IELTS Essay On Fast Food

Modern habits and lifestyles demand that we achieve many more goals and targets every day. Our iPhone, tablet, GPS and laptop enable us to communicate instantly, get instant answers and have access to instant information. We live very fast lives and many of us want this to extend to our eating habits. Fast food allows us to eat ‘tasty’, economic, convenient meals in a very short time. This is a vexing problem for health professionals and governments globally because, despite advances in scientific research, which tells us how bad a poor diet is for our health, the incidence of obesity is reaching epidemic levels in parts of the world, such as America, Europe and even parts of Asia, and much of it is due to an increased consumption of fast food.Disregard for the advice of health professionals is a malaise that can be directly linked with our modern world and its stressfully quick lifestyle and the highly successful, perhaps too successful, marketing and production of high fat, high sugar, low-nutrient food.What can a government do? They can manage their system of taxation to encourage the provision of healthy cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets. Conversely they can ‘punish’ unhealthy fast food companies with heavier taxation. They can also change the law with regard to the amount of sugar and fat that is allowed in prepared foods.With a determined and sustained campaign to improve people’s awareness and understanding of the dangers of fast food, authorities might do much to ameliorate the situation. However longterm and long-lasting dietary change would need to be part of a wider campaign to promote not just ‘slow' healthy food but a slower pace of life generally.

Research Proposal on Database Usability Issues

There are different types of database usability issues; you could talk about the problems that occur when a user views a database system . i. e. the user will see different from what the database contains. But with â€Å"the advance in design of highly interactive computer systems continues at an ever-increasing pace, with new developments in hardware and software being announced more frequently than ever before. † (Lawson, J. Yull, S. Anderson, H. Knott, G. & Waites, N. 2005, pg 258) So with the increasing interactive computer systems, within this research proposal I am going to talk about the problems that a user may come across in the form of virtual reality VR, graphical user interface GUI and human computer interaction / interface HCI. The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the importance of VR, GUI and HCI in the development of user friendly computer software and to inform the reader about the components that may be involved in these features. The Objectives that I want to achieve is to define what is meant by the terms VR, GUI and HCI. I also want to show what applications use Virtual reality, Human Computer Interaction and Graphical User Interface. The motivation I had to pick the topic of database usability issues was that I have learned about it in the past and I felt confident that it is an area that I enjoyed. It is better to write about something that you enjoy, so then the reader can feel the confidence in the review. It was also a topic I wanted to look further into especially the HCI factor. Within this initial literature review I have looked at a number of books and websites that I feel would help me in findings definitions for all usability features. I also looked at what applications use Virtual Reality, Human Computer Interaction and Graphical User Interface. According to (http://searchcio-midmarket. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci213303,00. html# ) â€Å"Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. This means that the user will have a feeling of being able to enter a virtual world. Most of the current virtual reality environments are displayed either on a computer screen, and some simulations even include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphone. All the features make a pretend virtual reality world seem real. â€Å"The uses for virtual reality are infinite. It can be used for air tra ffic control, medicine, entertainment, office work and industrial design. However, along with the good comes the bad. Virtual Reality could also be used for destructive purposes, such as war and crime. † (http://library. thinkquest. org/26890/virtualrealityt. htm) So with having the brilliant feature of being submersed into an alternative world, there can also be downsides as well. For example I would say that gaming would be one of the most popular virtual realities, and in the news you also here about how games are taking over children’s life’s, and it is contributed to make kids obese. This is true, but if used in the correct manner a VR can cause feeling of excitement. GUI or Graphical User Interface would possibly be the graphics that may be used to help create a virtual world. Galitz, W. (2007) also made a good point in saying that â€Å"GUIs are looked at in terms of their components, characteristics, and advantages over the older text-based systems. † (Galitz, W. 2007) A brilliant quote I feel was found on (http://searchwindevelopment. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci213989,00. tml). â€Å"A GUI is a graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer. As you read this, you are looking at the GUI†. I love this quote because it’s true, I know that there are no images or graphics on this document, but if you were to open this document on a web browser this would be the graphical user interface you would see. I personally feel that graphics play a major role within a program whether it is a website, database or presenta tion. I feel as if people recognise images before text. For example if we look at YouTube, people automatically recognise videos before even reading its title or description. On a website your eye is drawn to an image. So by having a program that incorporates high quality images, and maybe even videos, you will be catching the audience’s attention. HCI or Human Computer Interaction is a process that evaluates the interaction between the user and a program. For example does the user take advantage of features a program may have, do they use headphones when using a program. Everything that is used to create a VR (virtual reality) or create GUI (graphical user interface) is put into play at HCI. According to (Dix, A. Finlay, J. Abowd, G. & Beale, R. 2004) Human computer interaction â€Å"is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings. † So HCI takes into account both sides of the computers users. It looks at things like the computer graphics, operating system, and programming language and on the human side according to (Cairns, P. Cox, A. 2008) â€Å"communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social science, cognitive psychology, and human performance are relevant. † So for a program to incorporate good HCI, it could contain features such as movable interfaces with pull-down menus, dialog books, check boxes, scroll bars etc. By incorporating features like these to a program the user will feel they have mo re of a input on what they are doing, this mainly created by the fact that the user will get the feeling that they are controlling what they do. But according to (Preece, J. Rogers, Y. Sharp, H. Benyon, D. Holland, S. & Carey, T. 1994) â€Å"A decade ago, when our understanding of HCI was more limited, many systems developers might have felt that good intentions were the major requirement for producing an effective HCI design. † However with the amount of changes that computers have gone through in the past decade, HCI is now better than it ever was. HCI nowadays is about giving a user the freedom to interact fully with a program whether it be a website, a game or a database etc. With the rapid increase in new technologies and computers now smaller than ever, with more applications available and more advanced virtual reality experiences; we can only wonder what else can the future hold. We have already switched to digital photographs, mobile phones with GPRS, something that 20 years ago would have been laughed at. In fact GUI has taken a major leap into high definition. HCI has improved with the aspect of touch screens and wireless keyboards etc, and Virtual Reality has even branched out into the ergonomics sector. It has produced a chair that will receive audio and vibrations from a program on a computer or TV. For example if you get shot at in a game, you will feel as if the bullet is just passing you ear and the vibrations captivate you so you feel like you in the actual game. But there is still some questions that need answered like: 1. Why hasn’t the changes in HCI and GUI have an effect on things like teletext? 2. I would also like to research into a device that has become available in the last year and find out why it hasn’t been available before. 3. I want to find out how far Virtual Reality can stretch. 4. I would also like to know if VR, HCI, GUI has had a major impact on the obese children of Brittan. 5. What elderly people think about the change in technology today? 6. Finally I would love to know how childhoods have changed over the years with more and more computer devices available. I would use the internet mainly to gather my findings, but I would also look towards books and journals. I would use search engines to help me answer question one, and two. By doing this I could visit different sites that might give me answers. I would probably use on-line forums for question three and four, to get a prospective on other people opinions. But for question four I would also use news websites to find statistics if any. For question five I would maybe visit an elderly / retirement home, or send out questionnaires hoping to find information that will help me answer my questions, I would also use questionnaires for question six but a little less complex maybe. As well as the questionnaires for question six I would probably go to a school and ask the kids myself, to get a real response. To obtain answers from my research I would plan question six before school ends for summer, I would ask the kids what they plan to do for the summer, and when they return in September I would ask the same kids what they actually did with the summer. I would use the same concept for question four, I would ask for permission to maybe take note of different kids weight and height before they left for summer, and after they return from there break I would weigh and measure the same kids to work out if the summer has been an active one. Everything else I feel has no major rush but maybe for question three I would take note of the highest quality Virtual Reality system there is available now and in six months I would check if it has been improved any. REFERNCES Cairns, P. Cox, A. (2008) Research Methods for Human-Computer Interaction Dix, A. Finlay, J. Abowd, G. Beale, R. (2004) Human-Computer Interaction Galitz, W. (2007) The essential guide to user interface design Lawson, J. Yull, S. Anderson, H. Knott, G. & Waites, N. (2005) BTEC National Study Guide: IT Practitioners Preece, J. Rogers, Y. Sharp, H. Benvon, D. Holland, S. Carey, T. (1994) Human Computer Interaction Tech Target (2008) Virtual Reality [on-line]: http://searchcio-midmarket. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci213303,00. html# [Accessed: 22/04/09] Tech Target (2006) GUI [on-line]. (http://searchwindevelopment. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci213989,00. html). [Accessed: 26/04/09] Think Quest: Virtual Reality [on-line]. http://library. thinkquest. org/26890/virtualrealityt. htm [Accessed: 22/04/09]

