Acquiring the existing firm Essay

Abstract 1. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of acquiring the existing firm, and continuing production in Korea through acquisition for Zip-6. 2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of re-purchasing the licensing agreement and either establishing Zip-6 subsidiary through Greenfield venture and producing in South Korea, exporting the product to Korea, franchising to another firm or relicensing to another firm. 3. State your choice of options to pursue and reasons for this choice. Answers: 1. If you get it right, there can be many good reasons why buying an existing business could make good business sense. Remember though, that you will be taking on the legacy of the previous business owner, and you need to be aware of every aspect of the business you are about to buy. Advantages are: Some of the groundwork to get the business up and running will have been done. It may be easier to obtain finance as the business will have a proven track record. A business plan and marketing method should already be in place. A market for the product or service will have already been demonstrated. There are maybe established customers, a reliable income, a reputation to capitalize and build on and useful network of contacts. Many of the problems will have been discovered and solved already. Existing employees should have experience you can draw on. Disadvantages are: Zip-6 will often need to invest a large of amount up front, and will also have to budget for professional fees for solicitors, surveyors, accountants etc.. It will probably also need several months of working capital to assist with cash flow. If the business has been neglected Zip-6 may need to invest quite a bit more on top of the purchase price to give it the best chance of  success. Ravi and Keith may need to honour or renegotiate any outstanding contracts the previous owner leaves in place. They also need consider why the current owner is selling up and how this might impact the business and they are (Zip-6) taking it over. It is possible current staff may not be happy with a new boss, or the business might have been run badly and staff morale may be low. 2. I will define licensing agreement: in this case we are talking about an international licensing agreement which allow foreign firms, either exclusively or non -exclusively to manufacture a proprietor’s product for a fixed term in a specific market. Licensing is a relatively flexible work agreement that can be customized to fit the needs and interests of both, licensor and licensee. Advantages of using an international licensing agreement are: Is highly attractive for companies that are new in international business. Obtain extra income for technical know-how and services Quick expand without much risk and large capital investment. Reach new markets not accessible by export from existing facilities. Political risk is minimized as the licensee is usually one hundred percent locally owned. Retain established markets closed by trade restrictions. Pave the way for future investments I the market. Disadvantages are: Low income than in other entry modes. Risk of having the trademark and reputation ruined by an impotent partner The foreign partner can also become a competitor by selling its production in places where the parental company is already in. Loss of control of the licensee manufacture and marketing operations and practices leading to loss of quality. Franchising agreement compare to licensing agreement tends to be longer and the franchisor offers a broader package of rights and resources which usually includes ,equipment, managerial systems, operation manual, initial  trainings, site approval and all the support necessary for the franchisee to run business in the same way it is done by the franchisor. Franchising is limited to trademarks and operating know-how of the business. Advantages of the international franchising are: Low political risk Low cost Allows simultaneous expansion into different regions of the world. Well selected partners bring financial investment as well as managerial capabilities to the operation. Disadvantages are: Franchise may turn into competitors. Demand of franchisees may scare when starting to franchise a company, which can lead to making agreements with wrong candidates. A wrong franchisee may ruin the company’s name and reputation in the market. Comparing to other modes such as exporting and even licensing, international franchising requires a greater financial investment to attract prospects and support and manage franchisees. The key success for franchising is to avoid sharing strategic activity with any franchisee. Especially for Zip-6 Co they do have a secret ingredients to their soft drink. Sharing those strategic activity may increase the potential of the franchisee to be their future competitor due to the knowledge and strategic spill over. Greenfield investment is establishment of a new wholly owned subsidiary, its often complex and potentially costly, but it is able to provide full control to the firm and has the most potential to provide above average return. Greenfield is more likely preferred where physical capital intensive plants are planned. It is high risk due to the costs of establishing a new business in new country Zip-6 may need to acquire knowledge and expertise of existing market by third parties, such consultant, competitors, or business partners. And also this entry strategy takes much time due to the need of stablishing new operations, distribution network, and the necessity to learn and implement appropriate marketing strategies to compete with rivals in a new a market. 3. My option will be Acquisition because its quick access and it offers the  fastest, and largest, initial international expansion of any of the alternative. It is also a way to achieve greater market power. It is lower risk than Greenfield investment because of the outcomes of an acquisition can be estimated more easily and accurately. In overall, acquisition is attractive if there are well established firms already in operations or competitors want to enter the region. Of course there are many disadvantages and problems in achieving acquisition success. But where there is risk there is also success. References: http://www.export.gov/foreign_market_entry_modes. https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/†¦/business†¦/buying. Retrieved from: Global Business Today, 8th Edition (Charles W. L. Hill 2014). 2012 books.lardbucket.org/books/challenges-and-opportunities-in-international-business/s13-exporting-importing-and-global.html.

Health and safety in a care home Essay

I have gained my A-Level qualifications at City Of Westminster College (Maida Vale) I have studied the following subjects English Literature, Psychology and Media Studies. I have also accomplished certificates at College Of North West London (Kilburn) in IT, English and Math’s. Therefore it is fair to say that I know how to use various Microsoft Office programs i.e. Words, Excel, and PowerPoint, I have gained my GCSE’s overseas in India, New Delhi as an international student following subjects included: Math’s, English, Social Science, Hindi and Science. I believe that I have gained valuable learning skills throughout my educational experience which has set a clear stepping stone into furthering my career. Not do I only learn in educational establishments but also I have learned a great deal on actual jobs that I have done previously. I have gained great skills such as being able to communicate with people from all walks of life, taking responsibilities for my du ties, being able to prioritize my work and take initiative. I have a positive outlook overall on life and believe that I can do anything if I set my mind to it.I have a friendly approach and a positive attitude towards work, I have always been keen on excelling my targets and to constantly perfect myself in any way that I can. I therefore find  feedback very important as it allows me to keep improving the quality of the work I do and review myself through someone’s opinion. As a Market research Interviewer (IPSOS) I spoke to participants from all walks of life about various important issues, this role required me to listen attentively to respondent, be empathetic, accurately input gained responses into the database and reach set targets on a daily basis. I find it important to always be up to date about the latest information, product knowledge and offer someone a service that will leave them with no further questions. I am a keen learner, and at the same time I like to mot ivate others to benefit from the opportunities they have available for them. Communication is very important and my main aim is always to articulate my ideas appropriately and in a way that is understood by everyone. During my time working for Beethoven Community Center as a community worker I have learned to multitask through taking up various duties i.e. by providing educational information for those that sought advice, interpret when needed for elderly residents whom could not speak English, help organize events and trips for local youth. I have gained strong organizational skills, being able to prioritize workload and have always taken full responsibility for all tasks. Having strong administration skills is essential as I had to maintain the database, input clients data acquired during sessions and provide fellow colleagues with up to date information. Being able to liaise with clients and fellow colleagues thus ensuring that everything went as agreed. I have good people skills as I have picked this up early on from working as a Social worker at Caxton Youth Club, I have developed a thorough understanding working with vulnerable people, assist youth with learning difficulties and provide the m with the right tools enabling them to better themselves. I am self motivated and have high level of energy which is a must when you’re working in any sector , as you are constantly on your feet assisting elderly and ensuring that their needs are met at all times. I am very tolerant and flexible to different situations mainly because working with people is always unpredictable. Therefore I find this no problem at all as I am able to adjust myself to different levels from young children to elderly people. I am a good team player as I listen carefully to others when they are speaking and can assimilate the messages into one vision. For  example, if my colleague is part of a project team, I’ll listen to the ideas and concerns of others. I am also patient and respectful to the voice of other team members and understand that to be a team player; I have to have an open mind to other points of view. I am quite flexible in terms of hours/days. I know that working in this field can be both stressful and rewarding however I am fully prepared for all the ups and downs. I can take ownership of projects and make sure that all boxes are ticked upon completion; I take my work at all times seriously. I am the type of person that likes to go the extra mile. I always ensure that I keep myself updated on the actual role I am fulfilling i.e. maintaining administration in the most efficient manner and ensure to being organized at all times. Being open for suggestions for example take negative feedback and transform that into something positive. I am fully aware of my surroundings and easily adaptable to environment and fellow colleagues. I am a quick learner and I want to help make a difference towards other people’s lives. I have gathered early on during my work experiences that I get a great satisfaction from seeing others improve from services provided by me. I have always completed training programs and I am someone whom sees her targets through and I hope that you provide me with the opportunity to prove this to you. I am an open-minded person and take suggestions on board that will help me better my work at all times analytical/logical approach to tasks and the ability to work under pressure. I am able to work well both on my o wn initiative and as part of a team. My main strengths are adaptability, dependability and the determination to get a job done as proven by my varied work experiences. I try to learn something new from every experience because I believe there is always room for self-improvement both personally and professionally.

