Marketing and Nike Essay

Q. N. 1: What have been the key success factors for Nike? Ans. The key success factors for Nike are their exciting marketing strategy, product innovation and staying to the mission which is â€Å"To bring, inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† These are as follows: * Nike established a strong brand name through designing innovative footwear for serious athletes. * Nike’s management has found most significant celebrity support: the right collaboration between celebrity and product. * Nike stayed focused on being an authentic sports and fitness company serving the athlete and sports minded people. * Nike’s campaign even featured an 80 year old long distance runner with the slogan â€Å"Just Do It† that placed the emphasis on self-empowerment through sports and fitness for all ages. * Making corrections and change of the American style ads in Europe also a key factor for success. Q. N. 2: Where is the Nike vulnerable? What should they watch out for? Ans. Vulnerable points of Nike as well as its solution are as below: * There is one fact, when using celebrity endorsements Nike advertisers need to keep in mind that is to never let the celebrity become your brand. If so, the company will run the risk of killing the brand as soon as celebrity becomes faded. * Selecting a spokesperson whose characteristics are congruent with the brand image. * Nike deals with only one product line that it footwear. In this circumstance, it should watch out for diversification of the products to increase the maker share. Q. N. 3: What recommendations would you make to their senior marketing executives going forward? Ans. For going forward senior marketing executives of Nike can follow the recommendations as below: * Find the right collaboration between celebrity and product. * Promote prospective display that is going global and evaluate current position rate. * Watch out for diversification of product line. * Collecting feedback from customers about the products quality * Customize the advertisement for the customer of different culture in different region. Q. N. 4: What should they be sure to do with their marketing? Ans. They be sure to manage their marketing system in a proper way that it is satisfying the customer needs and wants keeping pace with the time. They can give importance to the following topics: * Be sure that your product performance quality is ok as you advertise. * Ensure innovation on designing the product. * Collect ideas from customers to improve the product * Make aware the customer about the continuous improvement * Establish Customer Relationship Management.

No Child Left Behind and Special Ed Essay

This paper is written on the topic â€Å"No Child Left Behind† and how this law pertains to and how it affects special education. This act was passed n 2001 and is abbreviated as NCLB and at times pronounced as nickelbee. This law was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and it is a US federal law. This legislation was base on blueprint and was represented by John Boehner, George Miller, Judd Gregg and Edward Kennedy after which it was signed by President Bush. (Abernathy, 2007). This law was basically aimed to bring improvement in the performance of the primary and the secondary schools in the United States. Moreover, this law also aimed to elevate the standards of the schools making sure that they are provides flexibility in choosing school for their children. It also focused on reading and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was also re-authorized. This Act was introduced during the 107th Congress, was passed by the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001and was actually signed into law by on January 8, 2002. The goal was basically to reform education and to set high standards and to ensure that these goals can be measured and improved. The Act further states that the basic skills must be enacted in the students and schools must receive federal funding. Standards of education are set by every state keeping in mind the control over the schools. Furthermore, this Act also states that the schools must also provide the details of the students such as their name, phone number and address to the military recruiters and institutions of higher education and this must be done unless the parents of that child do not ask the school not to provide any details. After this Act was passed, the measures of the act were fervently debated over its effectiveness. It has also been criticized and the criticism actually was that effective instruction and student learning could be reduced. However, in support of this Act, it is said that systematic testing provides data and so they schools that do not teach the basic skills in an effective manner can be highlighted after which improvement can be made based on the evaluations. This would improve the outcomes for the students and will also minimize the gap of achievement that persists between the students who are disadvantaged in any way. (Hess & Petrilli, 2006). At the time this law was implemented, the federal funding of education was increased by the Congress and the increase was from$42. 2 billion in 2001 to $54. 4 billion in 2007 while No Child Left Behind received a 40. 4% increase from $17. 4 billion in 2001 to $24. 4 billion. Later, the funding for reading quadrupled from $286 million in 2001 to $1. 2 billion. In 2008, a study was carried out by the Department of Education that showed the No Child Left behind Act on which around a billion dollars were invested actually proved to be ineffective. The special education programs were introduced in the United States and they were made compulsory in 1975. This was the time when the Congress passed an Act for the support of the disabled children. This ensures that every disabled student gets free and appropriate education and to apply least restrictions to such students. Moreover, to further enhance and make sure that this Act is being implemented, regular meetings are held between the professionals and the parents of the disable children to ensure that the specific needs of the children are being met and so that modification could be provided for the children who needed them. According to FAPE i. e. Free Appropriate Public Education, the disadvantaged children are to be provided free education at public expenses. They are also directed by the public and no charges are applied. It ensures that the individual needs of the child are met and free education is provided to them from preschool to secondary school education. The FAPE also prevents segregation that is done unnecessarily and to ensure that they have access to the maximum extent. Special education services and special equipment has to be given to the disabled children and a transition plan must be developed. This plan focuses on the future goals of the learner and to help him to live his life in future. Educators also believe that the disabled children should be taught together with the normal children because isolating these children would reduce their self esteem as well as their abilities. This is called mainstreaming i. e. the integration of the disabled and the normal children. However, they also have to have special classrooms and services and must also have a trained teacher. Moreover, the sessions that are held for the special children are called resource rooms that are equipped with all the required material. However, the disabled children can also join other children for other activities and there should be no restriction in it. (Pierangelo, 2004). Reference Abernathy, S. (2007). No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools. University of Michigan Press. Hess, F. M. & Petrilli,M. J. (2006). No Child Left Behind. Peter Lang Publishing. Pierangelo, R. (2004). The Special Educator’s Survival Guide. 2nd Edn. Jossey-Bass.