Lacsap’s Fractions

Lacsap’s Fractions IB Math 20 Portfolio By: Lorenzo Ravani Lacsap’s Fractions Lacsap is backward for Pascal. If we use Pascal’s triangle we can identify patterns in Lacsap’s fractions. The goal of this portfolio is to ? nd an equation that describes the pattern presented in Lacsap’s fraction. This equation must determine the numerator and the denominator for every row possible. Numerator Elements of the Pascal’s triangle form multiple horizontal rows (n) and diagonal rows (r). The elements of the ? rst diagonal row (r = 1) are a linear function of the row number n. For every other row, each element is a parabolic function of n.Where r represents the element number and n represents the row number. The row numbers that represents the same sets of numbers as the numerators in Lacsap’s triangle, are the second row (r = 2) and the seventh row (r = 7). These rows are respectively the third element in the triangle, and equal to each other bec ause the triangle is symmetrical. In this portfolio we will formulate an equation for only these two rows to ? nd Lacsap’s pattern. The equation for the numerator of the second and seventh row can be represented by the equation: (1/2)n * (n+1) = Nn (r) When n represents the row number.And Nn(r) represents the numerator Therefore the numerator of the sixth row is Nn(r) = (1/2)n * (n+1) Nn(r) = (1/2)6 * (6+1) Nn(r) = (3) * (7) Nn(r) = 21 Figure 2: Lacsap’s fractions. The numbers that are underlined are the numerators. Which are the same as the elements in the second and seventh row of Pascal’s triangle. Figure 1: Pascal’s triangle. The circled sets of numbers are the same as the numerators in Lacsap’s fractions. Graphical Representation The plot of the pattern represents the relationship between numerator and row number. The graph goes up to the ninth row.The rows are represented on the x-axis, and the numerator on the y-axis. The plot forms a parabo lic curve, representing an exponential increase of the numerator compared to the row number. Let Nn be the numerator of the interior fraction of the nth row. The graph takes the shape of a parabola. The graph is parabolical and the equation is in the form: Nn = an2 + bn + c The parabola passes through the points (0,0) (1,1) and (5,15) At (0,0): 0 = 0 + 0 + c ! ! At (1,1): 1 = a + b ! ! ! At (5,15): 15 = 25a + 5b ! ! ! 15 = 25a + 5(1 – a) ! 15 = 25a + 5 – 5a ! 15 = 20a + 5 ! 10 = 20a! ! ! ! ! ! ! therefore c = 0 therefore b = 1 – a Check with other row numbers At (2,3): 3 = (1/2)n * (n+1) ! (1/2)(2) * (2+1) ! (1) * (3) ! N3 = (3) therefore a = (1/2) Hence b = (1/2) as well The equation for this graph therefore is Nn = (1/2)n2 + (1/2)n ! which simpli? es into ! Nn = (1/2)n * (n+1) Denominator The difference between the numerator and the denominator of the same fraction will be the difference between the denominator of the current fraction and the previous fraction . Ex. If you take (6/4) the difference is 2. Therefore the difference between the previous denominator of (3/2) and (6/4) is 2. ! Figure 3: Lacsap’s fractions showing differences between denominators Therefore the general statement for ? nding the denominator of the (r+1)th element in the nth row is: Dn (r) = (1/2)n * (n+1) – r ( n – r ) Where n represents the row number, r represents the the element number and Dn (r) represents the denominator. Let us use the formula we have obtained to ?nd the interior fractions in the 6th row. Finding the 6th row – First denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Second denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! denominator = 6 ( 6/2 + 1/2 ) – 1 ( 6 – 1 ) ! = 6 ( 3. 5 ) – 1 ( 5 ) ! 21 – 5 = 16 denominator = 6 ( 6/2 + 1/2 ) – 2 ( 6 – 2 ) ! = 6 ( 3. 5 ) – 2 ( 4 ) ! = 21 – 8 = 13 ! ! -Third denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Fourth denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Fifth denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! denominator = 6 ( 6/2 + 1/2 ) – 3 ( 6 – 3 ) ! = 6 ( 3. 5 ) – 3 ( 3 ) ! = 21 – 9 = 12 denominator = 6 ( 6/2 + 1/2 ) – 2 ( 6 – 2 ) ! = 6 ( 3. 5 ) – 2 ( 4 ) ! = 21 – 8 = 13 denominator = 6 ( 6/2 + 1/2 ) – 1 ( 6 – 1 ) ! = 6 ( 3. 5 ) – 1 ( 5 ) ! = 21 – 5 = 16 ! ! We already know from the previous investigation that the numerator is 21 for all interior fractions of the sixth row.Using these patterns, the elements of the 6th row are 1! (21/16)! (21/13)! (21/12)! (21/13)! (21/16)! 1 Finding the 7th row – First denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Second denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Third denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Fourth denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 1 ( 7 – 1 ) ! =7(4)–1(6) ! = 28 – 6 = 22 denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 2 ( 7 – 2 ) ! =7(4)–2(5) ! = 28 – 10 = 18 denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 3 ( 7 – 3 ) ! =7(4)–3(4) ! = 28 – 12 = 16 denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 4 ( 7 – 3 ) ! =7(4)–3(4) ! = 28 – 12 = 16 ! ! ! ! ! ! Fifth denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – Sixth denominator ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 2 ( 7 – 2 ) ! ! =7(4)–2(5) ! ! = 28 – 10 = 18 ! ! denominator = 7 ( 7/2 + 1/2 ) – 1 ( 7 – 1 ) ! =7(4)–1(6) ! = 28 – 6 = 22 We already know from the previous investigation that the numerator is 28 for all interior fractions of the seventh row. Using these patterns, the elements of the 7th row are 1 (28/22) (28/18) (28/16) (28/16) (28/18) (28/22) 1 General Statement To ? nd a general statement we combined the two equations needed to ? nd the numerator and to ? nd the denominator. Which are (1/2)n * (n+1) to ? d the numerator and (1/2)n * (n+1) – n( r – n) to ? nd the denominator. By letting En(r) be the ( r + 1 )th element in the nth row, the general statement is: En(r) = {[ (1/2)n * (n+1) ] / [ (1/2)n * (n+1) – r( n – r) ]} Where n represents the row number and r represents the the element number. Limitations The ‘1’ at the beginning and end of each row is taken out before making calculations. Therefore the second element in each equation is now regarded as the ? rst element. Secondly, the r in the general statement should be greater than 0. Thirdly the very ? rst row of the given pattern is counted as the 1st row.Lacsap’s triangle is symmetrical like Pascal’s, therefore the elements on the left side of the line of symmetry are the same as the elements on the right side of the line of symmetry, as shown in Figure 4. Fourthly, we only formulated equations based on the second and the seventh rows in Pascal’s triangle. These rows are the only ones that have the same pattern as Lacsap’s fractions. Every other row creates either a linear equation or a different parabolic equation which doesn’t match Lacsap’s pattern. Lastly, all fractions should be kept when reduced; provided that no fractions common to the numerator and the denominator are to be cancelled. ex. 6/4 cannot be reduced to 3/2 ) Figure 4: The triangle has the same fractions on both sides. The only fractions that occur only once are the ones crossed by this line of symmetry. 1 Validity With this statement you can ? nd any fraction is Lacsap’s pattern and to prove this I will use this equation to ? nd the elements of the 9th row. The subscript represents the 9th row, and the number in parentheses represents the element number. – E9(1)!! ! – First element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – E9(2)!! ! – Second element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – E9(3)!! ! – Third element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 1( 9 – 1) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 1( 8 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 8 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 37 ]} 45/37 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 2( 9 – 2) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 2 ( 7 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 14 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 31 ]} 45/31 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 3 ( 9 – 3) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 3( 6 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 18 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 27 ]} 45/27 E9(4)!! ! – Fourth element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – E9(4)!! ! – Fifth element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – E9(3)!! ! – Sixth element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! – E9(2)!! ! – Seventh element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! â₠¬â€œ E9(1)!! ! – Eighth element! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 4( 9 – 4) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 4( 5 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 20 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 25 ]} 45/25 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 4( 9 – 4) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 4( 5 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 20 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 25 ]} 45/25 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 3 ( 9 – 3) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 3( 6 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 18 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 27 ]} 45/27 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 2( 9 – 2) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 2 ( 7 ) ] } {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 14 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 31 ]} 45/31 {[ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ n( n/2 + 1/2 ) – r( n – r) ]} {[ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) ] / [ 9( 9/2 + 1/2 ) – 1( 9 – 1) ]} {[ 9( 5 ) ] / [ 9( 5 ) – 1( 8 ) ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 45 – 8 ]} {[ 45 ] / [ 37 ]} 45/37 From these calculations, derived from the general statement the 9th row is 1 (45/37)! ! (45/31)! ! (45/27)! (45/25)! (45/25)! (45/27) (45/31)! (45/37)! ! 1 Using the general statement we have obtained from Pascal’s triangle, and following the limitations stated, we will be able to produce the elements of any given row in Lacsap’s pattern. This equation determines the numerator and the denominator for every row possible.

Peter Bogatyrev Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peter Bogatyrev - Essay Example Central Points of Readings Peter Bogatyrev (1971) has wrote a monograph describing the relationship between traditional dresses with certain characteristics of people wearing that, Place of the Wearer Bogatyrev described 28 costume districts on the basis of which people belonging to particular area can be recognized. Further he has illustrated two examples: Man from Pozlovice would wear two velvet bands round his hat and two carmine ribbons with green one between them while man from Biskupice would wear only one velvet band and a red ribbon. Social Class of wearer Bogatyrev described that occupation and social class of a person in traditional wearing can be identified with his wearing. E.g. magistrate wears boot, peasants wear black or coarse white breeches etc. Marital Status of Wearer: Mutinee-Novorany district unmarried man wore hats and narrow rims and red and white ribbons while married men would widen the rim and wear a broad gold band. The paper further describes that the deno tive â€Å"languages of dresses† no longer existing in the modern age apart from the uniforms wore by people in particular industry. For instance uniform of cabin crew of particular airline, uniforms of military and police and others. These uniforms also indicate the level of employment like uniform of officer will be different from the other crew member or uniform of pilot will be different. There are various factors of uniform indicating various things. Factors like fabric, color, types of garments and others indicate the origin of the company.