The influence of the european culture in management leadership style Research Paper

The influence of the european culture in management leadership style of european managers working in Asian countries focusing on - Research Paper Example The approach used in leadership and management therefore determines the outcome of the various decisions made. However, all these are influenced by factors such as the immediate as well as external environment, the structure of the organisation or institution, business culture and the relationships which exist between the management and the subordinates (Marcus et al, 2003). Management and leadership are inherently dependent on each other although leadership is a component of management and success in any decision made is influenced by the balance between the two elements (Hofstede, 1991). Management styles are influenced by the leadership styles employed in the running of business entities. There are four fundamental leadership styles although there are several others which are based on the particular management approaches used. These include democratic, laissez faire, autocratic and participative leadership styles. Democratic, laissez faire and participative management leadership s tyles involve staff while autocratic style is purely based on the management making decisions for the business or company (Marcus et al, 2003). ... Asia in specific India has been receptive to the European leadership styles compared to other parts of Asia and African countries. According to Ralston et al (1993), the increase in international affairs has led to the convergence and divergence debate where organizations take strategic positions in different ways. The authors point out that convergence thesis is where economic ideology is the main driver of cultural values for example exposure to European business leads to the adoption of European culture. Thus culture is treated as something accidental that does not have any prior planning for it to take place. On the other hand, Hosfede, (1980, 1991), Adler (2002) point out that a divergence perspective recognizes a country and its cultural differences, they emphasize that culture plays a big role in influencing the way management is conducted. Ward et al (1999) and Ralston et al (1993), indicate that when two cultures meets and equally exchange ideas and values, that is cross â⠂¬â€œdivergence, this type of divergence recognizes the importance of national culture and economic ideology and the synergy between the two â€Å"â€Å"when an individual incorporates both national culture and economic ideology influences synergistically to form a unique value system that is different from the value set supported by either national culture or economic ideology† (Ralston et al, 1997: 183). According to the Centre fro Comparative Management Studies (2011) the relationship between culture and leadership styles and agrees with the notion that culture has a small but significant impact on the leadership styles of an individual , other factors that affect an individuals leadership styles are the

Human resurses Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human resurses - Case Study Example Human resource is an area confronted by many challenges. The most significant quandaries impacting small business include the issue of procuring and sustaining qualified personnel, leadership advancement, change administration, staff advancement among others. Additionally, small enterprises encounter quandaries with regard to tackling the crucial requirements of an assorted labor force. Despite all these quandaries, the significant issues for small enterprises include procuring and sustaining qualified personnel and personnel advancement. The intricacy of this personnel quandary is worsened by the fact that societies do not get adequate number of local applicants into an institution. There is also a lack of convenience due to restricted or non-existent transit alternatives. Small enterprises are also frequently restricted with regard to wage as well as benefit packages. This is usually as these enterprises compete with prominent businesses. These enterprises also lack improvement pos sibilities for existing personnel. This is mainly when there are no advancement opportunities, or the existing personnel lack the essential technical expertise or to occupy the posts when available. In addition, the transient characteristics of applicants with limited credentials might make it intricate to sustain them (Woodall, p.30). The human resources section has an extremely high level of duties, from creating reimbursements and benefit systems to addressing worker interactions matters in a fair and reasonable manner. The proficiency of human resources personnel is one of an institution’s most priceless resources. Varied, small enterprises want to share possession with workers but acquire the legal expenses and intricacies of varied common procedures discouraging. Many managers wanting to sell to their workers utilize an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) which has significant tax advantages. Business enterprises share

To what extent is children's well-being a priority in modern Western Essay

To what extent is children's well-being a priority in modern Western societies - Essay Example Inequalities have risen since the 1960s in the small group of OECD countries composed of the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Despite data on this group of countries revealing a change in the trend in the 1990s, overall the proportion of children living in relative poverty has expanded (UNICEF, 2005). Bradshaw and Mayhew’s (2005) comprehensive report on the physical, cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing of children in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, provides wide-ranging data on the various aspects. In the European Union, in 2002-2003, the fifth highest rate of relative child poverty was found in the United Kingdom where 28% of children lived in households with incomes below fifty percent of the average, after allocating for housing costs. Darton et al. (2003) observe that compared to the situation one generation ago, current poverty in the United Kingdom is most prevalent in households with children. ... Charting Children’s Well-Being in Modern Western Societies The Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted in 1989 formulated a new definition of childhood rooted in human rights. It called for the provision of essential goods and services towards the fulfillment of children’s rights to survival, health and education. The Convention also indicated â€Å"a growing recognition of the need to create a protective environment to shield children from exploitation, abuse and violence† (UNICEF, 2005, p.1). The harm caused by poverty, conflict, and HIV/ AIDS continues far beyond the years of childhood, raising the possibilities of the next generation being impacted by the same dangers, threatening the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals aiming for a â€Å"world fit for children† (UNICEF, 2005, p.1). Child Poverty in Advanced Industrialised Nations The findings presented by the Innocenti Report Card (UNICEF, 2000) reveals that the rates of child pov erty in the world’s wealthiest nations range from 3% to over 25%; nearly 17% of the rich world’s children is living in poverty; and totally about 47 million children in the nations of the OECD live below the poverty lines of their nation. Further, â€Å"in the league table of relative child poverty, the bottom four places are occupied by the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Mexico† (UNICEF, 2000, p.2). At the same time, in the league table of absolute child poverty, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland take up the four lowest positions. Brown (2012) argues that the indicators of child and youth wellbeing are crucial mechanisms for improving the lives of children. The main indicators of child wellbeing are in the areas of health,

Assume that you have been newly Appointed as a Services Marketing Essay

Assume that you have been newly Appointed as a Services Marketing Consultant - Essay Example Thus, the fast food restaurant is found to abstain from beef and use mutton while producing and selling non-vegetarian products like hamburgers in India. Such working on continuous innovation helps the company fit into the tastes and likings of the consumers of different regions. Place In terms of location, the fast food restaurant focuses on enhancing its market share pertaining to a particular region through the opening up of large number of outlets in different parts. Thus it has been able to open up numerous restaurants around the globe which in turn help the company to gain on its profits and market revenues. Price In regards to the price mix it is found that McDonald’s works continuously in revising its pricing strategies based on the social, competitive and business environment of a particular region. ... The company, in relation to advertisement activities, works in engaging celebrities to enhance its brand image through visual and print advertisements. Similarly, the company invests largely in active sponsorships of different sporting events ranging from Olympics to other international sporting agendas. People In regards to employing people, the company largely focuses on gaining the advantage of skilled labour sets from the local communities while closely following the legislations pertaining to employability of people in the region. Further, the company also works in developing the skill sets of the employees to fit to local tastes by working on the development of adequate training programs. Process Though McDonald’s works on a global plane in meeting the fast food requirements of people belonging to different regions, yet it renders the main focus on meeting the aspirations of the local consumers. Thus, the organisation has worked in developing standardised rules that woul d help the company largely control the actions of the suppliers and other such stakeholders in meeting the quality needs of the local people. Physical Evidence The fast food restaurant working on an international plane closely focuses on providing a clean space wherein the customers can relish and enjoy the ready-to-eat products by sitting with their friends and families. Moreover, the company works towards providing the customers a large variety of food products that are produced in a quick fashion while focusing to sustain the quality of the produces as well (Vignali, 2001, p.99-110). This discussion thus reflects on the aspects that how McDonald’s works on gaining the advantage of aligning the seven service marketing mixes to help enhance on the parameters of consumer and

Motivation of Employees In Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Limited Essay

Motivation of Employees In Ainu Shamsi Hauliers Limited - Essay Example A presentation of the results and findings and its intrinsic analysis follows suit, after which a summative conclusion is afforded, and befitting recommendations geared to abate unbecoming organizational human resource dynamics ultimately propounded.This paper declares that  depending on our level of motivation, it may function to further determine the quantity of effort we infuse into our work, thus out rightly augment the standard of output. Employee motivation indicators capture the propellants of commitment, creativity, and energy levels by workers of a company on their jobs. They describe the psychological forces determining an individual’s effort level, level of persistence and behavior within an organization.  Numerous business managers are contemporarily ill aware of the effects that motivation can engrain in business. It is therefore pertinent that they learn and comprehend factors that function to determine positive motivation within the workforce. The size of th e business not withstanding; whether the intent is to obtain the best output out of thirty of your staff or only one, everybody requires motivation of some for.  Motivation is a paradigm approached through different facets by different businesses. It therefore emerges that the responsibility ascribed to its integration lies with the entire immediate supervisors of staff. It is the mandate of the business owner to initiate motivation as a strategic guideline for the attainment of organizational goals.   I therefore categorically assert that it is exigent to review the key factors or indicators in the motivation of employees, in order to facilitate affirmative work output in the organization. Literature Review Motivation is a function performed by mangers to encourage, impel, and inspire personnel to take action. In order to motivate employees, they must be reached, and reaching them entails a holistic comprehension of their make up’s complexity. Efforts of motivation must be directed at improving the organizational operation. However, for these efforts to be effective, they must also be designed in a way that exhibits benefits to employees. In actual fact, motivation can be accomplished aptly in the event that workers have the capacity to merge personal ambition with the objectives of the organization (Lundin and Christensen 2000). The existent relationship between the employee and the employer should be one characterized by understanding so that the employee is able to identify with his work as well as with his affiliate business. Deficiency in motivation consequently affects productivity. Several symptoms may point to low morale; increased number of grievances, high absenteeism, high number of defective products, and high employee turnover (Bowles and Cooper 2009). A motivated employee is loyal, and being loyal implies the employee’s support of the firm’s actions and objectives. In fact, the job’s appearance as a whole carries a bearing on the willingness in addition to the

