to meet with any challenges? Operations IKEA could review the strengths and weaknesses of their machines, method of operations and materials used to produce furniture. Management as the founder is an old man now, this is a significant area that needs looking at. Is the management in place currently skilled enough to achieve objectives? Staff assess their motivation, their training needs and contribution to the success of the company, for example. An external audit should then be performed by analysing PESTEL SWOT is to determine the opportunities and threats facing IKEA from the external environment. Subsequently, IKEA should then be in a position to determine how it can use its key strengths, minimize weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and triumph over threats to achieve a competitive advantage through its hybrid strategy. The greatest challenges facing IKEA can be outlined below: Entry into new markets and segments in US and Japan Environmental challenges Culture and Values As we know, IKEA over the last few years expanding in Japan and US markets. These are two countries where it has recorded failure in the past. For instance, in the US, according to them they did not listen to the needs of the customers and employed a hybrid strategy. With time, they realized that the Americans needed larger sized products which they subsequently corrected. In Japan, they miscalculated thinking the Japanese were interested in low price products when their interest was in quality. It would be interesting to see how they fare in the next 10 years for these reasons, especially with the high level of competition from Target Corp. and Nitori Co. IKEA is committed to meet environmental challenges. Another big challenge is internal in nature. The owner and founder Ingvar Kamprad instilled a lot of the values that is currently being pursued today. A lot of the top brass are committed to his philosophies. With the passage of time however, the culture of IKEA which has delivered such great success will decrease. In the next 10 years, it is important that whoever is driving the business operates in line with its core values, as the brand is one of its discriminating strengths. This brand was built on the back of the core values and business idea. Any threat to that may mean a threat to the entire business as a whole.