Symbolic Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Symbolic Terrorism - Research Paper Example Destabilizing a situation in the world and causing considerable political, economic and moral consequences, modern terrorism turned into a global problem. The resolution of this issue will predetermine the future of mankind, because recently created uncontrollable types of weapon threaten the existence of a civilization. Terrorism is a serious problem of the modern world, however, there are many historical facts, which prove that it is not a new phenomenon. Now scientists started considering conflict and terrorism separately, notwithstanding that they have many common features. The distinction between these two phenomena was made because of the â€Å"new terrorism† which appeared in 1990s. Now more attention is paid to ideological or symbolic aspect of terrorism. The given work will investigate terrorism in the context of symbolic struggle. Symbolic component of terrorist activity is determined by symbolic nature of social systems. A symbolic aspect as a political measurement of the purposes represents one of the basic elements of the definition of terrorism. This aspect makes terrorist act differ from a usual crime (Strachan, 2011). When a terrorist wants to kill a soldier, especially when he protects a military memorial, and his real purpose is the parliament, it is already political. Richmond states that: â€Å"as the divisions between war, peace, conflict and terrorism, between friend and enemy, soldier, criminal, and civilian break down, there is now potential for a critical reading of the insights this presents.

Internal weaknesses of Walt Disney company- only THEME PARKS part Research Paper

Internal weaknesses of Walt Disney company- only THEME PARKS part - Research Paper Example rough the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix and SWOT that’s a tool that strategically studies the functions of an organization be they weak or strong. One main internal weakness includes the high overhead expenditures that the company accrues. First, the company targets top talent employees and this is done through attractive offers that beat other competitors. They are given inflated bonuses and exorbitant salaries. The frequent refreshment of the company’s work force especially in top management leads to huge costs. Other costs include the setting up of theme parks, repair and maintenance, technology and construction of vacation units which cost billions together with the expenditure for publicity and promotions that are done. Dissatisfaction of employees is another weakness. Such discriminated payments bring other tensions like disputes from the labor people who cause unrest and tension and this causes internal weaknesses. Those who work on the theme parks including the writers, actors and network operators may complain through their unions as their pays are meagre compared to those of the management. A contrasting weakness is the cost cutting measures that may be may be caused by the situation of over the roof costs that the company would incur. Sometimes, the management may introduce new structures, systems and designs for its theme parks and this would in the end sabotage the upward growth of the company. Without quality investments, the services and experiences of their customers would go down and later their reputation might be harmed. The lack of enough developmental property or assets like land is another internal weakness. Although the company is big, matters like the acquisition of new pieces of land require a lot of hierarchy involvement and consultations and this has led to the fact that the Walt Disney Company land for resorts has been landlocked to Florida and the speculative front in California and this means that there are no new

Supply chain management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply chain management - Coursework Example In this reference, this paper endeavors to identify the problems faced by the corporative foods it its supply chain management and the competitors in the products and services they deal in (Good, & Schultz, 2000). Corporative food is a UK based firm that specializes in the Supply chain management of food products. Some of the features the company boasts of are the wide range of food products they deal in to the efficiency, modernity, and ethical consideration that are put into place before their products are dispatched (Steers, Runde, & Nardon, 2010). Notwithstanding, the company is also faced with a plethora of problems. The major challenge being increasing its customer base, this is following the realization of a fall in the profit margin by 0.2% in the last financial year (Paley, 2005). The company has therefore decided to undergo major reformation in a move to restore the company back to its initial market base. The fall in the profit margin is attributed to the aggressive compet itors who have fiercely invaded the cooperative market strongholds. Some of the worthy competitors in the market includes; Big bear, Foo Go, and Sara’s Kitchen (Miletsky, & Smith, 2009). ... ered; Features and Benefits of the Product The company has decided to make their products unique in quality and other features like packaging as well as opening more of their branches to trap extra market (Sears, 2003). Most of the products of the company are natural and organic nature, this is a move is seen to be able to attract more customers on grounds that they are mindful about health. In reference to this, the company also has sought several product certification bodies to build confidence of the customers on their products (Kangas, 2003). Price The company has also considered reducing the cost of production, transportation and other logistics to retail their products cheaper than the competitors have. This they perceive will give them a clear cutting age over the cutthroat competition that the competitors have mounted (Hoppe, 2001). Brand Name recognition One of the major ways of piecing through the market is creation of a brand name. The brand name creation involves consiste nt marketing coupled with entering into alliances with other cooperatives (Hertog, & Huizenga, 2000). This is what cooperative company has sought. They have engaged several other related cooperative to create a wide range of awareness of their products. In all this efforts, the company is keeping a vigil eye on the progress and response to the laid strategies (Abrams, & Kleiner, 2003). Interrelationship Stages The company has embraced the interrelationship of marketing their products by associating with other relevant companies to promote them (Vollmann, 2005). This in itself is a good move as long as the other body consents to the deal. It is also important in this case to ascertain the public perception on the company, this is because is it has a dwindling opinion form the public; it is

The context of international business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The context of international business - Essay Example The company was founded by Jack Cohen in the year 1919, the number of stores as on April 2012 happens to be 6,351 stores. (Burgemeister, 2003, p. 192). The total revenue of the company happens to be ?64.539 billion as on 2012. The total market share in U.K. is 30.2%. The major global competitors of the company are Walmart, Carrefour, Aldi, Royal Ahold and Metro. Identifying the company’s main drivers of accessing foreign markets using theories of FDI FDI stands for foreign direct investment. There are various theories of FDI like the product life cycle theory, internationalization and eclectic paradigm theory of the OLI frame-work. Among these the internationalization theory has been used to identify the key drives. The internationalization theory states that a company operating in a matured economy needs to expand the horizon beyond the local market to get competitive advantage and economies of scale. In the early 90s Tesco was lagging behind Sainsbury’s as the second largest retailer in the country and the operations of the country was subjected to the U.K. market only. But the global economic reforms couples with the drive to become a global major retailer urged Tesco to enter the global market. The first phase of internationalization begun as Tesco entered Hungary in 1994. Since then there has been no turning back, Of-course there has been certain problems in countries like France, but looking at the overall perspective the results speak for themselves. Today Tesco is largest retailer in U.K. and the third largest retailer in the world right after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Mainly Tesco is a general merchandise and grocery retailer and operates as following the business to consumer framework. External Environment Analysis External or macro environmental factors are those that cannot be controlled by an organization and yet the modus operand of an organization gets severely affected by the changes or developments in the external environment. The m ain external environmental factors include political, economic, social and technological factors. However, the legal factors are also to be included. Bit, since most of the legal legislatures in a country are developed by the government itself the legal factors are hereby included in the political factors. Here it is to be added that Tesco entered in U.S. in the year 2007. Therefore the PEST analysis has been based on the external environmental situation in 2007 -2008 only (Henry, 2008, p. 89). Political United States has always been a politically stable country. And the governments in U.S. have always welcomed business investments from both local and international firms. Many specialists have tagged U.S. as a very stable political country irrespective of the political regime. Probably due to such attitude of the political leaders of the country the country has become one of the strongest economies in the world. As mentioned earlier as far the legislative system goes the country as mentioned has a business friendly legal environment welcoming investments. Legal and Regulatory reforms in the 1970s actually resulted in de-regulation in various sectors and enhanced competition and efficiency.

EDF and international energy markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EDF and international energy markets - Essay Example EDF is known for energy control in United Kingdom and a British energy supplier. EDF is also known for the supply of gas and electricity that are supplied to homes and businesses. The company has employed 13, 158 employees, due to the increased customer trust it handles 5.7 million accounts that the customers use to pay with. This paper seeks to discuss EDF which is an internal energy generator that is responsible of generating and supplying renewable resources, nuclear energy, transmission and supply. Through the chief executive Vincent De Rivas, the financial performance of EDF has been increasing since the production of energy is sustainable to their customers. The energy produced by EDF has low carbon that makes the customers to trust the EDF for long term contract in the extraction of energy. The nuclear power that EDF has been controlling has resulted to tremendously increase in profit for almost eight years. The existing nuclear that has been stored can be handed over to the next generation without considering additional of fossil fuel (Garvin, 2013). To ensure customer satisfaction, EDF ensures that the prices of energy do not rise and if the prices fluctuate, they are reduced to maintain good relationship between EDF and their customers. France derives its electricity from the nuclear energy which is estimated to be 75%. The country is known as the world largest exporter of electricity due to technology that is used to generate the energy. The low cost of generation makes France to attain revenue of EUR 3 billion annually. Due to the usage of nuclear technology the country is able to export reactors, fuel products and other services in most parts of Europe (James, 2002). Through collaborating with EDF, the government will ensure production of sufficient energy and other nuclear energy that will boost the economy of the country. As indicated from the tables above, EDF has continued to increase its profit. With the improved competition,

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example What remains after establishment of the firm is managing the enterprise into a successful firm. 2. Application of technology in modern businesses cannot be underestimated. Most business processes are heavily dependent on modern technology. For instance, computer technology has made it possible for entrepreneurs to analyse market conditions, formulate market models, and integrate the various business concepts into practice. Therefore, technology is an overwhelmingly important tool for creativity and innovativeness in that great ideas can be tried and put into practice using technology. It is also important to note that successful entrepreneurs are flexible to fiscal changes in the market. Business in the modern world has become increasingly competitive and dynamic thereby demanding high degree of business flexibility. Competition may change business conditions and fiscal policies as well and therefore, successful entrepreneurs need to be well equipped to anticipate and prepare for these changes. Otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain viable business enterprises without a clear understanding of prevailing and even future market