Antigone by Sophocles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Antigone by Sophocles - Essay Example The ancient Greek play Antigone, written around 442 BC by the famous dramatist Sophocles, has become one of the world’s classics and has been widely published, performed and adapted in many languages and formats across the world. It is a memorable play, characterized by a background of death and destruction, and the strong figures of Antigone and Creon, who are locked in opposition over what is to be done with the dead body of Antigone’s brother Polyneices. Major themes like the duty of a statesman (Creon) to protect his citizens against traitors, the duty of a woman (Antigone) to honor her relatives with a decent burial, and the duty of all to respect the gods are developed in the play. The various characters are depicted taking up positions which demonstrate a number of different heroic qualities. In the opening scene Ismene appears to be timid and she hides behind her gender to avoid facing up to the conflict that is presented to her by Antigone: â€Å"We must remember that by birth we’re women,/and as such, we shouldn’t fight with men† Ismene realizes that she has a duty to bury her brother, but her approach is to back away from that and rely on the mercy of the gods and the dead: â€Å"So I’ll ask those underground for pardon†. Ismene is concerned above all with her image as a woman, and she is very aware of how her actions will make her appear to other people. She wants to be seen as a perfect woman, meek and obedient: â€Å"But I can’t act against the state.... Ismene cannot face up to life alone, and so she speaks out of weakness, and a desire to suffer death in order to spare herself still more suffering later. The lowly Guard is the character who most clearly operates solely in his own best interests. He is afraid of Creon, with good reason, because he knows that he has failed in his duty to watch over the corpse of Polyneices and could face very severe consequences, even death, if he does not make good his error. He has news for Creon, but makes sure that he communicates his concern about his own fate first: â€Å"Guard: I want to tell you first about myself./ I did not do it. And I didn’t see/the one who did. So it would be unjust/if I should come to grief.† (Antigone, lines 275- 277). This pleading makes him look like an unruly child, trying to explain away his conduct in front of an angry father. He also tries to spread the blame amongst his colleagues saying â€Å"Every one of us was responsible./but none of us was cl early in the wrong.† (Antigone, lines 301-302). He did not volunteer to be the bringer of bad news, but was chosen by â€Å"the luck of the draw† (Antigone, line 317) which shows that he is at the mercy of fate, and just following what he has to do, rather than making a moral decision about it. The first instinct that he has is to run away from his job and save his own life. He is not particularly loyal to his employer, but just wants to save his own skin. In the end he sees a chance to redeem himself, and keep his job, by offering up the woman he has caught in the act of burying the corpse. The way that he keeps changing his mind shows that he is willing to act opportunistically, based on whatever

Envy at Work Article Summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Envy at Work Summary - Article Example Because envy is generally considered a negative emotion, individuals repress these feelings. Still, these repressed feelings of envy emerge in harmful ways. Menon and Thompson’s research suggests, however, that it is possible to avoid being consumed by these feelings and to implement them to one’s advantage. In further considering the ways that envy emerges and is impactful, Menon and Thompson examine a hypothetical instance involving Scott and Marty. While these individuals were once strong friends, this gave way. While Marty was the better performer, Scott’s personality and social network helped him advance his career at a more rapid rate. This caused significant envy; this envy subsequently started to detrimentally impact Marty’s work performance. Most notably, Marty demonstrated disparagement and distancing. One of the main recognitions was that individuals pull away from others they envy because they feel the emotion more intensely with those they are close to. This distancing then directly impacts functionality and success within the organization. One notable example was that individuals were more willing to accept a project idea if it emerged outside the organization rather than within. The main recognition in these regards was that individuals within the organization worried that by adopting a project from a colleague they would lose status. In this way the colleague would be deemed the intellectual leader. This then costs the organization more money as it is less efficient to adopt ideas from outside the organization than to implement them internally. This is recognized as occurring in a real world example through the restaurant Fresh Choice. While the restaurant appreciated the menus and dà ©cor of a rival restaurant, after acquiring this rival opinions changed. The recognition then became that this newly acquired entity was not as chic as originally determine; this then resulted in the creative professionals leaving the organization. As a

Assignment 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 9 - Essay Example He brings his personal experiences and concerns while working at General Motors Assembly line. We are bound to understand him better as he uses his voice to bring out the actual nature of activities and also to let us know the real account of issues as they are. This leads us into taking a position that would not have been possible if such a case was historical in totality. Moreover, he exhibits a different working setting where someone can evade tasks assigned to him or her without eminent consequences, thus delegating the same to another person at the expense of that party. The interests of a person should not be a priority over those of the entire organization. One should strive to provide the best effort for the benefit of the organization and personal utility. For example, Hamper would skive his duties by teaming up with another person, ‘’double up’’ hence when that person did both working, he would hover around in the industry or even reading. Having the ability to do whatever he wants, Hamper jeopardizes the activities of GM as no one seems to care what happens regardless of the expectations. This way he puts personal interests first at the expense of the organization. He seems more interested at how well he can spend time outside the assembly line forgetting that he is duty bound to deliver. The working environment doesn’t seem to favor his bid to have an enjoyable stay. Discipline is also a key to any successful entity. This stipulates and thus lays a framework of how employees should carry out themselves since this is the source from which the external environment paints a general picture of the organization. The common effort of everyone is therefore called to task. In his book, Hamper fails to display any of these as he operates at his will to any direction he feels like. On one hand, the organization ought to institute penalty programs that must be applied judiciously to those who fail to attain the discipline thre shold and on the other hand ensure that the common effort is safeguarded. Moreover, General Motors offers the best state of affairs however according to the author he uses various diversions in order kill boredom and monotony of work. He also never tries to change the situation although the work unions are never harsh to negotiate with. The unions seems to be selective and discriminatory since the writer, apart from managing in his own way, finds it even easier to maneuver his way through them. These serve to give him more room to work uninterrupted even when things don’t seem to work well. The work environment today poses a great challenge to those entrusted with responsibility since one has to deliver to the stakeholders and other interested parties. This entails the account of every single resource used in the verge of the operations of the organizations. The same will enable match efforts utilized with the results realized. The working milieu seems relaxed and without cle ar cut strategies and rules all of which tend to cover rights and specific duties of employees. These regulations have to be adhered to with strictness if the company has to realize its goals of his and thus objectives. The foregoing is not a true account of what happens at GM. ‘Rivethead’ displays a work environment where one person works for two therefore giving room for the other one to be away for a couple of hours. The author, in an attempt to forget all his tribulations in the assembly line