The Effects of Technology on Modern Life

Television has truly changed the lives of most people in Britain. Nearly all British households have at least one colour television. The amount of time people spend each day watching TV is increasingly significantly every year. In the first three months of 2010 British viewers watched a record of more than four hours of TV a day on average. Some children have become addicted to watching TV and watch it all day when not in school. Referring to Passage B, children will have watched about 25,000 hours of TV by the age of 18. I believe parents need to be stricter with their children and get them involved with sports and clubs to prevent them from watching too much TV or playing games indoors. A lot of the programs on TV today including Big Brother, The only way is Essex, etc, are reality programmes that are meaningless to our everyday lives. People will do anything to get on TV nowadays! Technology is getting more advanced each day and has taken over our lives. From small fuzzy TV’s with few channels to plasma screen TV’s with hundreds, from writing letters to instantly texting someone on a touch screen phone. These are all amazing advances in technology and have changed people’s lives. Although as it says in Passage B, TV violence contributes to real violence and it influences people into bad language, sex and pain. The Internet has also changed many people lives. In Passage A, it mentions a new technology called VOIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol, so now people can phone there friends, wherever they are, for as long as you want, for absolutely free. I think this is good and bad because all though it is fast and doesn’t cost, people may then spend to much time on their phone, knowing there are no restrictions. There are also many social network sites where you can chat to friends instantly and share personal information. People as young as 10 have an account on these social network sites, which can be highly dangerous. There are pedophiles on these sites that can easily manipulate young kids. The sites try to stop these things from happening but with so many people online, it’s almost impossible to stop them all. Facebook is one of the biggest online social networking sites with over 850million users and over 3000 employees. It is one of the fastest ways to communicate with friends and share personal information. Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site and was created in 2004. You must be 13 or older to have an account on Facebook but there 7.5 million children under 13 with accounts and 5 million under 10, violating the site’s terms of service. Technology is a massive thing in our everyday lives and we use it for almost everything. People can accomplished so many things using technology and it helped companies become more known, millions of people can watch the same thing at once, but its not just TV and Internet. With new technology we can fly jumbo jets around the world, visiting 100’s of different countries each day. Technology has changed massively within the last 20 years, which is very good, but could also be very bad. We need to control how we use technology, especially watching TV and the internet, because it is wasting our lives when they are many things to do and things t accomplish. This is what we have come to.

Strateget management Reflection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strateget management Reflection - Assignment Example Needless to say, it is something every company executive must keep in mind in running their business. Quite frankly though, this is a bit of a no-brainer for me; I have been raised from birth to be responsible in all aspects of life, so strategic management isn’t something I am incapable of. While it is true that different people may have varying degrees of success in this regard, this will still help any business no matter what field. Case in point: all big name companies that we have known, regardless of whether they were forced to declare bankruptcy, were able to pull this off somehow else they would never have gotten off the ground. Most of us, even non-business majors, no doubt already know this. This being the case, it becomes even more important to learn this skill which will spell the difference between success and failure in our careers. In particular, three steps are most important in my opinion – scanning both the external (knowing one’s surroundings) and internal (knowing oneself) environments, as well as the competition (knowing the enemy), which will be the focus of this paper. As I heard somewhere before, only by knowing both oneself and the enemy (or in this case, competition) can success be guaranteed. According to Elisabeth Chapus et al (2010), environmental scanning, both internal and external, is meant to aid managers in making decisions and to respond adequately to weak signals coming from the environment. Coming up with plans usually entails taking into account the current situation, and strategic management is no exception. However, unlike normal planning that focuses mainly on thinking of the future, strategic management emphasizes good decision-making in order to achieve a desirable future (Craig Dobbins, 2010). To this end, managers must be able to make educated guesses about the future based on what they see now, achieving a fit in terms of how the company can

The Case for Health Care Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Case for Health Care Reform - Research Paper Example The Medicare program is intended to cater to the healthcare needs of senior American citizens as well as disabled persons. There are four main parts that constitute the program. Part A and Part B cover hospital and medical insurance respectively; Part C offers flexibility whereas Part D covers the cost of Prescription drugs. The Medicaid program, on the other hand, was created to take care of the healthcare needs of those who are economically disadvantaged, but exceptions are made for special cases and circumstances. Put together, these two public healthcare programs give coverage to about 80 million American citizens, whereas the total population is more than 300 million. Moreover, the coverage extended by the two programs are for well-established medical conditions and well-entrenched treatments and procedures, thereby denying support for those patients who resort to emerging and innovative treatment regimes. Although these programs cost the federal government close to $800 billion and comprise 5.6 %of the nations GDP, they cover less than a third of the population and that too only for select medical conditions and treatments. It is a well-known fact that the United States healthcare system is one of the most inefficient among the advanced economies. Despite being the leading economic power, its ranks below Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden and Western European countries such as France, Britain, and Germany The costs incurred, health outcomes, etc. This is a clear indication that the predominant role played by private business corporations (in the form of hospitals and insurance companies) has hampered our healthcare system from meeting its full potential. In a well-functioning system, the private involvement will be limited to the extent that it brings efficiency and innovation to the system.  Ã‚  

Compare and contrast the regional variations that are prevalent in the Research Paper

Compare and contrast the regional variations that are prevalent in the Romanesque Church architecture of Lombardy, Germany and the Low Countries, and Tuscany Give examples - Research Paper Example This style of construction and building can be identified in almost all parts of Europe. The most notable buildings that are still standing presently are the churches, with some of these being the large cathedrals and abbey churches (Jackson 32-34). According to Fletcher (25-27), the church was the ultimate emblematic structure of the Romanesque architecture, and since they were constructed to meet specific needs of liturgy, their construction was depended on the needs. These churches had similar architectural designs that included the thick walls semi-circular arches, towers, roofs and round arches in arcades, doors, windows and vaults (Jackson 36). However, these churches differed in the ground plans, the shape and position of towers, shape of columns, piers and the east end, and the building materials (Fletcher 28). This paper seeks to give the similarities and differences between the Romanesque Church architecture of Germany and the Low Countries, Lombardy and Tuscany. The Romanesque architects constructed myriad buildings with most of them being abbey and village churches, castles and cathedrals (Itcher 23). All these churches were constructed to shelter, welcome and hold the faithful in an environment that was dignified and gave a sense of depth and an ambulatory apse (Flecher 31). The Romanesque churches were built with an interior that was complex and with a densely molded material typified by strong chiaroscuro differences that strengthened the plastic outlines of the columns and heightened the sense of encrusted distinctive thickness and spatial depth (Jackson 44-45). From a structural standpoint, this was successful due to the implementation of the system of anchorages taken as longitudinal units; they were made to be spatial bodies that were added to the next one in a symmetrical manner (Icher 49). The buildings had an isolated crossing that was a normal aspect

Court Case related to the topic Sexual Harrasment at Workplace Essay

Court Case related to the topic Sexual Harrasment at Workplace - Essay Example She had worked as a part-time lifeguard for the Marine Safety Section (Buchanan & Wiswall, 2009). During her tenure, her immediate supervisors were Bill Terry, David Silverman, and Robert Gordon. After her resignation in 1990, she took an action against Terry, Silverman, and the City. Faragher complained that both Terry and Silverman had repeatedly created a sexually unfriendly environment while at the beach. Also, she alleged that the duo had subjected fellow female lifeguards to offensive and uninvited touch by the use of prurient remarks and by speaking of women in decadent ways. The complainant said that at some point, Terry had vowed never to give a promotion to any woman. On the other hand, Faragher specified that at one point, Silverman asked her to date him and failure to which he would make her clean the lavatories for a whole year. Pointing out that both Terry and Silverman were agents of the City and that their conduct resulted in discrimination in their conditions, privil eges, and terms given by the employment, the complainant sought judgment against the City. Initially, Faragher had not complained to the higher management about both Terry and Silverman. At first, she reported the matter to Gordon, who was the training captain and was working with Silverman. However, Gordon reported the matter to his supervisor, Terry and afterward took no action since he felt that the City could not be concerned about such issues. Faragher’s bench trial realized that two months before her resignation, a former lifeguard had written to the City’s Personnel Director, with complaints of harassment she had faced from Terry and Silverman. After the complaints, the City concluded that the duo had misbehaved and were therefore reprimanded. They were required to choose between facing a suspension without pay and forfeiting their annual leave. From these findings, the District Court that was