The New Nissan Versa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The New Nissan Versa - Essay Example Logos is the use of reasoning to construct an argument. Advertisements, for example, make logical appeals in their presentation. The object of rhetoric analysis is a discourse that makes the principles of rhetoric analysis similar to those of discourse analysis. Rhetoric methods are applicable to objects like cars, castles, and computers among others. The aim of rhetoric is to persuade, appeal, motivate and inform specific audiences in particular situations. The video Nissan Versa 2012 Test Drive & Car Review by RoadflyTV with Emme Hall presents a review of the Nissan Versa 2012 with the goal of getting the readers to see how one can save on fuel as they drive the car. At the exterior of the car, there is a steel spare wheel and temporary spare tire, inside mounted spare tire, all season tires, and four-wheel covers. The interior front seats are ergonomic in that the driver’s seat is adjustable, covered with elegant clothes. The car also has bucket front seats. The roof has intermittent wipers and rear defoggers. There is also an air conditioner that makes the interior very comfortable. The new Nissan Versa has a maximum cargo capacity of 14.8 cu.ft. It has a rear trunk spoiler, chrome trunk accent, and splash guards. There is a gas-based type of engine with four inline cylinders. It has an EPA mileage, stability and traction control, electronic brake force distribution and emergency interior trunk release. On entertainment, there is a mast antenna, two speakers, and single CD player stereo and auxiliary MP3 audio input. The car also has a carpeted floor and trunk mats, illuminated kick plates and auto-dimming rearview mirror. In order for the presenter to effectively get her message across, she has used many strategies. An example is the use of didactic tone that makes the listener sound like a credible and experienced one creating a sense of superiority for herself and the reader.  

The counselling relationship Essay Example for Free

The counselling relationship Essay An anti-oppressive approach to counselling is essential to establish and maintain an affective working relationship between counsellors and clients. Clients must feel that they can trust their counsellor and that they may share any information without fear of judgment for their opinions, beliefs and values. Anti-oppressive practice enables clients to make informed choices surrounding the direction they wish their therapy journey to take. This essay will explore four areas that are critical to incorporate into professional counselling practice that contribute to the anti-oppressive approach to the therapeutic relationship. The ethical aspects of counselling, the importance of contracting, the importance of informed consent and the role of self-awareness will be examined. These four areas contribute to anti-oppressive practice by ensuring clients rights are respected and upheld and contribute to ensuring that the counselling relationship is beneficial and a useful part of the self-exploration You must Login to view the entire essay. If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free  process.  Ethical guidelines are designed to encourage ethical behaviour and decision-making and they serve as safeguards to make sure high standards are adhered to by counsellors during the therapeutic sessions. They are guidelines which predominately refer to the rights and responsibilities of both the client and the counsellor during the therapeutic relationship. Ethics highlight the principles of appropriate conduct and behaviour to be adhered to by the counsellor. According to Summers (2011, p. 1), â€Å"ethical principles are the foundation of good human service practice† and it is essential that professionals understand ethical obligations and seek direction when they are unclear. Ethical principles are created to protect and prevent exploitation of clients, provide guidelines and to respect and offer protection for clients therefore contributing to anti-oppressive practice. Counseling level 3 Assignment For this assignment I will be critically evaluating the person centered model of counseling in relation to homosexual people. I will be considering the importance of anti-oppressive and  anti-discriminatory practice when working with this client group. The person centered model of counseling has its origins within Humanistic psychology and the phenomenological approach. Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was the founder of the person centered method and he drew his ideas from the humanistic and phenomenological approaches that are also associated with Abraham Maslow (1908-1970). The phenomenological approach is a philosophical assessment of the individual it was developed by Husserl (1975); the focus is on the subjective experience. The method involved requires the professional to suspend their assumptions and interpretation of the clients world. The client is viewed as a unique person and is facilitated to interpret and explore their own experiences and thoughts. Criticism of the use of phenomenology by Rogers as the basis for therapy is highlighted by Eysenck (1998), he states that it is a simplistic approach as much valuable information lies below the level of conscious awareness therefore the value of the subjective experience can be unreliable. Humanistic psychology has an optimistic perspective of human nature and the focus is on the whole person, the aim for the individual is to become what he/she is capable of becoming Rogers (1951) cited in Dryden et al (1989:10). This is also described as self-actualization, a term developed by Maslow to describe the motivating force enabling us to reach our full potential and peak experience. The humanistic approach stresses the importance of the individuals ability to direct their own life, and the counselor using the person centered method should allow the individual to choose their own pace of change and their own values and standards. However these values and beliefs may clash with those of the counselor’s and this can potentially lead to incongruity for e.g. a gay or lesbian person may be in a marriage and not disclose the fact that they are having homosexual feelings or relationship outside their marriage, to their heterosexual partner. In this situation it would be difficult for the counselor not to encourage the client to be honest with their spouse. Palmer and Laungani (1999) state that for effective communication it is essential that the counselor and client have a common set of assumptions and cultural ideology. There are 3 core conditions that Rogers identified, which are essential to a successful relationship between counselor and client, and for a therapeutic change to be facilitated; these core conditions are congruence or genuiness, the acceptance of the client with out judgment or  the provision of unconditional positive regard, and thirdly empathy. One of the core conditions that Rogers identifies is congruence or genuiness, congruence refers to the counselor’s capacity to be a real and genuine person in the counseling relationship. It also requires the counselor to be transparent so that the client can see straight through him/her. However this can be much more difficult than it seems on the surface. For e.g. if the client presents a situation where the professional does not agree with their action or beliefs, and may reserve these, it may be difficult to be honest in such a circumstance, and therefore maintain.