Cover Note Essay Example for Free

Cover Note Essay The Relation of Science and Religion is a transcript of a talk given by Dr. Feynman at the Caltech YMCA Lunch Forum on May 2, 1956. In this age of specialization men who thoroughly know one field are often incompetent to discuss another. The great problems of the relations between one and another aspect of human activity have for this reason been discussed less and less in public. When we look at the past great debates on these subjects we feel jealous of those times, for we should have liked the excitement of such argument. The old problems, such as the relation of science and religion, are still with us, and I believe present as difficult dilemmas as ever, but they are not often publicly discussed because of the limitations of specialization. But I have been interested in this problem for a long time and would like to discuss it. In view of my very evident lack of knowledge and understanding of religion (a lack which will grow more apparent as we proceed), I will organize the discussion in this way: I will suppose that not one man but a group of men are discussing the problem, that the group consists of specialists in many fields – the various sciences, the various religions and so on – and that we are going to discuss the problem from various sides, like a panel. Each is to give his point of view, which may be molded and modified by the later discussion. Further, I imagine that someone has been chosen by lot to be the first to present his views, and I am he so chosen. I would start by presenting the panel with a problem: A young man, brought up in a religious family, studies a science, and as a result he comes to doubt – and perhaps later to disbelieve in – his fathers God. Now, this is not an isolated example; it happens time and time again. Although I have no statistics on this, I believe that many scientists – in fact, I actually believe that more than half of the scientists – really disbelieve in their fathers God; that is, they dont believe in a God in a conventional sense. Now, since the belief in a God is a central feature of religion, this problem that I have selected points up most strongly the problem of the relation of science and religion. Why does this young man come to disbelieve? The first answer we might hear is very simple: You see, he is taught by scientists, and (as I have just pointed out) they are all atheists at heart, so the evil is spread from one to another. But if you can entertain this view, I think you know less of science than I know of religion. Another answer may be that a little knowledge is dangerous; this young man has learned a little bit and thinks he knows it all, but soon he will grow out of this sophomoric sophistication and come to realize that the world is more complicated, and he will begin again to understand that there must be a God. I dont think it is necessary that he come out of it. There are many scientists – men who hope to call themselves mature – who still dont believe in God. In fact, as I would like to explain later, the answer is not that the young man thinks he knows it all – it is the exact opposite. A third answer you might get is that this young man really doesnt understand science correctly. I do not believe that science can disprove the existence of God; I think that is impossible. And if it is impossible, is not a belief in science and in a God – an ordinary God of religion — a consistent possibility? Yes, it is consistent. Despite the fact that I said that more than half of the scientists dont believe in God, many scientists do believe in both science and God, in a perfectly consistent way. But this consistency, although possible, is not easy to attain, and I would like to try to discuss two things: Why it is not easy to attain, and whether it is worth attempting to attain it. When I say believe in God, of course, it is always a puzzle – what is God? What I mean is the kind of personal God, characteristic of the western religions, to whom you pray and who has something to do with creating the universe and guiding you in morals. For the student, when he learns about science, there are two sources of difficulty in trying to weld science and religion together. The first source of difficulty is this – that it is imperative in science to doubt; it is absolutely necessary, for progress in science, to have uncertainty as a fundamental part of your inner nature. To make progress in understanding we must remain modest and allow that we do not know. Nothing is certain or proved beyond all doubt. You investigate for curiosity, because it is unknown, not because you know the answer. And as you develop more information in the sciences, it is not that you are finding out the truth, but that you are finding out that this or that is more or less likely. That is, if we investigate further, we find that the statements of science are not of what is true and what is not true, but statements of what is known to different degrees of certainty: It is very much more likely that so and so is true than that it is not true; or such and such is almost certain but there is still a little bit of doubt; or – at the other extreme – well, we really dont know. Every one of the concepts of science is on a scale graduated somewhere between, but at neither end of, absolute falsity or absolute truth. It is necessary, I believe, to accept this idea, not only for science, but also for other things; it is of great value to acknowledge ignorance. It is a fact that when we make decisions in our life we dont necessarily know that we are making them correctly; we only think that we are doing the best we can – and that is what we should do. Attitude of uncertainty I think that when we know that we actually do live in uncertainty, then we ought to admit it; it is of great value to realize that we do not know the answers to different questions. This attitude of mind – this attitude of uncertainty – is vital to the scientist, and it is this attitude of mind which the student must first acquire. It becomes a habit of thought. Once acquired, one cannot retreat from it any more. What happens, then, is that the young man begins to doubt everything because he cannot have it as absolute truth. So the question changes a little bit from Is there a God? to How sure is it that there is a God? This very subtle change is a great stroke and represents a parting of the ways between science and religion. I do not believe a real scientist can ever believe in the same way again. Although there are scientists who believe in God, I do not believe that they think of God in the same way as religious people do. If they are consistent with their science, I think that they say something like this to themselves: I am almost certain there is a God. The doubt is very small. That is quite different from saying, I know that there is a God. I do not believe that a scientist can ever obtain that view – that really religious understanding, that real knowledge that there is a God – that absolute certainty which religious people have. Of course this process of doubt does not always start by attacking the question of the existence of God. Usually special tenets, such as the question of an afterlife, or details of the religious doctrine, such as details of Christs life, come under scrutiny first. It is more interesting, however, to go right into the central problem in a frank way, and to discuss the more extreme view which doubts the existence of God. Once the question has been removed from the absolute, and gets to sliding on the scale of uncertainty, it may end up in very different positions. In many cases it comes out very close to being certain. But on the other hand, for some, the net result of close scrutiny of the theory his father held of God may be the claim that it is almost certainly wrong. Belief in God – and the facts of science That brings us to the second difficulty our student has in trying to weld science and religion: Why does it often end up that the belief in God – at least, the God of the religious type – is considered to be very unreasonable, very unlikely? I think that the answer has to do with the scientific things – the facts or partial facts – that the man learns. For instance, the size of the universe is very impressive, with us on a tiny particle whirling around the sun, among a hundred thousand million suns in this galaxy, itself among a billion galaxies. Again, there is the close relation of biological man to the animals, and of one form of life to another. Man is a latecomer in a vast evolving drama; can the rest be but a scaffolding for his creation? Yet again, there are the atoms of which all appears to be constructed, following immutable laws. Nothing can escape it; the stars are made of the same stuff, and the animals are made of the same stuff, but in such complexity as to mysteriously appear alive – like man himself. It is a great adventure to contemplate the universe beyond man, to think of what it means without man – as it was for the great part of its long history, and as it is in the great majority of places. When this objective view is finally attained, and the mystery and majesty of matter are appreciated, to then turn the objective eye back on man viewed as matter, to see life as part of the universal mystery of greatest depth, is to sense an experience which is rarely described. It usually ends in laughter, delight in the futility of trying to understand. These scientific views end in awe and mystery, lost at the edge in uncertainty, but they appear to be so deep and so impressive that the theory that it is all arranged simply as a stage for God to watch mans struggle for good and evil seems to be inadequate. So let us suppose that this is the case of our particular student, and the conviction grows so that he believes that individual prayer, for example, is not heard. (I am not trying to disprove the reality of God; I am trying to give you some idea of – some sympathy for – the reasons why many come to think that prayer is meaningless. ) Of course, as a result of this doubt, the pattern of doubting is turned next to ethical problems, because, in the religion which he learned, moral problems were connected with the word of God, and if the God doesnt exist, what is his word? But rather surprisingly, I think, the moral problems ultimately come out relatively unscathed; at first perhaps the student may decide that a few little things were wrong, but he often reverses his opinion later, and ends with no fundamentally different moral view. There seems to be a kind of independence in these ideas. In the end, it is possible to doubt the divinity of Christ, and yet to believe firmly that it is a good thing to do unto your neighbor as you would have him do unto you. It is possible to have both these views at the same time; and I would say that I hope you will find that my atheistic scientific colleagues often carry themselves well in society. Communism and the scientific viewpoint I would like to remark, in passing, since the word atheism is so closely connected with communism, that the communist views are the antithesis of the scientific, in the sense that in communism the answers are given to all the questions – political questions as well as moral ones – without discussion and without doubt. The scientific viewpoint is the exact opposite of this; that is, all questions must be doubted and discussed; we must argue everything out – observe things, check them, and so change them. The democratic government is much closer to this idea, because there is discussion and a chance of modification. One doesnt launch the ship in a definite direction. It is true that if you have a tyranny of ideas, so that you know exactly what has to be true, you act very decisively, and it looks good – for a while. But soon the ship is heading in the wrong direction, and no one can modify the direction any more. So the uncertainties of life in a democracy are, I think, much more consistent with science. Although science makes some impact on many religious ideas, it does not affect the moral content. Religion has many aspects; it answers all kinds of questions. First, for example, it answers questions about what things are, where they come from, what man is, what God is – the properties of God, and so on. Let me call this the metaphysical aspect of religion. It also tells us another thing – how to behave. Leave out of this the idea of how to behave in certain ceremonies, and what rites to perform; I mean it tells us how to behave in life in general, in a moral way. It gives answers to moral questions; it gives a moral and ethical code. Let me call this the ethical aspect of religion. Now, we know that, even with moral values granted, human beings are very weak; they must be reminded of the moral values in order that they may be able to follow their consciences. It is not simply a matter of having a right conscience; it is also a question of maintaining strength to do what you know is right. And it is necessary that religion give strength and comfort and the inspiration to follow these moral views. This is the inspirational aspect of religion. It gives inspiration not only for moral conduct – it gives inspiration for the arts and for all kinds of great thoughts and actions as well. Interconnections These three aspects of religion are interconnected, and it is generally felt, in view of this close integration of ideas, that to attack one feature of the system is to attack the whole structure. The three aspects are connected more or less as follows: The moral aspect, the moral code, is the word of God – which involves us in a metaphysical question. Then the inspiration comes because one is working the will of God; one is for God; partly one feels that one is with God. And this is a great inspiration because it brings ones actions in contact with the universe at large. So these three things are very well interconnected. The difficulty is this: that science occasionally conflicts with the first of the three categories – the metaphysical aspect of religion. For instance, in the past there was an argument about whether the earth was the center of the universe – whether the earth moved around the sun or stayed still. The result of all this was a terrible strife and difficulty, but it was finally resolved – with religion retreating in this particular case. More recently there was a conflict over the question of whether man has animal ancestry. The result in many of these situations is a retreat of the religious metaphysical view, but nevertheless, there is no collapse of the religion. And further, there seems to be no appreciable or fundamental change in the moral view. After all, the earth moves around the sun – isnt it best to torn the other cheek? Does it make any difference whether the earth is standing still or moving around the son? We can expect conflict again. Science is developing and new things will be found out which will he in disagreement with the presentday metaphysical theory of certain religions. In fact, even with all the past retreats of religion, there is still real conflict for particular individuals when they learn about the science and they have heard about the religion. The thing has not been integrated very well; there are real conflicts here – and yet morals are not affected. As a matter of fact, the conflict is doubly difficult in this metaphysical region. Firstly, the facts may be in conflict, but even if the facts were not in conflict, the attitude is different. The spirit of uncertainty in science is an attitude toward the metaphysical questions that is quite different from the certainty and faith that is demanded in religion. There is definitely a conflict, I believe – both in fact and in spirit – over the metaphysical aspects of religion. In my opinion, it is not possible for religion to find a set of metaphysical ideas which will be guaranteed not to get into conflicts with an everadvancing and alwayschanging science which is going into an unknown. We dont know how to answer the questions; it is impossible to find an answer which someday will not be found to be wrong. The difficulty arises because science and religion are both trying to answer questions in the same realm here. Science and moral questions On the other hand, I dont believe that a real conflict with science will arise in the ethical aspect, because I believe that moral questions are outside of the scientific realm. Let me give three or four arguments to show why I believe this. In the first place, there have been conflicts in the past between the scientific and the religious view about the metaphysical aspect and, nevertheless, the older moral views did not collapse, did not change. Second, there are good men who practice Christian ethics and who do not believe in the divinity of Christ. They find themselves in no inconsistency here. Thirdly, although I believe that from time to time scientific evidence is found which may be partially interpreted as giving some evidence of some particular aspect of the life of Christ, for example, or of other religious metaphysical ideas, it seems to me that there is no scientific evidence bearing on the golden rule. It seems to me that that is somehow different. Now, lets see if I can make a little philosophical explanation as to why it is different – how science cannot affect the fundamental basis of morals. The typical human problem, and one whose answer religion aims to supply, is always of the following form: Should I do this? Should we do this? Should the government do this? To answer this question we can resolve it into two parts: First — If I do this, what will happen? – and second – Do I want that to happen? What would come of it of value – of good? Now a question of the form: If I do this, what will happen?is strictly scientific. As a matter of fact, science can be defined as a method for, and a body of information obtained by, trying to answer only questions which can be put into the form: If I do this, what will happen? The technique of it, fundamentally, is: Try it and see. Then you put together a large amount of information from such experiences. All scientists will agree that a question – any question, philosophical or other – which cannot be put into the form that can be tested by experiment (or, in simple terms, that cannot be put into the form: If I do this, what will happen?) is not a scientific question; it is outside the realm of science. I claim that whether you want something to happen or not – what value there is in the result, and how you judge the value of the result (which is the other end of the question: Should I do this? ) – must lie outside of science because it is not a question that you can answer only by knowing what happens; you still have to judge what happens – in a moral way. So, for this theoretical reason I think that there is a complete consistency between the moral view – or the ethical aspect of religion – and scientific information. Turning to the third aspect of religion – the inspirational aspect – brings me to the central question that I would like to present to this imaginary panel. The source of inspiration today – for strength and for comfort – in any religion is very closely knit with the metaphysical aspect; that is, the inspiration comes from working for God, for obeying his will, feeling one with God. Emotional ties to the moral code – based in this manner – begin to be severely weakened when doubt, even a small amount of doubt, is expressed as to the existence of God; so when the belief in God becomes uncertain, this particular method of obtaining inspiration fails. I dont know the answer to this central problem – the problem of maintaining the real value of religion, as a source of strength and of courage to most men, while, at the same time, not requiring an absolute faith in the metaphysical aspects. The heritages of Western civilization Western civilization, it seems to me, stands by two great heritages. One is the scientific spirit of adventure – the adventure into the unknown, an unknown which must be recognized as being unknown in order to be explored; the demand that the unanswerable mysteries of the universe remain unanswered; the attitude that all is uncertain; to summarize it – the humility of the intellect. The other great heritage is Christian ethics – the basis of action on love, the brotherhood of all men, the value of the individual – the humility of the spirit. These two heritages are logically, thoroughly consistent. But logic is not all; one needs ones heart to follow an idea. If people are going back to religion, what are they going back to? Is the modern church a place to give comfort to a man who doubts Godmore, one who disbelieves in God? Is the modern church a place to give comfort and encouragement to the value of such doubts? So far, have we not drawn strength and comfort to maintain the one or the other of these consistent heritages in a way which attacks the values of the other? Is this unavoidable? How can we draw inspiration to support these two pillars of western civilization so that they may stand together in full vigor, mutually unafraid? Is this not the central problem of our time? I put it up to the panel for discussion.