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example As a function of such a comparative analysis, the proceeding analysis will attempt to compare and contrast the ways in which both of these stories attempt to integrate with the reader. With regards to the ultimate allegory that Shirley Jackson is attempting to represent, it is the belief of this author that she has a twofold representation that she attempts to acquaint the reader with. As the topic of her story is concentric upon the sacrificial offering of an individual before what can only be described as an ordered but cold-hearted crowd demanding a sacrifice to be made in order to fulfill some type of a quota, the reader can quickly infer that the allegorical nature of the story adequately represents those of ancient sacrificial rites that were oftentimes conducted in order to secure fertility or a bountiful harvest for early civilizations (Jackson 12). Yet, this is not the only purpose of such a story as it is the belief of this author that the drawing and subsequent lottery that took place was allegorical with regards to the nature of the draft that existed and typified the times that Shirley Jackson lived in. However, what is interesting is the fact that the author also incorporates strong elements of sociological understanding with regards to the current society that Shirley Jackson lived within. At the time the short story was penned, the draft was in effect for all military aged men. As such, the allegory of the drawing and the lottery can be seen as a type of ritualized system of sacrifice in which the nonsensical nature of violence and death continued to permeate modern society long after the absurd nature of a literal sacrifice from ancient cultures died away. Moreover, the author is able to draw a clear line of connection between the two seemingly disjunct understandings of society, human nature, and history. Rather than

Influences of mood on problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

Influences of mood on problem solving - Essay Example Conflicting results reported in these tests suggest the underlying cause may be contained in the methods of testing, specifically regarding the tasks involved in the testing process and the types of responses requested from test participants. Rather than being able to determine whether positive or negative mood is empirically better for problem-solving, this paper proposes to determine whether specific mood sets are most beneficial for the problem-solving process given more detailed parameters, such as type of response required and type of test or task performed. By looking at some of the available research in existence in the field, this paper will work to identify situations in which positive mood may be more beneficial, when negative mood may be more beneficial, or when different approaches to mood altogether will achieve the most productive results. Following several studies in which it was suggested that positive mood was essential to most effective problem-solving, Anja Goritz and Klaus Moser conducted a study via the internet to determine whether this premise was essentially true (Goritz, Moser, 2003). Specifically, the researchers were seeking to prove whether positive mood enhances the ability to categorize with flexibility at broad and narrow levels. To test this hypothesis, they used the World Wide Web as their laboratory and the Velten procedure for mood inducement for both the positive and the negative groups. The neutral group did not receive any kind of mood inducement.

Media Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Media Advertising - Essay Example This paper delves into how media advertisement can be used to promote sales for software products. When marketing for software products I would engage in the process of developing the marketing plan required to sell the software. Research on how to market the product would cover market needs, market trends and the best mode of advertising. Since the identified marketing medium is through online selling on Facebook, the best tactic to use would be to display unique features about the product using creativity that is difficult to copy (Feltenstein, 2010).   Legal implications – when using the online advertisement, any breach of law can always be traced back and used as evidence of the case. Due to ignorance of law, many businesses suffer from this risk. Security breach – there are hackers or internet criminals who target the operations of the companies that undertake online marketing. This involves track on financial information and account details or company profile to create havoc (Smith, 2011).   Advertising on the internet serves as a good strategy to increase profits for the company or the business. Social media advertisement targets a large group of people who act as customers of such products and they lead to increased sales of the product. Many customers who deal with online products get more satisfaction because they can make the transactions using online system and they are able to get the specific product without going for window shopping. Since the customer satisfaction is high through social media due to factors like integrated marketing communication, there are more customers in social media which leads to increased sales and thus profitability (Funk, 2013).   Social media advertisement also leads to profits through reduced cost of operation. Through online advertisement, the business applies integrated marketing communication (IMC) which involves combining all aspects of marketing such as sales promotion, public