McDonalds Change Management Case Study

McDonalds Change Management Case Study In this report I will analyze the handling of a significant change that occurred in McDonalds few years back, how the management and other employees reacted to this change, how the resistance was handled, what were the major factors that led this change happen and to what extent the change was successful in achieving companys objectives. It is very important for organizations to prepare themselves for the changes that they may have to face in order to compete with the latest development that is happening within and outside their environment. However these changes can bring many improvements and progress to that organization in certain aspects. For example it may be helpful for making the work easier; it can open ways for future innovations and can also help to generally improve peoples life. Colin Carnall (2002) The primary purpose of my report is to provide insights about the change management process in McDonalds that occurred recently and evaluate the outcome of implementing it. Moreover to highlight any resistance associated with it and how it was overcome by the management. SECTION 1 1.1 A Little about McDonalds McDonalds started its operations in 1954. As everybody is now familiar with the clown character which is Ronald McDonald, that has been designed as the trademark for the company. McDonalds restaurants offer a uniform menu to a large extent, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, salads, milk shakes, desserts and ice cream sundaes. The companys top sellers are the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with cheese, the Fillet-o-Fish and Chicken McNuggets. The customer target of McDonalds is usually children and young people. 1.2 Brief description of the recent change occurred in McDonalds Though McDonalds has a reputable brand image and a memorable history of previous achievements, yet management at McDonalds started feeling that the growing population has developed different nutritional attitude and behaviours as they are extremely different from the population of the previous decades. They felt a severe need to redefine the image of McDonalds and repositioning the brand in the minds of customers as people today are more concerned with their health and figures than ever before. Since last few years peoples perception about McDonalds food has changed considerably, as they feel that it provides greasy food which is very high in fats and more expensive than its competitors, whereas the competitors have already made measures to reduce fats in their products and also provide less expensive meals. Moreover McDonalds had to face a considerable loss few years back as the consumers began to switch to its competitors, such as Burger King, Subway and KFC for the reason that the y offer fresher and high quality food at comparatively lower price with faster service. In order to keep gaining the market share and retaining its customers McDonalds had to respond to the changing behaviour of consumers. Furthermore, noticing that the obesity issue in the UK is getting serious and complex, McDonalds received a big challenge to implement certain changes the soonest possible time. Understanding the changing behaviour of its consumers and the health-conscious factor prevailing in the market, Management finally decided to implement a new integrated marketing communication plan as part of their marketing strategy that mainly involved innovations in their advertising and promotional campaigns focussing on changing the customers perception for McDonalds food quality. 1.3 Main Objectives in making this change The main objectives of McDonalds for adapting to the changing demand of its customers were: Implementation of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) plan as part of their marketing strategy. Providing a balanced diet and an active lifestyle Operating with freedom to adapt practices to local markets, and to share best practices internationally between restaurants, markets and countries, while holding on to a common brand identity Innovation in advertising and promotional campaigns To be the customers favourite place and way to eat Effectively tackling the obesity Adopting a new health-conscious brand image Meeting the latest trend of health awareness and the growing concern in obesity among the children and target market Introducing a new, separate low-fat menu for children Changing the public image of McDonalds Maintaining the traditional efficiency of fast food restaurant and provide comfortable environment to customers. 2.1 Main Drivers of the change Like most big companies, McDonalds engages with a variety of different stakeholders in the countries where it operates, as well as monitoring all pending political initiatives. McDonalds is a large multinational business with many stores on high streets and in shopping centres across the country. As such, the company is affected by the external factors that impact all retail business in UK. The main drivers of this change are described as under: Environmental Shifts Changing social needs and market demands of customers Increased awareness in people about health and food consumption and safety Emerging diet programs that encourages public to be figure conscious Growing concern in obesity among target market Latest trends of health awareness Technological Changes Innovation by the competitors Developments in technology Economic trends and developments Market Competition consumer confidence local environment competitive pressure 2.2 Explaining the need for change using appropriate framework Above are the main derivers that created a need for changing the brand image of McDonalds over the last few years. Below I will explain in detail using models and frameworks as to how these drivers created the need for this change which took place. 2.2.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS In this section, I will explain the all the factors (drivers) of this change with the use of the Pestel Analysis that comprises of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors that combine to be the main reason for bringing a change in an organisation. (P)olitical factors McDonalds just like other organizations follow certain rules and regulations imposed by the government. For that reason they need to obey all the policies in order to achieve their organizational goals. The UK government is very particular about health and safety of its people and have set some standards to be met by every food chain in order to keep the business running so McDonalds had to bring this change of repositioning itself in its consumers minds so as to give them a positive image of their food quality and price. (E)conomic factors Due to the heavy slump in the economy, people have become much more price sensitive than ever before. Every single penny counts a lot now. Therefore they want to spend for the quality food that matches their demand, in other words they want return of every single penny they pay and that return includes the quality and satisfaction. These changing economic trends actually affected the profitability in terms of value for money and highly created a need for McDonalds to adapt itself to the changing market demand and standards. (S)ocial factors Social factors include the changing lifestyle of people which has made them more health conscious and safety sensitive. In case of food chain, demographics play an important role to affect the market conditions. Therefore, the age group which is the main target market for McDonalds is between 10-50yrs that includes children and young people who are truly becoming more aware of diet planning day by day due to the increased information available to them through various research planners and diet programs that encourage them to be figure conscious. This changing style of target market was a big challenge for McDonalds to keep itself running successfully that could only be achieved by adapting itself to the environmental change and delivering what customer actually demands from them. (T)echnological factors Advancement in technology has too much affected the mindset of people. As the technology evolves so does the human behaviour. With the use of internet and information technology, people have become more aware and active. They have got a quick access to all types of information, be it diet planning or education or environment or safety or any other issue. Developments in technology highly demands from businesses to evolve themselves as and when required by their consumers and same was the case with McDonalds. (E)nvironmental Environment is a very vital part of every business. McDonalds faces a tough competition by its competitors including Subway, KFC and Burger King. Realizing that its competitors are evolving their business according to the changing lifestyle of customers, McDonalds was forced to take prompt decision in order to beat the competition and staying ahead of it. (L)egal Legal factors involved the safety regulations as set by the government for all food chains. These regulations are actually set keeping in mind the customers needs and are also monitored and improved on regular basis as per the changing lifestyle of consumers. Consumer protection is another factor that McDonalds is expected to consider while doing business as part of the legal bindings. SECTION 3 3.1 Evaluating the process of change management by McDonalds In this section I am going to evaluate the effectiveness of the process of change management by McDonalds. Their main aim was to change the mindset of the consumers and creating positive perception and image of McDonalds in their minds. Here I will use ADKAR model of change management to analyze the effectiveness of the process adopted by the management of McDonalds to bring this change in place. This model comprises of five key goals including awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. Below is the in depth analysis of the change management process of McDonalds. 3.1.1 ADKAR MODEL OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT Awareness Awareness helps the company to realise and feel the need for bringing certain change that is why it is considered as a basic tool for innovation. In this case, when management felt that their sales started going down they tried to look for the reasons and found that the living style and needs of their target market has evolved. They realised that people have become too much health conscious, which is why they started to consider the fast food as unhealthy and greasy food. This gave them the awareness about the lifestyle of their target market and their changing demands. Desire Desire relates to the strength of McDonalds to participate and support the change. It is quite understood that every organization wants to excel in the market by making huge profits and customer satisfaction so does McDonalds. With the economic development there has been a great change in peoples living standard as they have become more concerned about their health issues. Realizing this, the management at McDonalds responded to the changing demands of its customers in a very supportive way, and was successful to handle the resistance by other staff members. Knowledge It was important for McDonalds to have knowledge of how to change itself in order to match with the changing market demand. Once it was aware of the changing behaviour of the target market and was ready to adopt a change, management focused on what they needed to do in order to retain and satisfy the customers in the long run. The external factors including the competitors strengths and the changing consumers behaviour gave McDonalds, knowledge of what exactly to be done to make it stable and running. Ability McDonalds ability to implement the change can be analyzed by evaluating its goal and objectives. McDonalds goal was to implement Integrated marketing Campaign to adopt a new health-conscious image in the minds of customers. It focussed heavily on the advertising and promotional campaign of the company. The company decided to introduce a new low fat menu for children that would help them to overcome the growing bad publicity about McDonalds food for being rich in fat and to manage the obesity issue among children. Realizing the importance of consumers health, McDonalds introduced McKids Meals having both nutritional value and no fat thus making it different from the traditional McDonalds meals. Moreover the innovation in their Integrated Marketing Communication provided an effective advertising and public relations campaign to successfully introduce the new McDonalds to the public. Moreover they introduced McChicken Premiere and a zesty chicken to satisfy customers desire for good quality products at affordable prices. To keep the children, it also started to give more choices with Happy Meal including no-sugar-add fruit drink that is a low fat drink and also McDonalds coffee which appeals to adult. Furthermore McDonalds have responded in time to the changing healthy trend by adding salads and other lighter options in their menu. As children are one of the biggest consumers groups to McDonalds, therefore they paid considerable attention to them. They tried to provide a huge variety for children including the happy land with happy meals with toys. They believe that if they make themselves best suited for children, they can attract the whole family too. Finally the foundation for all above innovations was the Integrated Marketing Communication through the use of attractive advertising and promotional activities which could promote these new products in the market and made people aware of these innovations. These promotions were the basic tool for creating a positive perception in consumers minds for McDonalds and gaining their trust back. Therefore McDonalds created its new image in the market by the use of new advertisements and new theme I love it even more!. Reinforcement It was not enough to bring the change or adapt to the changing environment but it highly demanded from McDonalds to retain the change in the long run. That is why reinforcement of practicing and retaining that change played a vital role as post implementation of that change. McDonalds is quite successful to reinforce its employees to continuously practice retain their changed positive image in consumers minds. This was successfully done through positive encouragement and other rewards for the employees. 3.2 Resistance occurred in implementing this change Different people react differently to a change in the organisation. However it is important to accept this reality that resistance is always there in any form which may be there before, during or after the implementation of the change. McDonalds had to face certain conflicts and resistances in the process of bringing this change. This resistance came both from customers and McDonalds employees. Some of the employees were in favour of implementing Integrated Marketing Communication whereas some were against it and same was the case of customers as some of them opposed the change whereas others liked it. Overall the company faced following main conflicts/resistance: Different assessments of the situation Some managers and employees opposed it because they had a fear of the company being going into a loss if this implementation would not help to produce a positive result. They were confused that this change may make the problem more complicated and could make bad impression of McDonalds in customers minds instead of improving it. Moreover they were quite uncertain about the capability of the team that was dedicated by McDonalds to bring the required IMC (Integrated Marketing Communication) in place. They were thinking that the team may not be able to produce an effective quality due to lack of knowledge. Lack of communication and inadequate information The other resistance was related to the technological facilities being used by the McDonalds team. As employees thought that the systems that were used by the McDonalds team to implement IMC campaign might be downgraded due to the rapid advancement in the field of IT these days. Therefore they were very unsure whether the customers would have a positive reaction to their new campaign or not, which could result in not achieving the core objective of the change for McDonald as a whole. Low tolerance of change Another conflict among the managers was related to the experience of the team that was organized to help sustain the implementation of the changes. Some of the managers had a view that McDonalds may face a shortage of qualified workforce to keep up the capability of the marketing communication approach. Cultural differences among employees Another issue was the cultural differences among the staff that created some inner conflicts. Due to this the team may not function with proper co-ordination thus making the implementation of change be more complicated. Unwillingness to take risk Another resistance came from the staff was due to unwillingness to take risk. They were quite doubtful about the reaction of customers after the implementation of this change. Psychological resistance involved with new working challenge Management and employees were also resistant due to pressure of working with a new challenge and new environment. 3.3 How McDonalds managed the Resistance to change It was really a crucial phase for McDonalds to implement these changes and overcoming the resistance by employees and customers. Management knew that their plan would only be successful if they would be able to handle this resistance successfully as they knew that achieving their organisational goals entirely depends upon the way any resistance to it is managed. They had to obtain the strong support in sustaining the success as bringing the change is something that has to be a continuous process that needs equally important post implementation attention as well. However comprehending the whole scenario, McDonalds tried its best to overcome the resistance by adopting following techniques: Involving everyone in the process of change For McDonalds, the most important point to start with solving the resistance was to involve everyone in the change process so that everybody should undergo some learning experiences in order to understand and appreciate the objectives of that change. Management provided them complete information to let them understand the objectives in making this change so that they must realize and appreciate the importance of doing this and also let the employees feel that they are important in making this change successful. This helped McDonalds in gaining the support from the staff and overcoming their resistance. Face-to-face interaction to gain trust of employees The management created an environment where they can have face-to-face interaction with all employees to develop strong interpersonal relationships and trust. Providing enough time to employees It was important for the management to let employees understand the changing environment and required changes to be made accordingly. For that employees need to have tacit knowledge which comes from observation and experience so management tried to provide space to employees to learn from their experience and observe the surroundings. Providing updated technology to facilitate knowledge management As the management was responsible to implement this change so they decided to deteriorate all the negative responses related to the technology, by providing the customers, employees and staff their respective demands. For that they provided the staff with the technology that could last much longer. Moreover they facilitated them with systems that guaranteed long lasting functions in order to assure them that the technology they will be using is quite compatible with the latest development in the world of IT. Education and Communication Managers tried to educate and inform people about the change effort so as to why it was needed and the expected outcome of that change which would be for the betterment of the company and employees as well. This helped the employees to realize the logic in the change effort. It also reduced any doubts in their minds about the negative effects of the change. Training and follow-up programs for the team involved As far as the conflict was raised regarding the deficiency of the talented team that was designed to work for the marketing communication, McDonalds decided to conduct special follow-up programs for the staff that was involved in the said changes, which would enable them to receive proper training and development required to implement the required changes. Developing a thriving organizational culture To overcome the inner conflict that was raised due to differences in culture, the management of McDonald developed a thriving organizational culture and a stronger organization by proper management of the staff, providing them what they actually deserved in order to motivate them. They highly focussed on the proper handling of elements such as organizational design, compensation programs for employees, performance management and career path in order to motivate employees and create interest in them to word dedicatedly for the company and support them bringing this change. Furthermore, the human capital management of the McDonalds also incorporated a process to ensure equality among employees to make them feel an important part of the organization irrespective of their cultural differences. This helped them gaining employees loyalty and hard that not only helped the employees but also the organization. Overall McDonalds management was quite successful in handling the resistance and conflicts raised by employees and customers and they all participated and supported the implementation and helped McDonalds gain its positive image back. SECTION 4 4.1 Assessing the effectiveness of the Change in meeting its Objectives It was very important for McDonalds to handle the conflicts and resistance carefully because it is something which leads to the success or failure of the change for being properly handled or by being neglected otherwise. Therefore management of McDonalds understood the importance of handling the resistance properly in order to make the change occur successfully. However McDonalds was quite successful in implementing the change effectively and was able to meet its following objectives: Shifting the attitude of children Shifting the attitude of children about healthy fast food meals was not easy but through proper marketing communications and campaigns strong encouraging characteristics, management was quite successful in doing it. As parents are the one who are responsible for eating patterns of their children so McDonalds aim was to encourage parents about their new healthier food plans for children and let them enjoy McDonalds more than ever before. Positive Image Building McDonalds new image successfully created a place in minds of people as they could see the new advertisements of McDonalds at all types of media which let them associate with the brand in a more positive way than ever before. Through the new advertisements and new theme of I love it even more! McDonalds was successful in encouraging parents to let their children eat healthy meals. This helped them to achieve its main objective of positive image building. Creating a safe environment Moreover the management was able to implement the change effectively by creating a safe environment for change that encouraged all employees to support and stay committed to the organizational efforts in bringing the change to meet its overall objectives. This helped them to overcome all the conflicts raised by employees and customers, before and during the implementation of these changes. Gaining organizational strength and competitiveness This change also helped McDonalds to enhance its overall organizational strength and competitiveness by gaining customer loyalty back and positive image building of the brand. People started associating themselves again with McDonalds and started encouraging their children to eat McDonalds which was the core element for bringing this change. Expand the business portfolio Moreover it also encouraged the management to strengthen and expand its business portfolio and survive to the tough competition in the market. By gaining its customers back, McDonalds started to earn more market share as compared to its competitors which led them to enter new market with same brand and expand the business to be childrens most favourite place to eat and entertain themselves. 4.2 Assessing the need for any further changes As people are getting very particular about their health so it is necessary for McDonalds to retain its good image in minds of customers and to maintain its food quality and standard along with the prices. They may need to focus on producing low fat products and should think of entertaining children in a lot more other ways as well just like the play section they already have. They need to keep a proper check on the services of its competitors so as to manage it accordingly. McDonalds must try to maintain its services in order to cope up with the changing social needs and market requirements. Furthermore management at McDonalds should be able to carefully plan such innovation and they must use effective strategic tools to implement such change in future as well, this would help them to achieve its vision of a food industry that provides a health-conscious sub-image which is consistent with the latest trend in health awareness today and for the future. Moreover the management leaders at McDonalds should always try to monitor what is working and not working in the process of the organization change in order to implement the change effectively. Such changes will help McDonalds to enhance its competitiveness and strength. Whenever the management observes the need of any further change, then that is the only time, they must impose required changes to be done in order to save the company to undergo any downturn again. It is recommended that McDonalds must see to it that any further changes are well planned and implemented carefully, because these will be the basis for the success or failure of the organization. McDonalds must continuously review, update and improve its products according to the changing environment in order to ensure and enhance its competitiveness.