Organic Food - Good for you, Good for the environment Essay Example for Free

Organic Food Good for you, Good for the environment Essay Organic food has quickly gained popularity over the years. What started as a trendy method that celebrities adopted has expanded mainstream and can be found in any thriving metropolis as well as many smaller towns and cities. Organic food refers to any type of produce or meat product that has not be treated with additional chemical preservatives when it is grown and therefore is considered to be of benefit to those that choose organic produce. Yet there are those that have not jumped on the organic bandwagon as they have reservations towards this option. We will examine both sides of the argument so as to analyze and finally decode the language that is organic food and come to the clear conclusion that organic food should be an investment we make for proper nutrition and health. Understanding Organic Food One of the most basic human needs is food. We need to feed our bodies with food in order to do any of the daily tasks that we may embark on. This need used to be supplied with food that was wholesome and pure. Our ancestors ate the fruit of their labor which was food that was grown in their farms or in local surrounding areas. We have come a long way from this with the expansion and growth of not only the population but also the technology that speeds up the 2 packaging and assembly of some of the larger chains which supply millions of households with food. Our food no longer is home grown; little do we know where in fact it comes from and for that matter what is being added to our food to give it color, taste and preserve its freshness. Organic farmers are looking to close the gap between the supplier and the ultimate consumer. By buying organic produce we go back to a simpler time where we knew where our food came from and what agricultural methods the farmer used to cultivate the food we put in our mouth. Critique Skeptics and critics of the organic food movement question if buying organic produce is worth it. They believe that organic food is costly compared to commercial and industrial produced food. It can cost a consumer anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars to purchase organic products vs. commercial products. This is due to the methods that organic farmers use when they grow their produce such as crop rotation which is a method that organic farmers use to maximize the soil and land they have by alternating the type of crop they grow. This method leads to less amount of one type of product being produced and also less variety or produce being only available in particular time periods or seasons. It also means that farmer will use less of the soil and less land. This can be a big disadvantage as in the United States alone 140 hectares of farmlands have been lost in the last 30 years to make room for non-agricultural purposes such as building urban cities and highways (Cunningham Cunningham 2010 pg. 201) therefore it may seem to some that all the land given for the purpose of agriculture should be used and even exploited for maximum profit options. Another disadvantage that organic products have is their shelf life. Because no preservatives are used to keep the product fresh, organic products must be consumed within a very short time frame, which can be a big inconvenience to the consumer on a strict budget 3 looking to really expand the freshness of their products without the need to buy a large amount of groceries every few days. If we look at the economic disadvantage that buying organic food has we can see why some people are still skeptical of trying or buying organic products. With the economy still trying to recover from a period of recession and the job market being scarce, people have become savvy shoppers and want to stretch their dollars. While buying commercial products may seem like the best option when saving money, there are other ways to save and still enjoy the benefits that come from buying organic produce. When it comes to matters of health and giving your body the best nutrients, it is important to learn the facts and really analyze the options before making such an important decision. Benefits There is no denying the benefits that buying organic produce has over the conventional method and while the arguments for those opposing organic produce are valid they do not give the consumer the various methods and options they have when choosing organic products and thus it is up to the consumer to study and analyze the progress that organic farmers and retailers have taken in an effort to make organic produce more cost effective as well as various methods that can be taken to naturally preserve the freshness of the produce. Like all things when demand is high cost normally goes down, however because organic produce requires special labor, the cost of buying organic produce is also higher than the conventional method. A recent head-to-head comparison done by a group of Colby College students in 2011 was conducted surveying various commonly purchased products, comparing the prices of both non-organic and organic products and it was concluded that organic products can have a mark-up of up to 117% compared to non-organic products. According to these studies 4 organic carrots cost $1. 51/lb. while non-organic carrots cost $. 77/lb. , a difference of +96% for the consumer buying organic carrots over non-organic. (White Pillsbury, Melissa 2013). While the actual price may vary by location, it is true that organic products do cost more than their non-organic counterpart. One way to offset the cost of buying organic produce is to shop directly from the farmer. By doing this, the consumer not only can ensure that they are buying organic products, they also save money as the farmer will sell directly to the consumer and not have to spend extra money on packaging or transportation costs when selling to wholesaler. Farmers markets are growing in size and vary from city to city. If the consumer lives in an area where the resources for organic produce are scarce or they lack the time to visit a farmers market, they also have the option to subscribe to a monthly at home delivery service usually offered directly from a local farm such as Farm Fresh To You (www. farmfreshtoyou. com ) or Full Circle (www. fullcircle. com ) . These are at home delivery programs that work directly with a local farm which offer the convenience of having the products delivered to your front door, they also take the guess work off what products to buy. Each box of produce delivered weekly or bi-weekly depending on the type of membership you have signed up for, has a variety of hand-picked produce that is both fresh and in season. Another argument that is commonly brought up when discussing organic foods is that organic products lack preservatives that keep it fresh. Once again, a very valid point however, if the consumer were to investigate a little further, they would learn that farmers are great resources to look in to for special tips on how to naturally preserve food without the need for chemical preservatives. Some tips might be as simple as the storage of the produce. One such example is to keep commonly used fruits such as apples and grapes refrigerated at 32-36 degrees Fahrenheit (FarmFreshToYou. com) and away from vegetables to avoid ripening too early. Other methods 5 that have been successful in prolonging the freshness of organic produce are canning, drying, or freezing. These are also at home methods that the consumer can learn that will lock in the flavor and freshness of the produce at the time of purchase thus saving the consumer money. There are many food movements that have come and gone, some being too extreme to be adapted and adhered to permanently; the organic movement has proven not to be just another fad. Buying certified organic foods is the way to go because it helps the environment thanks to the type of natural soil the farmers use when cultivating such crops and also keeps agriculture growing. Organic farmers may seem like the winners in this deal due to the high cost of organic goods but in reality buying organic foods will be extremely beneficial for our health and wellbeing. References Associated Press. Not Quite Pesticide Free. Environment. 2002; 44:5-6 Costenbader, Carol W. The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest. North Adams, MA: Storey, 2002. Print. Cunningham, W. P. , Cunningham, M. A. (2010). Environmental Science: A Global Concern. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill National Rural Ecology Centre. National Rural Ecology Centre RSS. N. p. , 2009. Web. 8 Mar. 2014. Storage Use Tips. Storage Use Tips. Farm Fresh To You, n. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. White Pillsbury, Melissa. Price Differences: Organic Versus Non-Organic; Store Versus Farmers Market. Price Differences: Organic Versus Non-Organic; Store Versus Farmers Market. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, 2013. Web. 12.