Big city vs small town Essay Example for Free

Big city vs small town Essay Matter and Energy Learning Objectives Understand the general concepts of matter and energy-why are these entities important to environmental scientists? Be able to define and give examples of the three laws governing matter and energy-how do these laws affect our understanding of matter/energy quantity and quality Be able to differentiate between potential and kinetic energy Be able to discuss the concept of entropy and how this process affects all living things Check out the chemistry review if you feel you need some additional chemistry background for this section I. One important thing about systems and living things: Life obeys physical laws. Drink some water, eat some food, run to class. The two things that connect these activities and other aspects of life on earth are matter and energy. Matter has mass and occupies space: it is the stuff you and everything else is made of. Matter comes in a variety of forms. We call these different unique types of matter elements. An atom is the smallest unit of an element that has all of the properties of that element. There are 92 naturally occurring elements in nature. These different forms of matter differ uniquely in their physical and chemical properties: carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) differ in their size, reactiveness with other atoms, and other physical and chemical properties. An element is a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by ordinary chemical means. An element can be combined with another to make a compound. For instance, hydrogen combines with oxygen to produce water. Scientists use symbols (hydrogen=H, oxygen=O) as a kind of short-hand for describing compounds. For example H2O is mean water is comprised of 2 toms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen II. Energy is a more elusive concept. Formally, it is defined as the ability (or capacity) to do work Work is the product of force and distance. When you are walking up the Hill, you are doing work by applying muscles (force) to move up the Hill (distance). Energy is what you and all living things use to move matter around and to change matter from one form to another. Energy is used to grow your food, to keep you alive (metabolism), to move you from one place to another, and to warm and cool the buildings in which you work and  live. The uses and transformations of matter and energy are governed by certain scientific laws, which unlike the laws people enact, cannot be broken. III. There are three physical laws governing matter and energy that are important to us. A) Law of conservation of matter B) First law of energy (first law of thermodynamics) C) Second law of energy (second law of thermodynamics) A. Law of Conservation of Matter: (everything must go somewhere) We talk about consuming, or using up material resources, but actually we dont consume any matter. We only borrow some of the earths resources for a while C taking them from the earth, carrying them to another part of the globe, processing them, using them, and then discarding, reusing, or recycling them. In the process of using matter we may change it to another form, but in every case we neither create nor destroy any measurable amount of matter. This results from the law of conservation of matter: In any physical or chemical change, matter is neither created nor destroyed but merely changed from one form to another. When you throw away something, remember there is no away. Everything we think we have thrown away is still here with us in one form or another. How does this affect environmental science ? Although we can certainly make the environment cleaner, the law of conservation of matter says we will always be faced with pollution of some sort. This means that we musttrade-off one form of pollution for another. This trade-off involves making controversial scientific, political, economic, and ethical judgments about what is a dangerous pollution level, to what degree a pollutant must be controlled, and what amount of money we are willing to pay to reduce the amount of a pollutant to a harmless level. B. The First Law of Energy (First Law of thermodynamics): You cant get something for nothing You encounter energy in many forms: mechanical, chemical (food and fuel), electrical, nuclear, heat, and radiant (such as light). Scientists usually classify most forms of energy as either potential or kinetic energy. 1) Kinetic energy is the energy that matter has because of its motion and mass. A moving car, falling rock, and the flow of electrons or charged particles called electrical energy are all examples of kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy matter has depends on both its mass and its velocity (speed). Because of its  velocity a bullet fired from a gun can cause more damage that one thrown by hand; and a bowling ball dropped on your foot does more damage that a pool ball. 2) Potential energy: The energy stored by an object as a result of its position or the position of its parts is called potential energy. A rock held in your hand, a bowl of cereal, a stick of dynamite, and a tank of gas are all examples. The rock has stored (or potential) energy that can be released and converted into kinetic energy (in the form of mechanical energy and heat) if it is dropped. Doing work involves changing energy from one form to another. a. When you lift an object, chemical energy (a form of potential energy) stored in the chemicals obtained from your digested food is converted into the mechanical energy (kinetic) used to move your arm and the object upward and into heat given off by your body b. In an automobile engine, the che into electrical energy and heat (low grade form of kinetic energy. c. In an electric power plant, chemical energy from fossil fuels (potential) or nuclear energy from uranium nuclear fuel (potential) is converted into a combination of mechanical energy and heat. The mechanical energy is used to spin the turbine that converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy and more heat. When the electrical energy oscillates through the filament wires in an ordinary light bulb, it is converted into light and still more heat. Note that in all of these transformations, some energy is always lost as heat that flows into the surrounding en vironment. 3) Energy changes: What energy changes occur when you drop a rock? Because of its higher position, the rock in your hand has a higher potential energy than the same rock at rest on the ground. When you drop the rock and it hits and eventually rests on the ground, the rock now has a much lower potential energy. Has the amount of energy changed (i.e., the rock lost energy where did it go?) At first glance it seems so. But according to the first law of conservation of energy, in any ordinary physical or chemical process is neither created nor destroyed but merely change from one form to another. The energy lost by a system or collection of mater under study (in this instance, the rock) must equal the energy gained by the surroundings or environment (in this instance, air molecules pushed out of the way, and soil particles moved by the impact of the rock). This energy law holds for all systems, living and nonliving. Lets look at what really happens. As the rock drops, its potential energy is changed into kinetic energy C both its  own and that of the air through which it passes. The friction created when the rock is drops through the air causes air molecules in the air to move faster, so their average temperature rises. This means that some of the rocks original potential energy has been transferred to the air as heat. When the rock hits the ground more of its mechanical energy is transferred to particles of soil. The energy lost by the rock (system) is exactly equal to the energy gained by its surroundings. Scientists have never seen an instance where energy input does not equal energy output. C. Second Law of Energy (Second law of thermodynamics): You cant break even Energy quality: Because according to the first energy law energy can neither be created nor destroyed, you might think there will always be enough energy. Yet when you fill a cars tank with gasoline and drive around something is lost. If it isnt energy, what is it? The second law of energy, also known as the second law of thermodynamics provides the answer to this question. Energy varies in its quality or ability to do useful work. For useful work to occur energy must move or flow from a level of high-quality (more concentrated) energy to a level of lower-quality (less concentrated) energy. The chemical potential energy concentrated in a lump or coal or a tank of gasoline and the concentrated heat energy at a high temperature are forms of high-quality energy. Because the energy in gasoline or coal is concentrated, they have the ability to perform useful work in moving or changing matter . In contrast, less concentrated heat energy at a low temperature has little remaining ability to perform useful work. Over the years, after investigating millions of conversions of energy from one form to another, scientists have found that some of the energy is always degraded to a more dispersed and less useful form, usually as heat given off at a low temperature to the surroundings. In an internal combustion automobile engine, only about 20% of the high-quality chemical energy available in the gasoline is converted to mechanical energy used to propel the car; the remaining 80% is degraded to low-quality heat that is released into the environment. In addition, about 50% of the mechanical energy produced is also degraded to low-quality heat energy through friction, so that 90% of the energy in gasoline is wasted and not used to move the car. When electrical energy oscillates through the filament wires in an ordinary light bulb, it is converted into a mixture of about 5% useful radiant energy (light) and 95% low-quality heat. It is interesting to note that much of modern civilization is built around the internal combustion engine and the incandescent light that, respectively, waste 90 and 95% of their initial energy input. Some of this waste is due to the energy-quality tax automatically exacted as a result of the second energy law and some is due to technological designs that waste more energy that necessary. Most energy exchange processes occur like this (high quality energy to low quality) but there is one VERY IMPORTANT exception: the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in food by plants and some bacteria.Photosynthesis converts radiant energy (light) from the sun into high-quality chemical energy (stored in the plant in the form of sugar molecules) and low-quality heat energy. If you eat plant food [like spinach], its high-quality chemical energy is transformed within your body to high-quality mechanical energy, used to move your muscles and to perform other life processes, and low-quality heat energy. The process of breaking down food such as sugars to simpler molecules, such as CO2 and water, releasing potential energy in the process, is called respiration. At each step, the low-quality heat flows into the environment. Without the action of plants and bacteria, life as we know it would not exist because animals have no way of turning the radiant energy from the sun into high energy (high quality) food. So, the first energy law governs the quantity of energy available from an energy conversion process, whereas the second energy law governs the quality of energy available. According to the first law we will never run out of energy, but according to the second law we can run out of high quality or useful energy. Not only can we not get something for nothing (the first law), we cant even break even in terms of energy quality (the second law) The second energy law also tells us that high-grade energy can never be used over again. We can recycle matter but we can never recycle high-quality energy. Fuels and foods can be used only once to perform useful work. Once a piece of coal or a tank full of gasoline is burned, its high-quality potential energy is lost forever. This means that the net useful, or high-quality energy available from fossil fuels, uranium, or any concentrated energy source is even less than predicted by the first energy law. d. mical energy stored in the gasoline is converted into mechanical energy that propels the car and is eventually lost as heat (engine heat), friction of the tires with the ground, and energy imparted to the air as it is pushed out of the way by your car.