Neurobiology of Memory Reconsolidation

Neurobiology of Memory Reconsolidation What is the current understanding of the neurobiology of memory reconsolidation and how will impact psychology. Abstract This essay is focusing on the neurobiology of memory reconsolidation, specifically on the molecular mechanisms of LTP and reconsolidation, and the crucial role synaptic plasticity plays in fear conditioning and its resultant implication for psychopathology specifically Posttraumatic stress disorder This essay is focusing on current understanding of the neurobiology of memory reconsolidation, specifically on the molecular mechanisms of LTP and reconsolidation, and its resultant implication for psychopathology specifically promising research using propranolol and d-cycloserine as a treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Memory consolidationis the process by which memories are stabilised after being acquired. Consolidation studies have traditionally focused on the hippocampus andsystems consolidation, whereshort term memories become long term memories and independent of thehippocampus over time (Pinel, 2011). The more recently discovered process of consolidation is synaptic consolidation, which occurs within the first few hours after learning, and requires protein synthesis and gene transcription (Pinel, 2011). Long term memories were once considered to be stable, but within the last decade, the discovery of reconsolidation, the process in which stored memories can be retrieved and held in labile short-term memory, has changed theory and research on memory (Pinel, 2011). The neurobiological process of synaptic memory consolidation is thought to be long-term potentiation (LTP), which is the prolonged strengthening of the synapse with increased signalling between two neurons (Sacktor, 2012). The model of LTP and synaptic consolidation, as first theorised by Hebb (Pinel, 2011), suggests that changes in membrane potential and alterations of synapticprotein synthesis such as activating Phosporylated Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK),are achieved through activatingintracellular transduction cascades, such as glutamate activating the NMDA receptor so that calcium ions can enter the neuron. These molecular cascades triggertranscription factors such as CREBthat lead to changes ingene expression through RNA synthesis (Pinel, 2011). The result of the gene expression is the lasting structural remodelling of synapses. This complex process of the molecular cascade, expression and process of transcription factors, is susceptible to disruptions in the short ti me period immediately following memory induction (Nader, Schafe LeDoux, 2000a). The potential for memory to be distrupted during consolidation has been extensively researched using pharmacology and trauma. For example, in experiments on Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats, LTP and fear conditioning were blocked when NMDA-receptorantagonistswere administered (Nader et al, 2000b). This process ofLTPis regarded as a contributing factor tosynaptic plasticityand in the growth ofsynaptic strength, and is thought to underlie memory formation, as it affects memory when disrupted. It was previously thought that even though this long process of consolidation could be disrupted, once a memory was consolidated it could not be disrupted. This classic view has been revised over the last 15 years, with extensive research showing that consolidated memories, once retrieved, revert to a labile state where they can be disrupted and undergo another consolidation process, called reconsolidation. (Shwabe, 2014). Reconsolidation was first hypothesised after studies were done using electroconvulsive shock therapy to disrupt consolidated fear memory (Tronson Taylor, 2007). Nader’s (2000a) landmark research using Pavlovianfear conditioningon rats found that a consolidated fear memory can return to alabilestate, when the amygdalais infused with theprotein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin. Subsequent studies have also shown that post-retrieval treatment with protein synthesis inhibitors can lead to an amnestic state (Shwabe, 2014). It has been concluded therefore that cons olidated fear memory, when reactivated, enters a changeable state that requires de novo protein synthesisfor new consolidation or reconsolidation of the old memory (Shwabe, 2014). Since these breakthrough studies many more have found evidence supporting reconsolidation, and have explored its processes and implications. Reconsolidation research over the last decade has demonstrated that some, but not all memories can be strengthened, weakened, or updated thus providing an opportunity to modify some long term memories (Shwabe, 2014). This very limited essay will focus on a few of the important animal and human studies related to fear memory and reconsolidation theory and its implications for psychology. Fear conditioning, fear memory and extinction learning experiments, often use manipulations of theamygdala, due to its involvement in the encoding and memory of significant emotional experiences (Agren et al, 2012). Most of the research on reconsolidation has been done on animals, one of the first studies of human fear memory consolidation was by Kindt in 2009 in which healthy participants were first fear-conditioned and the fear was reactivated by a single presentation of a conditioned stimulus 24 hours later. Shortly before memory reactivation, participants received the beta-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol during the proposed reconsolidation window, which resulted in substantial weakening of the behavioural fear response and the return of fear memory. Research by Schiller (2010) also explored fear memory activation and update mechanisms and extinction learning, and found the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) plays an important role (Schiller, 2013). Agren et al (2012) also demonstrated fear memory trace erasure in the amygdala of humans using behavioural manipulations. Using functional brain imaging, Agren and colleagues (2012) found that when reconsolidation was disrupted through extinction training, the fear memory was significantly weakened and the memory trace was erased in the amygdala. Additional important recent research providing support for memory updating used Pavlovian fear conditioning manipulations and micro density heat map measures of fear memory on the lateral amygdala of rats, and found that the memory recapitulated not only in the same location but in new areas during reconsolidation (Bergstrom, McDonald, Dey, Tang, Selwyn Johnson, 2013). These, and many more important studies using different experimental manipulations, suggest that memory is labile and updated after reactivation, and that more or less the same areas are recruited for reconsolidation that are involved in initial memory formation. The potential ability to modify established emotional memories through the processes of memory updating, reconsolidationand extinction of conditioned fear memories has important implications for the treatment of many mental disorders, including anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder is classified as ananxiety disorderin the DSM iV, characteristic symptoms of PTSD are strong traumatic memories that are continuously retrieved in an intrusive manner, causing re-experiencing of the original trauma (Schwabe, 2014).Research is focusing on testing pharmacological treatments and behavioural interventions that target memory reconsolidation in PTSD populations. One drug being researched in neurobiology for the treatment of PTSD is propranolol, the b-adrenergic receptor antagonist that has effects on protein synthesis. The idea that propranolol could be a useful treatment in PTSD stemmed from studies showing that this drug can disrupt the reconsolidation of fear conditioning in animal models and humans (Kindt, 2009). There is some evidence of success with propranolol, such as in pilot studies by Pitman (2002) and Vaiva (2003) which found that immediate treatment with propranolol decreases posttraumatic stress disorder two months after trauma. In recent experiments using propranolol, patients with chronic PTSD were asked to prepare a written script of their personal traumatic experience that caused the PTSD. Each patient then received either propranolol or a placebo (Brunet et al, 2008). One week later, all patients underwent a procedure where there physiological arousal was tested as the script was read. The results showed that psychophysiological responding was significantly lower in patients who had received propranolol a week earlier than in patients who were administered a placebo. These findings were replicated and extended in three open-label studies where PTSD symptoms were significantly lower than at pretreatment (Brunet et al, 2011). In these promising studies on the effect of post-retrieval propranolol in chronic PTSD it is ambiguous as to whether the benefits were from propranolol enhancement or the psychological intervention; And whether propranolol enhanced extinction consolidation or blocked memory reconsoli dation. (de Kleine et al, 2013). Some of these studies also lacked the appropriate control groups that would be required to conclude that the observed effects are due to changes in memory reconsolidation, however, these findings suggest that postretrieval manipulations with propranolol might be a promising tool in the treatment of PTSD, even when the trauma is decades old. d-cycloserine (DCS) is another pharmacological intervention being recently researched in reconsolidation and PTSD due to it being a partial NMDA receptor agonist and extinction enhancer (De Kliene, 2014). Research on using exposure therapy with DCS for PTSD suggests that it could be promising (De Kliene, 2014). Exposure therapy is established as an effective form of fear extinction training in PTSD through the repeated exposure of the trauma memory, and its emotional processing (De Kliene, 2014). De Kleine, Hendriks, Kusters, Broekman, and van Minnen (2012) investigated the effect of DCS on exposure therapy on a female civilian population and found no overall enhancement effects, but a stronger treatment response. However, a second study on a male veteran population found a significant enhancement (Litz et al, 2012). Some criticisms of these studies were the possibility that DCS might have undesirable effects when there is no in session fear extinction, and the need for more research and better administration of the drug (De Kleine, 2014). Sheeringa (2014) researched the effect of d-cycloserine with cognitive behaviour therapy on pediatric posttraumatic stress using a randomized placebo-controlled d-cycloserine. So far, DCS has only shown as extinction effect when used with behavioural training such as exposure therapy and CBT. This study did not show a greater effect on reducing PTSD symptoms, but did show preliminary evidence for improving attention of participants. Another promising study currently in press looked at whether DCS enhanced psychotherapy when used with virtual reality trauma exposure therapy (Difede, 2014). The pilot trial was randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind and found significantly greater PTSD remission rates for DCS group, with larger between groups effect sizes (Difede, 2014). Understanding the processes of reconsolidation and the crucial role synaptic plasticity plays in fear conditioning does have exciting and important implication for psychopathology specifically PTSD. There are still barriers and boundary conditions to be understood and overcome for example, memory age and strength. In Posttraumatic stress disorder, unwanted memories need to be retrieved and destabilized before they can be modified during reconsolidation. One of the barriers particular to PTSD is that researchers have proposed that younger and weaker memories are more likely to be modified after reconsolidation than older and stronger memories which are less likely to be modified (Wihchet, 2011). Further boundary conditions highlighted by Shwabe at al (2014) is the context in which the reactivation takes place, and the presence of new information at reactivation of the memories. Therefore, more research is needed to understand exactly when memories do and do not undergo reconsolidation in order to use reconsolidation as a treatment for disorders such as PTSD.