Energy Balance For An Internal Combustion Engine Engineering Essay

Energy Balance For An Internal Combustion Engine Engineering Essay The main objective of the experiment is to measure the energy contributions to the diesel engine, which is treated as a thermodynamics system. The energy contributions that are not measured may then be estimated from an energy balance. There are two main, unmeasured energy contributions to identify:- An energy loss from incomplete combustion, in which some of the fuel is not burned completely. An energy loss by heat transfer to the air surrounding hot engine components. Introduction A Petter four stroke diesel engine will be used to investigate the efficiency of a diesel engine. Diesel engines are  internal combustion engines  designed to convert the chemical energy available in the fuel, into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy moves the pistons up and down inside cylinders. The pistons are connected to a crankshaft, and the up-and-down motion of the pistons, known as linear motion, creates the rotary motion needed to turn the wheels of a car forward. We are already aware of the fact that internal combustion engines have very low efficiencies, but the purpose of such experiment is to study where and how the energy is used and lost. This would help us to improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engines where ever possible. Theory Both diesel engines and petrol engines convert fuel into energy through a series of small explosions or combustions. The major difference between diesel and petrol engines is the way these explosions happen. In a petrol engine, fuel is mixed with air, compressed by pistons and ignited by sparks from spark plugs. In a diesel engine, however, the air is compressed first, and then the fuel is injected, because as the air is compressed it heats up to around 400 °C, it is hot enough to ignite fuel. A four stroke diesel engine uses the following cycle (illustrated in Figure1): Intake stroke   The intake valve opens, and fresh air (containing no fuel), is drawn into the cylinder, moving the piston down. Compression stroke   As the piston rises, the air is compressed, causing its temperature to rise. At the end of the compression stroke, the air is hot enough to ignite fuel. Combustion stroke   As the piston reaches the top, fuel is injected at just the right moment and ignited, forcing the piston back down. Exhaust stroke   The piston moves back to the top, pushing out the exhaust created from the combustion out of the exhaust valve. Figure 1 24075-004-613c6f14.gif Eq1From the basic steady flow energy equation, using the air-cycle method, we may write:- The value of can be approximated, closely, to: , Cpe is taken as 1100J/KgK It is convenient to replace by in order to make an allowance for the possibility of incomplete combustion. *Where, FL, is the proportion of fuel energy that is not available because of incomplete combustion. Heat transfer, (Qr), is the sum of energy transferred to cooling water and energy lost to the surrounding from hot engine components, therefore we can write: Qr = -dot mw Cpw ( Tout Tin ) + Qrn Replacing all quantities in Eq1 we get: Symbols explained as follows: rate of heat energy transfer of system rate of the work done by the system (power) combustion air mass flow rate fuel mass rate specific enthalpy of products of combustion specific enthalpy of combustion air specific heat of water 4190 J/kgK Apparatus The Apparatus used in this experiment is mentioned as follows: Petter Diesel Engine: A four stroke, single cylinder, 659CC Petter Diesel Engine was used to conduct the experiment. Figure 2 shows the picture of Petter Diesel Engine used in the experiment. Ear Muffles: Ear muffles were used to protect the ears from the loud noise of the diesel engine; prolonged exposure to such loud noise without ear protection can lead to hearing impairment. Barometer: A Barometer was used to measure the atmospheric pressure at the time of experiment. Atmospheric pressure was needed to calculate the mass flow rate. The Barometer gives readings in mmHg. Figure 3 shows the picture of barometer used in the experiment. IMG_4763.JPGIMG_4767.JPG Figure 2 Figure 3 Experimental Procedure The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the efficiency of a diesel engine. To start with the experiment, all the gauges on the apparatus were pre set to default readings and as a safety precaution all students were provided with ear muffles. Each individual group member was assigned a task by the module lecturer. My assigned task was to measure the oil and at the same time, time the engine as it consumed the set amount of diesel. Similarly other students were given tasks, which they carried on doing as the experiment progressed. The engine was started and after waiting for the recommended time of ten minutes, all the readings were taken off gauges. A weight of 5kg was already placed onto the torque arm before starting the engine. Measurements such as fuel flow rate, cooling water flow-rate, spring balance, orifice plate pressure drop, speed gauge and electric thermometer were taken. Electric thermometer reading is divided into four parts, mentioned as follows: Exhaust temperature Cooling water inlet temperature Cooling water outlet temperature Air inlet temperature After taking all the readings, engine was shut down and ear muffles were removed. The readings taken off the gauges were then used to work out the energy balance for an internal combustion engine. Results MEASURED PROPERTY VALUE UNITS Atmospheric Pressure 764 mmHg Engine Speed 1500 rpm Spring balance reading 15 N Mass on torque arm 5 Kg Amount of Fuel measured 20 ml Time to consume fuel 97 Seconds Relative density of fuel 0.864 Orifice plate pressure drop 31 mmH2O Exhaust gas temperature 260 Degrees Celsius Cooling water inlet temperature 69 Degrees Celsius Cooling water outlet Temperature 75 Degrees Celsius Air inlet Temperature 18.5 Degrees Celsius Cooling water flow-rate 5 litres/minute Following readings were obtained from the gauges: 1. Shaft power output= torque* shaft rotational speed = W(kg load -dial reading)*rt*N(rpm)*2Ï€/60 = (5*9.81)-15*0.4*1500*2Ï€/60 = 2139.42 Watts = 6.13 10-3 kg/s 3. Fuel flow rate = = (20 10-3/1000) (864) = Kg/s 4. Heat transfer rate to the cooling water = {(l/min)/60} * 4.196* (Tout Tin) = *4.196*(75-69) = 2.098 kJ/s 5. Heat transfer to exhaust gases = (6.24 = 1.70 kJ/s 6. Energy Balance: Fuel Energy Input = mf*LCV = (1.7810-4) x (43106) = +7654W Shaft Power Output= + 2139.42W Cooling Water Heat Transfer= +2098W Exhaust Heat Transfer = +1700W Energy Transfer =Qm-mf *FL = -7654+2139.42+2098+1700 = -1716.58W Efficiency = n=useful work output fuel energy input =2139.42 x 100 7654 =27.95% (Useful Work) Energy to surroundings = (Heat supplied in fuel Useful work done Energy to coolant Energy to exhaust) = 7.66 2.14 2.10 1.68 = 1.74KW Percentage energy to coolant = Energy to coolant 100 Heat supplied in fuel = x 100 = 27.41% Percentage to exhaust = Energy to exhaust 100 Heat supplied in fuel = x 100 = 21.93% Percentage loss to the surrounding = Energy to surroundings 100 Heat supplied in fuel = x 100 = 22.71% pie chart.jpg Figure 5 Figure 4 Discussion Engine efficiency refers to an engines ability to transform the available energy from its fuel into useful work. The modern petrol combustion engine operates at an average of roughly 20 to 30 percent engine efficiency. The remaining 70 to 80 percent of the energy is lost to the surroundings in form of exhaust heat, mechanical sound energy and friction. Diesel engines are a bit more efficient. The  diesel engine  uses high compression to ignite its fuel. This higher compression compensates for the engines heat losses and results in roughly 40 percent engine efficiency. This engine efficiency is only observed by direct injection diesel engines (discussed later). Rest 60 percent energy, like the petrol engine is lost to the surroundings. The Petter diesel engine which was the subject of this experiment showed a poor overall efficiency compared to an average diesel engine. The overall efficiency of the Petter diesel engine was only 27.95 percent. The reason for such poor efficiency was that most of the energy was lost to surrounding, but that doesnt mean that the engine cannot me made more efficient. See Figure 4 and 5 for the distribution of energy lost and utilised. There are many ways to improve the efficiency of a diesel engine, some are discussed below: Turbochargers: The purpose of a turbocharger is to compress the air flowing into the diesel engine, this lets the engine squeeze more air into a cylinder and more air means that more fuel can be added; basically a turbocharger converts waste energy from an engines exhaust gases into compressed air, which it pushes into the engine. This allows the engine to burn more fuel producing more power and improves the overall efficiency of the combustion process, hence making the engine more efficient. However, the only disadvantage of a turbocharger is that, if it is in a cars engine it would take a few second to respond as the driver presses the pedal, this phenomenon is known as lag. Turbocharger suffers from lag because it takes a few moments before the exhaust gases reach a velocity that is sufficient to drive the impeller/turbine. Direct Injection: With direct injection, the diesel fuel is directly injected into the cylinder i.e. fuel is mixed with air inside the cylinder, allowing for better control over the amount of fuel used, and varies depending on demand. This makes the engine more fuel efficient. Before direct injection, the fuel was mixed with air in the cars intake manifold. Variable Valve Timing: Valves open and close to allow air and fuel to enter cylinders and for the products of combustion to exit. Different valve timings produce different results (more power and or better fuel economy). Many modern engines can vary valve timing, allowing the default low RPM range of the engine to have more economical timing, and the higher RPM range to go for max power. Cylinder Deactivation: Internal Combustion Engines, with this feature can simply deactivate some cylinders when less power is required, temporarily reducing the total volume of the engine cylinders and so burning less fuel. This feature is mostly found on V6 and V8 engines. Super Charger: Superchargers increase the intake of air into the combustion chamber. This means, more air into the combustion chamber and with more air, more fuel can be added, and more fuel means a bigger explosion and greater  horsepower. Adding a supercharger is a good way to increase the power of a normal-sized engine and thus making it more efficient. Superchargers also create better fuel efficiency by increasing the amount of oxygen available to an engines combustion chambers, because superchargers increase the power of the engine by utilising more oxygen, they do not require a larger engine and therefore also increase fuel efficiency by allowing cars to be lighter. The biggest disadvantage of superchargers however, is that they steal some of the engines horsepower. A supercharger can consume as much as 20 percent of an engines total power output but also generates as much as 46 percent additional horsepower. Since, it generates more power than it requires, it is generally th ought to be good option to increase engines efficiency. Conclusion Diesel engines are a form of Internal Combustion Engines. They are very inefficient if working on their own. Generally about 25-30 percent energy is used in work and the rest is lost to surroundings. The efficiency of a diesel engine can be enhanced by at least 10-15 percent if combined with the modern technological devices, such as turbochargers and superchargers. Other clever techniques can also be used to improve the fuel efficiency and overall engine efficiency of the engine, such as direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. Unfortunately, from the very beginning the focus on an internal combustion engine has been on producing more power rather than providing a better fuel economy, but nowadays due to growing awareness of environment and rising oil prices, engineers have shifted their attention on to producing more fuel efficient engines. For example, BMW is researching on ways to increase the fuel efficiency of a conventional engine by 10-15 percent by looking to  recover and reuse heat energy  lost through the exhaust and that absorbed by the engine cooling system. With such initiatives we can see a future of more efficient and more environmentally friendly engines.