An Epic Man Who Became an Epic Hero Essay Example for Free

An Epic Man Who Became an Epic Hero Essay Odysseus, of Homers Odyssey, is an appropriate hero and ruler of Ithaca. He does not act irrationally but contemplates his actions and their implications. Odysseus is an appropriate hero because he embodies the values of bravery, intelligence, astuteness, and competency. Odysseus is an appropriate ruler for Ithaca by virtue of his hereditary right to kingship as well as his diplomatic skills, familiarity with his male subjects, discipline, and his impartiality and compassion. However, he is a character that does make a foolish decision. There is a rare instance when his pride supersedes his intellectual ability. Odysseus is an appropriate hero for he embodies the values of bravery, intelligence, astuteness, and competency. While he trying to return home from Ilium, numerous suitors attempt to seduce his wife, Penelope. However, when he returns Odysseus cleverly plans and carries out the demise of the evil and wasteful suitors with the help of Athena, goddess of wisdom: Come on [Athena] weave me a plan to punish them [the suitors]. Odysseus wisdom is admired by Athena, the goddess of that aptness. Athena is also impressed by his battle heroics and so she endeavors to provide him with succor: And you didnt know Pallas Athenaia the daughter of Zeus himself, your faithful stand-by and guardian in all your labours! With Athenas assistance Odysseus becomes a true hero. Odysseus is the epitome of honor and virtue for his Ithacan subjects. Odysseus kind and stalwart leadership is revealed by Eumaios, his faithful swineherd, and Philoitios, his loyal cowherd, who have both remained loyal to him for twenty years. Eumaios praises Odysseus as A rare fine master. Indeed I do not mourn so much for them as for him [Odysseus], though I long to see em again and my native land, but I do miss Odysseus since he went away. I dont like to speak his name, man, although he is absent, but I call him his honour, even when he is far away. Odysseus is a befitting king because it is his ancestral right, for he is familiar with his male subjects and understands their desires. Odysseus equity and mercy is displayed after his triumph over the suitors, whom he executed because of their lawless  behavior. However, Odysseus shows compassion by allowing Phemius, the minstrel suitor, and Medon, a herald suitor to live. Cheer up, my son has saved your life. So you shall know, and tell other men, that doing well is far better than doing ill. Odysseus proper sovereignty is expressed by his justice. Odysseus displays his shrewdness as he overcomes the challenges that beset his crew. When Odysseus and his men become trapped by Polyphemos on the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus cleverly tells Polyphemos that his name is Noman. Thus, when Polyphemos is stabbed in the eye by Odysseus and his men, he renounces assistance from his friends by stating that Noman is killing me, leading his companions to believe that no man has hurt him. However, once Odysseus and his men reach their ships and set sail, he performs his most foolish act. Odysseus taunts Polyphemos by declaring, if ever any one asks who put out you ugly eye, tell him your blinder was Odysseus, the conqueror if Troy, the son of Laertes, whose address is Ithaca! Once Polyphemos obtains this critical information on his blinders identity, he implores his father Poseidon, god of the sea, to grant that Odysseus the conqueror if Troy- the son of Laertes- whose address is Ithaca, may never reach his home! Because Odysseus pride would not allow him to let his ingenious action go unrecognized, he dooms himself and his crew. Odysseus wisdom and courage enable him to be a brave hero and a strong ruler, both traits of superiority in his society. Being mortal binds him to occasional mistakes that he compensates for by becoming wiser and stronger. His extraordinary abilities are heralded by the gods. Upon his return to Ithaca, Odysseus ingeniously kills the rude and wasteful suitors and reclaims his title of king. In reconciliation and honor, he finally makes a sacrifice to Poseidon. Odysseus is the epitome of a hero of his culture.