Child development research :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article entitled An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce is a research done with adolescents to see how well a child and his or her parents adjust to divorce. The researchers are trying to find a way to help children deal with divorce. The researchers are trying to see if there is a connection between a child?s age and their sex that affects the way they adjust to divorce. After trying to see if these two factors are connected, researchers then also study to see if a child?s relationships with his or her parents also have a role in the child?s adjustment. This research was done to help understand if schema theory had something to do with the children?s adjustment when it came to divorce. With all the possibilities, the researchers wanted to narrow it down using the schema theory. The schema theory is said to be a way of thinking, and not wanting to change what you know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another article entitled Assessments of Trust in Intimate Relationships and the Self Perception Process is about trust and how every health human relationship should have it. This article tells about how trust is what gets two people to work together, side by side, and help make their bond stronger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holmes and Rempel looked at the different issues people had with trusting their partner. The participants had to go through a couple of different tests to see how trust issues interfered with the relationships they shared. This research goes over how an individual gains trust and how certain factors can affect it. An individual?s personal experiences could even affect a relationship they share. They may have gotten traumatized before. This also shows how one person in a relationship trusts their partner, and then how another set of participants in another relationship have problems. Article 1: Abstract An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce Learning theory and schema theory were used as different reasons for how adolescents deal with divorce. Different types of questionnaires were given to children by the students at Stellenbosch University. The adolescents who participated in the study took Antonovsky?s Life Orientation Questionnaire, Hudson?s CAM and CAF questionnaires, a bunch of questions that measured how the adolescents felt about divorce, and questions about the adolescent?s life. The schema theory was not found as the main reason, the results stated very little proof of the way an adolescent acted as being the means by which the adolescent dealt with his or her relationship with its parents, or the how the child adjusted to the divorce.

Essay --

William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" has been a remarkably famous love poem from the time it was written. This sonnet is pure exaggeration of Shakespeare's feelings towards his beloved and his beauty and is expressed through various language techniques and strong language. It has a powerful theme of love and immortalization of the subject in this sonnet. The sonnet begins with rhetorical question where the poet uses a metaphor to ask "shall I compare thee to a summers day?" the rhetorical question directs the attention of the reader. The effect of the metaphor, shows how the poet thought of comparing the subject to a summers day, but then rejects the comparison because the poet feels much strongly about the beloved to compare him to something with as flawed as summer. The readers can interpret through the language and form that the poet is obviously in love with the subject as he continuously deteriorates summer to prove the perfectness of his beloved. The tone of the poem dramatically changes in the third quatrain. The poet no longer compares his beloved to a summers day, instead he signifies the importance of his beauty and youth. The poet metaphorically says "but thy eternal summer shall not fade". Summer can never be eternal, but the metaphor expresses the poets feelings towards the subject by saying that the subject shall be eternally beautiful. The beloved is eternalized further, as the poet says " When in eternal lines to time thou growest", immortalizing his love within the lines of this sonnet. The sonnet is also concluded by a metaphorical rhyming couplet. "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee" evidently shows that the sonnet is meant to preserve the beauty of the youn... ... be seen that powerful and concentrated language was used several times in both poems. The language techniques such as imagery, personification, and metaphors which create an image for the reader and give them an understanding about the poem. They also express the poets intentions and feelings about their love for their loved ones. Shakespeare's "sonnet 18" used various language techniques and strong language to exaggerate the comparison of his beloved to a summers day and also sustain his beauty. "Funeral Blues" by W H Auden, also uses strong language and literary devices to create a visual and aural imagery for the reader. The use of the powerful and concentrated language and literary devices, in poetry allows readers to sympathize with the poet understand love being expressed in an intricate way. Hence, it can be seen that poetry is the perfect vehicle for love.