Anorexia Nervosa :: essays research papers

Self-Image: Anerexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a lack of self-esteem, an intense fear of becoming obese, and self-induced starvation due to a distorted body image (Durham, 1991). Anorexia can occur later in life, but it is most common in girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. According to the Center for Change, recent estimates suggest that 1% of Americans within this age range will, to some degree, develop anorexia and 10-20% will eventually die from related complications. I have experienced this deteriorating disease from a bystander’s point of view. After making a pact with my friends to get physically fit for the summer, the four of us exercised and dieted daily for nearly four months. I never thought that this effort to become healthy (or just look good in our bikinis) would have such dire consequences. While everyone ended this exhaustive diet plan, one of my friends became obsessed with her body image and without our knowledge, gradually developed the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. She went unnoticed for several months because she masterfully disguised her eating habits by consuming large quantities of fruit, vegetables, and salads in our presence while secretly fasting at home. Moreover, in spite of her attitude toward eating, she took an avid interest in buying and preparing food for us. Looking back, I think that we were all anorexic to some degree. Personally, I was 16 years old, 5’7 and only weighed about 105 pounds. If I ha d lost a couple more pounds, I would have been 25% below my normal body weight, which would be enough to also diagnose me with anorexia nervosa (Shaw, 2002). The majority of people who suffer from anorexia begin, as we did, with an innocent diet that gradually progressed to extreme and unhealthy weight loss (Shaw, 2002). Unlike normal dieting which stops when the desired weight is reached, people who become anorexic atribute positive feelings to their ability to control their weight and become dangerously preoccupied with food and fear weight gain. Research suggests that stringent dieting can play a key role in triggering eating disorders. Adolescent and young adult women are more vulnerable to these disorders due to their tendency to go on strict diets in order to achieve an â€Å"ideal† figure (Lehrman, 1987). Even thought the cause of anorexia nervosa is not known several different studies suggest that social attitudes toward body appearance, family influences, genetics, and developmental factors are possible contributors to anorexia (Selzman, 1999).

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

In the novel Of Mice and Men, Jon Steinbeck portrays the life of two common men looking for work on various ranches throughout the United States. The ultimate goal of Lenny and George is to save enough money so they will be able to purchase their own ranch. Traveling the country in search of work proves to the men that companionship is one of the greatest things a man can obtain. Steinbeck uses his novel to introduce several themes that many people will encounter in life such as loneliness, death, and chasing the American dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lenny and George discover that as long as they have each other, they will always have something. Most of the other ranch workers do not have any family or a close friend. Lenny can not take care of himself and depends on George to do so. George merely counts on Lenny for companionship and as someone to confide in. George tells Lenny of his hopes and dreams and although Lenny may not fully comprehend what George is saying, George’s need for someone to converse with is fulfilled. Lenny and George are almost like a family as in they satisfy each other’s emotional needs and keep each other company. Both Lenny and George benefit greatly from their relationship. Although it appears that Lenny needs George more, George’s needs are just not as evident. Without Lenny, George would take his pay, and “go into town and buy liquor.'; Lenny is a means of hope and his presence keeps George on track.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is not perceived to be the worst possible situation in this instance. Lenny has a mental condition and has the mental capacity equivalent to that of a third grader. Lenny’s reasoning skills, or rather lack thereof, lead him into doing harm to others and ultimately into killing Curley’s wife. After the other ranch workers find Curley’s wife dead, they suspect Lenny to be the killer. Lenny runs away and hides in a spot that George has told him to run to if anything bad should ever happen. George finds Lenny before the other men do, but ironically George kills Lenny. George does not kill Lenny to get rid of him and not have to take care of him anymore, but as way of helping him. Lenny’s mental state deters him from distinguishing right from wrong and thus, Lenny stays in constant trouble. Lenny does not comprehend his strength and does not know how to contain it.

The Age Of Reason Essay -- Romanticism Essays

The eighteenth century saw unprecedented growth of literature and the arts in Europe and America. Britain during this time period also enjoyed prolonged periods of civil peace that stood in sharp contrast to the bloody and protracted civil and international conflicts that lasted throughout the 17th century. Furthermore, as the rising middle classes increasingly sought both education and leisure entertainment, the marketplace for artistic production swelled dramatically. One of the most critical elements of the 18th century was the increasing availability of printed material, both for readers and authors. The period was markedly more generally educated than the centuries before. Education was less confined to the upper classes than it had been in centuries, and consequently contributions to science, philosophy, economics, and literature came from all parts of the newly United Kingdom. It was the first time when literacy and a library were all that stood between a person and education . The first half of the century has often been aptly described as the Age of Reason, the Augustan Age and the Neo-classical Age. The very description of this period as Augustan throws light on the prosperity and growth of this period, drawing a direct parallel to the affluent era of Latin literature during the reign of Augustus and in the process, claiming a similar Golden Age of English literature and arts. It was an "age of reason" in that it was an age that accepted clear, rational methods as superior to tradition. The period saw the development and growth of a new attitude towards life and more importantly towards the role of nature around us. Rationalism, as an ideology, gained importance and influenced literary works to a large extent. Rationalism as a philosophical doctrine, asserts that reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching should determine the truth. Such a philosophy provided stability and order to the society and was hence considered as a welcoming change from the chaos that Europe had recently experienced. The Age of Reason, hence, emphasized on the importance to perceive life in a scientific and detached manner. It rejected emotion or fashionable belief and stressed on a more rational, logical and scientific attitude towards life. The discoveries of Isaac Newton, the rationalism of Rà ©nà © Descartes, the skepticism of Pierre Bay... ...ight be taken to include the rise of individualism, as seen by the cult of the artistic genius that was a prominent feature in the Romantic worship of Shakespeare and in the poetry of Wordsworth, to take only two examples; a new emphasis on common language and the depiction of apparently everyday experiences; and experimentation with new, non-classical artistic forms. Romanticism also strongly valued the past. Old forms were valued, ruins were sentimentalized as iconic of the action of Nature on the works of man, and mythic and legendary material which would previously have been seen as "low" culture became a common basis for works of "high" art and literature. Romanticism played an essential role in the national awakening of many Central European peoples lacking their own national states, particularly in Poland, which had recently lost its independence. Revival of ancient myths, customs and traditions by Romanticist poets and painters helped to distinguish their indigenous cultures from those of the dominant nations (Russians, Germans, Austrians, Turks, etc.). Patriotism, revolution and armed struggle for independence also became popular themes in the arts of this period.