Highlights On The Ethical Dilemmas Of Standard Chartered Bank Business Essay

Highlights On The Ethical Dilemmas Of Standard Chartered Bank Business Essay Standard Chartered plc operates as the leading emerging markets bank in the world. The banking group, known by many in the banking industry as Stanchart, operates over 500 offices in 50 countries throughout the Asia Pacific region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom, and North and South America. Its Consumer banking divisionresponsible for 58 percent of operating profit in 2000provides customers with credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, and investment services. Its Wholesale banking unit caters to corporate clients in the trade finance, cash management, custody, lending, foreign exchange, interest rate management, and debt capital markets. In 2000, the majority of SCBs revenue stemmed from its Hong Kong and Asia Pacific region operations, while the Middle East accounted for 18 percent, North and South America and the United Kingdom secured 14 percent, and Africa claimed 9 percent of revenues. The bank derives more than 90% of its operating income and profits from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, generated from its Wholesale and Consumer Banking Businesses. The group has approximately 1750 branches and outlets located in more than 70 countries. The London-headquartered Group has operated for more than 150 years in some of the worlds most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its income and profits have more than doubled over the last five years, primarily as a result of organic growth, supplemented by acquisitions. The group employs 75,000 people, nearly half of whom are women. Its employees are of 115 nationalities, with 60 of these represented among senior management. Highlights on the ethical dilemmas of Standard Chartered Bank Although Standard Chartered Bank is an international bank and countries tend to trust it for its international standards, but being such a widespread company they have had their ethical criticisms. Some of the unethical dilemmas that the company has faced over the years are- Credit card complaints- Recently SCB has been facing extensive disputes in Asia particularly in India and Pakistan regarding the marketing of their credit cards. Figure 1:1- Reduction of the use of credit cards The governments trade watchdog, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, has started an investigation of card-selling practices of certain banks including Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC and the local banks ICICI and HDFC. The commission has the power to fine companies and limit their business dealings. All the banks involved say they have followed all appropriate trade practices and are cooperating with the requests for information. On May 7, the Reserve Bank sent a letter to all commercial banks warning about usurious interest rates, asking them to make sure costs to the borrowers were justifiable. The ombudsmans office at the bank said it received 3,700 consumer complaints about credit card lenders within just the first 5 months of 2006. Newspapers regularly run articles telling consumers how to cancel their cards, and some frustrated credit card users simply stop paying their bills. (http://www.consumercourt.in/cred it-card/2638-standard-chartered-bank-complaint.html) Stock market scandal (International Agenda)- A report on Indias biggest financial scandal during 1991 1992 accuses foreign banks of transacting dummy deals to cover up losses or camouflage transactions by favored Indian brokers. The report from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) exposes what it calls the nexus between Indian brokers and two foreign banks, Standard Chartered and Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups ANZ Grindlays Bank. The report accuses Standard Chartered of entering into fictitious transactions to cover up an ever-increasing number of unaccounted deals on its investment portfolio. The central bank of India has issued fines of roughly $42 million to 10 foreign banks, including Citibank, Bank of America, American Express Bank Ltd. and Standard Chartered Bank, accusing them of involvement in Indias worst securities scandal. SCB violated its guidelines by financing certain stock market operations, as well as helping out a fathered broker, Harshad Mehta, by putting thro ugh a number of dummy transactions. (Sanjoy Zakaria, 1994, New York Times) Acquisitions and outsourcing threat- In Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia in the financial master plan encouraged outsourcing of non-core functions by Financial Institutions. Ever since, banks have been exploring outsourcing as a way to rationalize and streamline operation. While outsourcing is a way forward to reduce cost, manage manpower dependencies and to allow financial institutions to focus on its core business of providing services and financial products, such outsourcing is done without prior consultation with workers representative namely SBEU. Reduction of staffs not only occurs to those directly affected by the outsourcing of the job functions, but also other complementary staff areas. Example, outsourcing of Sales and Marketing job in Standard Chartered Bank has transferred jobs originally done by Special Grade Clerical. Indirectly, this will reduce career promotion prospect. The bank has also use rationalization (due to outsourcing) as an excuse to close branches and scale down others. In the case of Standard Chartered Bank, the bank has gone on closing 15 branches nationwide with two in Sarawak according to Law Kiat Min, General Secretary of Sarawak Bank Employees Union. Evaluation of the Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Standard Chartered Bank Credit card complaints- The consumer court in India has been tackling problems regarding unfair credit card charges and improper means to withdraw the phony due amount, Credit Card Terms Prompt Indignation Arigit Sengupta, a hotel manager in Bangalore, swears he is never using a credit card again. Skip to next paragraphAfter charging about 30,000 rupees ($743) to his card and paying his minimum balance on time, he said he wound up owing his bank more than three times that amount. The kind of interest they charge, not even a chartered accountant could understand, he said. Local and foreign banks are aggressively peddling credit card accounts in India, where a fast-growing middle class with disposable income has created the ideal card customer base. (Refer to Appendix-2) Even though the firm is maintaining the contractual theory with a customer during selling these credit cards, which represents that firms have a responsibility to comply with the terms of the sale, inform the customers about the nature of the product, avoid misrepresentation of any kind, and not coerce the customer in any way. But on the other hand SCB is overlooking the due care theory which focuses on the relative vulnerability of the customer, who has less information and expertise than the firm, and the ethical responsibility that places on the firm. Customers must depend on the firm providing the product or service to live up to the claims about it and to exercise due care to avoid customer injury. The result is vocal and heated criticism from card holders, consumer advocates and the government. They accuse the banks of levying unfair fees and nuisance charges and of providing miserable customer service. These banks are cheating the public, said C. V. Giddappa, general secretary of the Credit Card Holders Association of India, a nationwide consumer group. Mr. Giddappas organization estimates that Indian consumers are paying 16.4 million rupees a day (more than $406,000) in unfair charges, and is agitating for a debt-free India by 2020. Stock market scandal (International Agenda) Regarding the particular scandal in 1991 1992 in India a spokesman for Standard Chartered said some of the report was misleading, particularly the conclusion that senior managers were aware of the fraud. Barry Northrop, who heads a Standard Chartered team trying to recover the banks losses in the scandal, said the fictitious deals were created without the knowledge of senior management and in defiance of both internal and RBI guidelines. Individuals involved had been dismissed and procedures tightened. In terms of theories SCB has complied according to Milton Friedmans theory (1970) regarding corporate social responsibility, which interprets that the only legitimate purpose of a company is to create wealth and pursuing their business effectively for the benefit of their customers, whilst providing a profitable reward to their investors. Being a foreign bank SCB acted upon their best interest financially, according to Friedman its the role of the state to provide the legal framework that regulated companies behaviour in relation to the rest of the community, the government or any appointed monitoring entity should have foreseen such a scandal and prevented it from occurring. But in the context of Kants theory, deontology or duty-based ethics that judges morality by examining the nature of actions and the will of agents rather than goals achieved or simply a deontological theory looks at inputs rather than outcomes. Therefore since this move of SCB was clearly unfavourable for the economy of India, it worked as a bad reputation for the bank as well as other foreign banks. (Refer to Appendix-3) Acquisitions and outsourcing threat- The practice of outsourcing is considered as a good option, since it provides guaranteed professional assistance for businesses without the expenses of maintaining fulltime employees, but it also poses as a threat for the domestic countries work force. Outsourcing for talent leads to lack of job security for the local employees. Standard Chartered bank and a few other international banks in Malaysia has been outsourcing extensively which has lead to an inconvenience for the employees of the nation. The provision in the Collective Agreement only requires the Bank to consult the Union prior to outsourcing. Outsourcing has inevitably reduced headcount of staff of financial institutions. Attempts by unions to negotiate with the bank to ensure that when staff moved over to the new entity (outsourcing company), and retain their seniority, pay and benefits has not been successful. While it is not possible to extent exact figure of employees who lost thei r job due to outsourcing, it is estimated that about 30% of employees are directly affected numbering about 1,000 staffs. This figure is expected to increase due to continued rationalization and system engineering. Outsourcing takes two forms, namely, transfer of job function to head office prior to outsourcing in the case of Bumiputra Commerce Bank or direct outsourcing which happened in Standard Chartered Bank. Based on such outcomes and considering SCBs current status as one of the best multinational financial institutions, Carrolls (1979) four step model on CSR can be used to stress the depth of the duty an organization needs to comply. The first two steps of the model remain evident, but the last two steps addresses particularly to the dilemma SCB is facing. Since Carroll believes that because a company can affect the interests and even lives of people, it should be accountable/responsible, to societal interests over those of the owners and beyond the specific limits of the law. Best Ethical Values and Practices of Standard Chartered Bank Even though Standard Chartered Bank has had a reputation of using unethical means to reach a much beneficial end in terms of the companys market expansion. Although the British Empire isnt as global as it used to be, that hasnt stopped Standard Chartered. Sustainability is integral to Standard Chartered. Worldwide and in Malaysia, the bank champions dedicated causes, one of them being environment. The organization believes that each person can make a difference, and through small steps, the collection action contributes to the overall impact as the community unites to preserve the environment for future generations. The organization is cognizant of getting it right in the home, before moving out to the neighborhood. The strategy of embedding the environment consciousness among the staff was a key focus for SCB in growing green advocates. As such, their green agenda is woven into every level of the banks operations. Environmental and Social Awareness- Over the last two years, Standard Chartered has run multiple activities and programs focusing on self-awareness, reducing wastage and lowering carbon footprint under its umbrella theme, Go Green, Lets Make a Difference. From cutting back on air travel to implementing shared-printer facility between departments, the results have been very heartening. The bank has seen as much as 50% reduction in air travel, 20% in paper consumption, 50% reduction in air travel and 10% in electricity usage, and the introduction of e-statements with customers. Higher targets are set for 2011. The bank is already using recycled paper for their business cards, and sourcing to adopt recyclable paper in all their operations Their other programs, Seeing is Believing (preventing curable blindness), Living with HIV/AIDS, Financial Literacy Programme, are being tackled on ground with face-to-face interaction given theres a higher level of social sensitivity surrounding these causes. All the following mentioned above directs to the theory of Consequentialism; consequentialist ethics bases decision-making on the best outcome for the largest group that also results in the least harm. It is a form of utilitarian ethics, which focuses on results rather than ingrained moral imperatives. The utility principle requires the decision-maker to weigh the possible consequences of his or her actions to select options that offer the best results for society. This has lead SCB in attaining the title of one of the worlds most ethical companies in four consecutive years till 2010 all in recognition of its ongoing commitment to build a sustainable business for the benefit of customers, clients and the wider communities in whi ch it operates. (Refer to Appendix-4) Workforce Diversity- With more and more organizations going global, diversity at work is increasingly becoming an integral part of every organization. Diversity refers to any perceived difference among people like age, race, religion, profession, sexual orientation, geographic origin and lifestyle. SCB has started their journey of diversity and inclusion in India from 2006 with formation of the DI Council. SCB initially started by concentrating on three aspects of diversity, gender, disability and nationality. Some of the key concerns were the infrastructure of the working women, work-life balance, and barriers to growth. A series of focused group discussions were conducted to understand and address these concerns to help position Standard Chartered as the employer of womens choice, states Rajashree Nambiar, GM distribution and country champion, diversity and inclusion, Standard Chartered Bank. From an ethical perspective the bank has been exercising virtue ethics which focuses on t he individuals moral stature rather than the morality of the act itself. A moral actor will base his or her decisions on ingrained values rather than consequences or duty. However, the individual is part of a community so the virtues valued by the community affect the individual decision-makers thought processes. A cultures values are incorporated into the individuals ethical framework. As a global bank, the variety of markets they do business in makes them diverse inherently. In terms of gender diversity; women make up to 46Â  per cent of their total workforce and the number of women in senior management roles has also increased. To increase female representation amongst senior management they focused on creating a pipeline of high-potential female employees at middle management. In 2008, they developed a mentoring programme for their middle management talent, with a specific focus on women. The Bank actively supports International Womens Day. Across their markets, and organize a variety of activities to recognize the achievements of women and highlight role models. In 2008, SCB renewed focus on attracting and supporting potential employees with disabilities. Over the last 12 months, the Group trained and hired a number of blind employees in Pakistan, employed their first visually challenged employee in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. SCB also launched initiatives to support employees with family responsibilities, and new maternity and paternity leave policies were rolled out in Bangladesh, Lebanon, US and Australia in 2008. Recommendation According to the reasonings mentioned above it is clear that SCB initially made a lot of wrong moves which was mostly in their own interest, but gradually when they started being internationally recognized they have tried substantially to improve their ethical ways as a corporation. They not only provided international job opportunities in the economies they settled in, they also came up with various social awareness activities e.g. fund-raising, and city beautification programs in the countries they are operating. Since they are a service based organization their only way of communicating to their customers should be through goodwill building and transparent publication of their intentions and actions. On the other hand the governments of the countries where MNCs like SCB operate should assign more efficient and reliable monitoring bodies for convenience. References Text Books/Articles- Fisher, C Lovell, A, Business Ethics and Values: Individual, Corporate and International Perspectives, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education, 2009 Crane, A Matten, D, Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization, 2nd Edition Oxford University Press, 2007 Laurie J. Mullins, Management and Organisation behavior, 8th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, 2007 Jacques P. Thiroux, Keith W. Krasemann, Ethics: Theory and Practice, 10th Edition, Pearson Education 2009 De Geaorge, Richard T., Business Ethics, 7th Edition, Pearson Education 2010 Lawrence, P.R. and Lorsch, J.W., Organisation and Environment, Irwin, 1969 Press statement April 2002 to Standard Chartered Bank on Closure and downsizing of branches -pages 7-9 Websites- www.consumercourt.in/credit-card/2638-standard-chartered-bank-complaint.html www.gbcimpact.org/itcs_node/0/0/member_profiles/434 www.csrdigest.com/2010/08/going-green-using-social-media/ www.newyorktimes.com www.thetimesofindia.com www.timesnewspaper.com www.standardchartered.com