Data Collection Essay

* The Rough was excluded during the calculation of the mean as the rough was a trial to indicate the general whereabouts of the end point, which is inaccurate of the exact end point. Table 2. Observations collected during the experiment. Table contains observations which were recorded during each trial of the experiment. Trials Observations Before trials * When water was added to the crystals of oxalic acid, it dissolved almost instantly with a light stirring of the beaker. Rough * When two drops phenolphthalein was added to the solution of sodium hydroxide, the solution turned pink. * After adding about 20.8dm3 of oxalic acid into the sodium hydroxide solution, while swirling the conical flask, the solution turned completely clear – the oxalic acid was filled up to 21dm3 to have a rounded rough end point to work with. 1 * When two drops of phenolphthalein was added to the sodium hydroxide solution, the solution turned pink. * After adding about 20dm3 of oxalic acid solution, while swirling the conical flask gently, each drop of oxalic acid solution began to turn the pink solution slightly clear. * After about 20.6dm3 oxalic acid solution was added, the pink solution turned completely clear. 2 * Two drops of phenolphthalein was added to sodium hydroxide solution, producing a pink coloured solution. * After about 20dm3 of oxalic acid solution was added, each drop began turning the pink solution slightly clear. * After adding around 20.4dm3 of oxalic acid solution, the pink solution turned completely clear. 3 * Two drops of phenolphthalein was added to the sodium hydroxide solution, turning the solution in the conical flask pink. * After adding about 20dm3 of oxalic acid solution, each drop began turning the pink solution slightly clear. * When about 20.3dm3 of the acid was added, the pink solution turned completely clear. Data Processing 1. Write an equation for the reaction. (COOH)2 + 2NaOH –> 2NaCO3 + 2H2O 2. What amount (in moles) of NaOH is present in 20.0 cm3 of 0.097 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide solution? c = n/v c = 0.097mol dm-3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001 = 0.097mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (0.001/0.097 x 100%) = 0.097mols dm-3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.03% v = 20.0cm3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.04 = (20.0/1000) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (0.04/20.0 x 100%) = 0.020dm3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.2% n = ? n = c x v n = 0.097 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.03% x 0.020 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.2% n = 0.00194 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (1.03 + 0.2)% ? n = 0.00194 mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23% 3. What amount of oxalic acid was present in the average volume required to react exactly with the sodium hydroxide solution? Using the molar ratio of 1:2 for acid : base respectively: 0.00194 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23% / 2 = 0.00097 mols ? amount of oxalic acid present = 0.00097 mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23% 4. What amount of oxalic acid was present in your 250 cm3 volumetric flask? Concentration of acid in 250mL is the same as the concentration of acid in 1L. Therefore the concentration of acid in 1 dm-3 of acid solution is the same as concentration of acid in 250mL: c = n/v c = 0.0119à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.03% / 0.25 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(0.15/250 x 100%) c = 0.0476 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (2.03+0.06)% ? c = 0.05 mols dm-3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.09% (concentration of acid) c = n/v 0.05à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.09% = n / 0.25 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.06% 0.05à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.09% x 0.25à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.06% = n ? n = 0.0125 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (2.09 + 0.06)% ? moles of oxalic acid in 250mL solution = 0.0125 mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.15% 5. What is the mass of one mole of oxalic acid? n = m/MM MM = m/n MM = 1.5g à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.02 / 0.0125mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.15% MM = 1.5 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(0.02/1.5 x100%) / 0.0125à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.15% MM = 120 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(1.33+2.15)% MM = 120 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% m = n x MM m = 1 x 120à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% ? mass of one mole of oxalic acid = 120g à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% 6. How many molecules of water of crystallisation are present in one mole? MM of (COOH)2 = 2(12.01 + 32 + 1) = 90.04 MM of H2O = (2.02 + 16) = 18.02 (COOH)2.xH2O = 120g à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% ? 90.04 + 18.02x = 120g à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% ? 18.02x = 120g à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% – 90.04 ? 18.02x = 29.96à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% (/18.02) ? x = 1.6626à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% ? Molecules of water of crystallisation = 1.66à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.06 Conclusion and Evaluation Discussion 1. Estimate the degree of uncertainty in your readings using the balance, the volumetric flask, the pipette and the burette. How accurately can you quote your answer? Balance = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.02g Volumetric flask = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.15mL Pipette = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.04cm3 Burette = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.15cm3 The equipments used were relatively accurate as the uncertainties compared to the collected values are small. 2. Compare your answer with the correct answer and work out the percentage error. Percentage error = [(experimental value – actual value) / actual value] x 100% = [(1.6626 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% – 2) / 2] x 100% = 16.87% à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.74% 3. Suggest any other reasons for possible error. Other reasons for possible error include the uncertainty of equipments, human errors and mistakes, possibility of contaminated solutions, air bubbles and transference of solution between equipments. This experiment was conducted to find the ratio of water in hydrate oxalic acid crystals. This included calculations of the theoretical and experimental values for the ratio of water in the hydrate oxalic acid crystals and the percentage errors of values compared. The equation for the reaction between the sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) and the oxalic acid solution ((COOH)2) was worked out, with the product being a salt (NaCO3) and water (H2O). As the oxalic acid solution is a dibasic acid solution, the reaction ratio with sodium hydroxide is 1:2. The amount of NaOH, in moles, was also calculated by multiplying the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution and the volume of sodium hydroxide solution used. The equation c = n/v was used to calculate this. The result was 0.00194 moles of NaOH in the sodium hydroxide solution with an uncertainty of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23%. The amount of oxalic acid presented in the average volume required to react exactly with the sodium hydroxide solution was also calculated; by dividing the moles of NaOH (0.00194à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23%) by 2, based on the 1:2 reaction ratio stated before. The result was 0.00097 moles with an uncertainty of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.23%. The amount of oxalic acid present in 250cm3 was also calculated. The concentration of acid in 250mL is the same as the concentration of acid in 1L, therefore, the concentration of acid in 1dm-3 of the oxalic acid solution is the same concentration as the acid in 250mL. With this understood, the equation c = n/v was used once again. The ‘concentration’ was first calculated by dividing the moles of NaOH by 0.25dm3. The result (0.05mols dm-3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.09), was used in further calculations to determine the moles of oxalic acid by multiplying the previous calculated concentration (0.05mols dm-3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.09) with 0.25dm3, resulting in the moles of oxalic acid in the 250mL solution as 0.0125mols à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.15%. This value was used in the calculation of the mass of one mole of oxalic acid. The equation n = m/MM was used in this calculation. The MM (molar mass) was first calculated, dividing the mass of oxalic acid crystals by the moles of oxalic acid (1.5 / 0.0125). The mass (m = n x MM) was calculated with the result of this (1 x 120à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48%), resulting in the mass of one mole of oxalic acid being 120à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48%. Finally, the molecules of water of crystallisation presented in one mole were calculated. This was done by using the mass of one mole of oxalic acid (120à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48%), subtracting the MM of (COOH)2 (90.04) from it and dividing the result by MM of H2O (18.02). The final result of the number of molecules of water in crystallisation equalled 1.66 with an uncertainty of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.48% or 0.06. With this final result, the percentage error was calculated, being 16.87%à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.74%. All the uncertainties within the values used were calculated into percentage through dividing the uncertainty by the value and multiplying it by 100%. The uncertainties were converted into percentages before doing calculations were done. There were several limitations found during this experiment which would have been the cause of an inaccurate final result – the variation between the theoretical value of 2 and the experimental value of 1.66à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.06. These limitations include the uncertainties of the equipment, human errors and mistakes, possibility of contaminated solutions, air bubbles found in solutions and the transference of solution between equipments. The significance of these errors and the improvements are listed in the table below. Limitations Significance Improvements Uncertainty of equipments Uncertainties were obtained during the experiment through the use of equipments. The inaccurate recording of data would have affected the results in the end. Eg. The readings on the electronic scale weren’t fully stable and consistent at one value, it varied – increasing and decreasing slightly. In the case of the electronic scale, it was suggested that the variation in weight value was due to the air-conditioning blowing down on it. The air-conditioner could be turned off to reduce the uncertainties and variations. Students could also prevent themselves from breathing heavily down onto the scale while measuring, this could have contributed to the variation as well. Human errors and mistakes Mistakes could affect the outcome and accuracy of results. Eg. While adding water into the volumetric flask to dissolve the oxalic acid crystals, a student accidentally added a little too much, over the 250cm3 that was intended. This would have over diluted the oxalic acid. This could have been avoided through patience while adding the water into the volumetric flask. This could also have been done slowly and carefully, probably using a pipette towards the end – at the 250cm3 mark. Reading the measurement of the pipette, burette and volumetric flask could have been inaccurate, causing results to be inaccurate and in turn affecting the calculations. Inaccuracy could have been due to improper way of reading the measurement. Students should have bent down slightly with the measurement at eye level. Student`s heads should not be tilted but level with the equipment as well. The measurement should also be read at the parallax, not above or below it. Possibility of contaminated solutions The experiment was conducted with the use of several different solutions. These solutions could have accidentally been mixed in with each other, causing the solution to be contaminated. The results obtained due to this could have been inaccurate, affecting the final results. Being careful with the solutions used would help avoid this. Using clean equipments for each different solution, making sure the solutions that are not meant to be placed together do not get mixed with each other. After the use of some of the equipments, they were to be washed and reused for another solution. The equipments were not dried before being used again; this could have diluted the solution and contaminated it. Drying the equipment each time after it is washed/cleaned would prevent access water and dilution of solutions. Air bubbles When transferring the dissolved oxalic acid into the burette, there were some tiny air bubbles. This would have because the measurement to be inaccurate as the air bubbles would have caused the reading of the solution to be greater than it actually is. Over time when the bubbles removed itself from the solution which would have caused a decrease in solution. The inaccurate measurement reading would have affected the final results of the experiment. The burette could have been left alone for awhile to allow the bubbles to float to the top. Whatever the amount the bubbles made up for, fill the burette up again with the use of a pipette. Transference of solution between equipments When transferring solutions between two or more differing equipments would have caused an increase of decrease in measurement. An inaccurate amount of solution would have affected the results or recorded data. When using a funnel during the transference of solution into the burette, it caused some increase in the desired amount. This is due to the tip of the funnel having some drops of solution left in it and when the funnel was removed, the movement could have caused those drops to drop into the burette, causing an increase in amount of solution. This could be prevented by either slowly removing the funnel or using the funnel up to a certain mark, remove it and fill up to the desired amount with the use of a small pipette – drop by drop. When using the 20mL pipette to transfer the sodium hydroxide into the conical flask, the tip of the nozzle had a drop that was tempted to drop out of the pipette. Avoid touching the sides and move the pipette over the flask slowly would reduce the chances of it dripping out and altering the volume of solution. A small amount of the solution was also stuck at the tip of the nozzle after being emptied. By touching the tip to the side of the flask would help that tiny bit of solution flow out. If possible have the nozzle flat on the side of the flask, this would allow it to flow out smoothly. To avoid or reduce these significant errors, these solutions and improvements should be taken into consideration during future repetition of this experiment. The experiment overall was invalid. Though the values in data collection may have been to a 0.10cm3 difference, the final calculation of the percentage error, 16.87%à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.74%, was much greater than the desired 1% causing the experiment to be invalid.