Beer Industry Marketing Analysis Essay

The Beer makes up most of the alcoholic beverage industry, with a 74% volume in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The production of beer around the world has increased from 36. 85 billions gallons in 2000 to 38. 78 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). Beer production has been a part of society close to the beginning of civilization. A Mesopotamian tablet dating back to 7000 B. C. contains a beer recipe named ?  §wine of the grain (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 1292, a Czech Republic town produced its first pilsner beer. A prominent beer brand, Pilsner Urquell, brewing dates back to the early thirteenth century. Beer is produced with a mixture of mashed barley, malt, and rice or corn. U. S. brewers use filtration systems as well as add additives to stabilize the foam and allow long lasting freshness. Bottled or canned beer is almost always pasteurized in the container in prevent the yeast from further fermentation. After 1996, the U. S. beer industry had consistent growth with about 3,500 brands on the market in 2002 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U. S. exported beer to almost one hundred countries worldwide. The beer industry peaked production with 6. 2 billion gallons in 2003 (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). The U. S. beer industry haws over 300 breweries. However, this industry is dominated by three companies: Anheuser Bush (45% of the industry), Miller Brewing (23% of the industry), and Adolph Coors (10% of the industry) (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). MARKETS BASIC PRODUCT/SERVICE OFFERINGS There are several different types of commercial beer, consisting of pilsner, lager, ale, stout, light, low-carb, malt liquor, dry, ice-brewed, bottled, draft, and non-alcoholic. Further, the U. S.market has been divided in to three categories: super premium, premium, and popular-priced (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). In 2002, the U. S. Market Share Reporter stated that light beer consumed 40. 1% of the beer market, premium held 25. 9% of the market, and popular-priced beer held the remainder. Here is a brief description of the most popular types of commercial beers: ?  «Lager: a high carbonated beer, containing a low alcohol content, with a pale, medium-hop flavor ?  «Stout: a thick, dark beer, almost like syrup ? «Porter: a sweet, malty flavored brew with a farley high alcohol content ?  «Malt Liquor: a mostly malt based containing high amounts of fermentable sugars ?  «Light: a reduced calorie brew made by decreasing the grain amount used when brewing or by adding enzymes to break down the starch content in the beer (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). One small segment of the beer industry is the micro brews. This segment as well as brewpubs had a double-digit increase in the U. S. throughout the early 1990?  ¦s (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). However, this increase started to decline toward the end of the 1990?  ¦s. This was mostly due to overexpansion. This did not stop all the microbreweries from continuing to open in the U. S. which allowed this market to show considerable growth. In 2002, the U. S. reportedly had 396 microbreweries, 46 regional specialty breweries, and 994 brewpubs (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). III. MARKET STRUCTURE AND ATTRACTIVENESS Market Structure The three major players in the brewing industry, Anheuser-Bush, Miller, and Coors Co. , have started increasing their market shares at the expense of smaller national brewers. The alcoholic beverage industry has gone through a consolidation period since the consumption rate has declined over the past few years (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). One of the markets that have flattened in this industry is the domestic beer market. This industry has hit a mature stage where consumption rates have flattened. This caused price increases to help suffering companies increase its profit margins (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). This along with increased vertical integration and inherent production economies makes it very difficult for a inefficient major industry player to compete nationally. The market that is dominating the brewing industry is the micro brewers. This group has found a niche market in the beer industry and has steadily driven the market share upwards. These companies normally target the smaller market segments and do not try to compete with the large industry brands. To achieve such successful profit margins, the micro brewers have the production process under contract with a regional brewer (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). Attractiveness The attractiveness of the beer industry is steadily growing. However, it is not growing in to area of large domestic brewers. This area of the beer industry has hit a flat consumption growth. The area that is become more attractive is the micro brews. From 1999 to 2002, the micro brew market grew almost 11 percent in the U. S. (Future of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Specialty Beer, 2004). This has caused the major companies in this industry to break into this niche market by combining forces with smaller companies or penetrating the market with a new micro brew product line. This niche market remains attractive to any investors due to the fact that the micro brew consumers will not react negatively to higher prices or price increases (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). The other area in the beer industry that continues to flourish is the international beer market. From 1999 to 2003, the market share for imports grew from 9. 1% to 11. 9%, respectively (Future of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Specialty Beer, 2004). Not only does the increase in market share hinder the domestic brewing companies, but the average case for imported beer is $24. 27 and for domestic beer is $16. 47 (Beer Report, 2003). This shows that imports sales are much higher due to increase in market share. As well, from a revenue stand point the international market has a higher attractiveness over the domestic market. From this, U. S. beer firms have penetrated into the international market by joining with international brewing companies to become American distributors for their brands. The continuing growth of U. S. beer firms penetrating international beer markets are due to the continuance of licensing agreements, direct exports, and foreign investments (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). IV. Porter?  ¦s Five Forces Model A good way to look at the beer industry is by using the Porter?  ¦s Five Forces Model. This analysis will help analyze the attractiveness of the industry as well as discuss the ease of entry and exit. Threat of Substitutes: Substitutes for this market include wine and distilled spirits. The wine industry consists of grape wine, sparkling wines, brandy, and fermented dinks (Alcoholic Beverages, 2000). Most distilled spirits are based on name brand products including vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and liquors and cordials. Both of these markets have a major capability of expanding due to international exports. Another substitute for the domestic beer market is the higher priced brewed beverages including micro brews or imports. Though these products do carry a much higher price, the customers willing to pay higher prices are capable of using a substitute. Threat of New Entry: The threat of new entry in this market is relatively low. The legal costs and economics of scale in the manufacturing and distribution areas of the beer market are strongly weighed to successfully compete (Overview of the U. S. Beer Industry, 2005). This prohibits most potential entrants. Buyer Power: Since there are many different competitors and substitutes in the alcoholic beverage industry, the buying power is in the hands of the buyer. The only approach to sway the consumers buying behavior is through advertising and marketing. Supply Power: Some breweries in the U. S. hold no supply power. All the company is responsible for is brewing the beer. On the other hand, the large domestic beers, for instance Coors Brewing Co. , have a manufacturing plant where it controls of the manufacturing process with it products. Companies who have this capability hold huge amounts of supply power. This sometimes eliminates manufacturing costs from another company. Intra-Industry Rivalry: Competitive rivalry remains strong amongst the three leading companies in the beer industry, Anheuser-Bush, Miller, and Coors. These three companies battle against each other through advertising and market share. The micro brews in the beers industry also compete against each other to hold a competitive advantage over other products at that level. This area of the beer industry competes as well using advertising, packaging, and market share. Political Variables/Trends There are quite a few political variables to consider in the beer industry. The first issue in this industry is the implementation of taxation on alcohol sales. Governments around the world strong believe in taxation on alcohol to both increase revenue and decrease consumption (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). This trend has been effective since the consumers continue to purchase the products no matter how high the prices. The U. S. has had the lowest tax rates on its alcohol sales compared to other countries. In 1991, the tax rate on beer doubled to $18 per barrel, equally 16 to 32 cents per six pack (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). This was a sharp increase from its previous tax rates. The next political view most companies have had to deal with in the alcoholic beverage industry is the issue of alcohol abuse. Many companies have to monitor how it markets its products to now allow the persuasion of binge drinking or excessive drinking. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates costs of $140 billion per year relate to alcohol abuse (Alcoholic Beverages, 2005). Drunk driving has been another issue that beer companies have come under attack in relation to beer sales. The government has pasted several laws in the past to stricken the drink and driving laws. The U. S. Senate passed a law to decrease to legal blood-alcohol level from . 10 percent to . 08 percent. As well, a bill was passed regulating the legality of having open containers in a moving vehicle. This was passed in the Senate making it illegal to have any open containers in a moving vehicle. Marketing to minors was another issue that several beer companies got slammed with in 2004. Lawsuits were filed stating that some of the marketing tactics in the beer companies commercial were intention targeting underage drinkers (Lawsuits, 2004). The courts argued that the material used in the commercial ads were young video games and models ?  §chosen to appeal to underage consumers (Lawsuits, 2004). Some of the brewing firms decided to implement underage drinking warnings in its ads to cover itself from any future litigation Economic Variables/Trends The economic trend in the large domestic beer market has pretty much flatten entering in the maturity stage in the product life cycle. This will mean that sales will mostly stay consistent with little increase. Unless the major companies can try to dominate the niche markets in the beer industry, they will need to use advertising and marketing to drive sales. The fear of consumers switching to a substitute product like the micro brews could be present. Thus, branching out into that niche market would help the companies to gain higher market share and increase sales. Social Variables/Trends The major social trend in the beer industry is the ?  §low carb craze (MacArthur, 2004). Americans have entered into a low-carb phase. Beer sales decrease a good amount following the introduction of this phase into the American food markets. Anheuser-Busch had a heading start when this phase started since it was the first to implement a low-carb beer, Michelob Ultra, into the alcoholic beverage industry. This sparked a spin off with other major companies and soon mostly all major players in the industry had developed a low-carb beverage (MacArthur, 2004). Anheuser-Busch, Coors Brewing, and Miller were putting together a $300 million media campaign supporting any brands that help avoid a beer belly (MacArthur, 2004). In 2003, Bud Light still led the market with an increase from 2. 6% to 8. 1% while Coors Light volume decreased from 0. 6% to 8. 5% of the market share (MacArthur, 2004). Technological Variables/Trends Technology in this industry is mainly computer based focused. Companies use computer software and equipment to allow for efficient production of the products being manufactured. Also, increase in technology variables could mean better advertising strategies due to the technology created. On top of being used to speed up the production and efficiency of service, new technology also has been used to pull well-defined reports that become useful with inventory and point-of-sale purchases. V. ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY ASSESSMENT VI. MARKET POWER DISTRIBUTION AND PERFORMANCE VII. TARGET RECOMMENDATIONS