Cheating in School Versus Cheating in the Real World :: Business

Cheating in School Versus Cheating in the Real World Cheating has been a major concern for institutions of higher learning. Institutions fear cheating because of the reputation dishonest people will establish for that institution. After a student has learned several successful ways to cheat and not be caught, is he or she more likely to employ the same tactics in his or her workplace? The student will use those tactics, but in the real world, such acts are not called â€Å"cheating tactics,† but â€Å"business strategy.† Several years ago, Clemson University was approached by a perspective employer. A business man visited the school and announced that the company wanted to hire some new staff members. In order to be more selective of the persons to get called in for interviews, the man announced an online exam that the students must take. Depending on the results, the company would then get in touch with the individuals. One student that is very interested considers his options. He could choose to take the exam using his real name and receive a performance grade based on his knowledge of the tough material the exam would ask. Or, his second option: use a false identity, get the questions, go out to reliable sources and ask for answers, and then post answers to the exam under his real name. The student opted for the second option. He got the test questions, went to professors, searched online, and found as many of the answers as he could. He posted his answers. Within a week, the company representative called the student in for an interview. The first statement out of the interviewer’s mouth: â€Å"No one has ever scored that high on our online test.† The next: â€Å"How did you do it?† The student’s response began with â€Å"honestly† and he unveiled his unique plan to succeed on the test. The interviewer was shocked – no one had ever admitted to cheating on the online test before. A job was offered.

A Brief History of Iran from 1851 :: History

A Brief History of Iran from 1851 Qajar Dynasty 1851-1906 -- The Qajars (ruling family) lost central Asian provinces to the Russians and were forced to give up all claims on Afghanistan to the British. These two European powers dominated Iran's trade and manipulated its internal politics. The Qajars and influential members of their court were bribed to sell many valuable concessions to the British, such as the Tobacco Concession which triggered a massive popular uprising. 1906 -- Discontent with Qajar corruption and mismanagement led to the Constitutional Revolution and the establishment of Iran's first parliament or Majles. The constitutional aspirations for a limited monarchy were never to be fully realized. Although Iran never became an actual colony of imperial powers, in 1907 it was divided into two spheres of influence. The north was controlled by Russia and the south and the east by Britain. By the end of WW I, Iran was plunged into a state of political, social and economic chaos. 1921 -- Reza Khan, an officer in the army, staged a coup. Initially the minister of war and then the prime minister, in 1925 Reza Khan decided to become the Shah himself. Although Reza Khan's initial objective was to become the president of a republic, the clergy, fearing a diminished role in a republic, persuaded him to become the Shah. Pahlavi Dynasty 1925-1940 -- Reza Shah Pahlavi's first priority was to strengthen the authority of the central government by creating a disciplined standing army and restraining the autonomy of the tribal chiefs. He embarked upon a series of modernizing and secular reforms, some of which were designed specifically to break the power of the clergy over Iran's educational and judicial systems. He provided public education, built Iran's first modern university, opened the schools to women and brought them into the work force. He initiated Iran's first industrialization program and dramatically improved Iran's infrastructure by building numerous roads, bridges, state-owned factories and Iran's first transnational railway. In 1935, he officially requested all foreign governments to no longer refer to Iran as Persia, but as Iran. (The Iranian people themselves had always referred to their country as Iran.) Politically, however, Reza Shah forcibly abolished the wearing of the veil, took away the effective power of the Majles and did not permit any forms of free speech. With the outbreak of WW II, Reza Shah, wanting to remain neutral, refused to side with the Allies. 1941 -- In need of the Trans-Iranian railway to supply the Soviets with wartime materials, the Allies invaded and occupied Iran for the duration of the war. Reza Shah was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and died in

A Fourteenth Century Castle :: Free Essay Writer

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Towering high above the landscape, European castles still look commanding. Imagine how powerful a castle looked 600 years ago when it was brand new. A castle was built to impress. It was the home of a powerful warlord. From its safety he ruled the surrounding land. Castles building began in the 10th Century. The first castles that were built replaced wooden forts. Castles evolved and became stronger as methods of warfare changed. In the next few paragraphs I will be talking about how warriors surrounded and attacked a castle, how the people in the castle prepared for war, how they defended themselves, and how they lived in peace. A castle was usually built on top of a cliff so it would be harder for the opposition to reach it. It was also surrounded by a moat which was a water filled ditch. This ditch surrounded two sides of the castle that were not protected by a cliff. The moat also provided food for the people living inside the castle. The castle was built out of brick and had a very thick wall. The thick walls were more than 8(ft) thick and the walls of castle towers were even thicker. There were also towers built on top of the castles. The towers enabled the defenders to see anyone approaching the castle, and to fire at them with bows or siege engines. The first point of attack was usually the main entrance. A gate house protected the way into the castle. Anybody who tried to get into the building was either caught by the guards or was killed by the traps that were set up in the castle. In the castle there were several walls that enclosed the courtyards. Each courtyard was called a bailey. During the war men women and children sheltered here. When there was no war these court yards were used for work shops. During the war The water supply was vital, especially when the castle was surrounded. Wells were dug into the rock below the castle, the water was used for bathing and drinking. The Lord lived at the heart of the castle which was called a keep. If the defenders broke into the castle all the remaining soldiers would go into the keep and fight to the death. Women and children took shelter in the castle while the fighting was going on. If food ran out in the castle, the defenders would throw out anybody who couldn’t fight.

Prevalence of One Party Rule in African States Essay

Africa, often known as the ‘Dark Continent’ rightfully occupies its place as the ‘Cradle of Civilization’ as the first humans have been known to originate from this continent of diverse ethnicities, tribes and clans. Since ancient times, the very nature of African society predicated formation of kingdoms and states centered on ethnicities and clans. Later, the advent of colonialism brought to Africa new forms of governance, which included democratization, socialism, communism and dictatorships. One enduring feature of African style of governance has been the prevalence of one party rule in most African countries. This paper examines why there is such a preference for such single party model of governance in Africa. To fully examine the subject, this paper shall first provide a historical overview of the progression of styles of governance in Africa and then examine the trends in major countries that make up the African continent. The paper will argue that the intrinsic nature of the African society and the effects of colonialism predispose them to following a one party rule. Historical Overview Africa is the world’s second largest continent both in terms of size and population and has 54 countries many of which are struggling democracies, a few communist regimes, and a number of authoritarian regimes bordering on dictatorship. Since ancient times, Africa had its indigenous systems of governance based on tribes and ethnic affinities. Africa also had great civilizations like the Egyptian civilization in 3300 B. C (Martin & O’Meara, 1995, p. 79). The earliest foreign influence came in 814 B. C. with the founding of Carthage in present day Tunisia under the Roman Empire which was followed by Persian domination of Egypt. In 332 B. C. , Alexander the Great replaced the Persian domination of Egypt and Roman rule continued in much of North Africa till the advent of Islam in the early 7th century (Martin & O’Meara, p. 99). In all these cases, the style of governance was centralized, as exercised by the emperor based in Rome or Persia through an appointed sovereign. The influence was limited mostly to North Africa, while the rest of Africa was considered too difficult to traverse due to thick jungles. Thus even in North Africa, from ancient times, the focus was on one –man rule and that more or less ‘conditioned’ the North African people to accept models of ‘uni-power’ in those times. Since the jungles were impassable and large number of tribes and ethnicities abounded, it was natural that rest of Africa had thousands of small kingdoms, states and at times independent nomadic tribes who dominated a particular territory. Each tribe had its own set of rules, customs, traditions and styles of governance, which again was predicated on the rule of one man or a tribal elder. The concept of Greek ‘city-state’ like democracy complete with a senate and an executive was non-existence. Over time, some of the tribes became more powerful and evolved into larger settled kingdoms that coalesced around similar ethnicities and language such as the Ghanaian empire that existed in 790-1076 A. D. followed by the Mali Empire from 1230 to 1600 A. D. (Martin & O’Meara, p. 70) The significant changes in style of governance came with the advent of colonialism. From the 18th century and by the late 19th century, most of Africa was divided up between the colonial powers; France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Netherlands. Under colonial rule, the African people had to undergo centralized rule of the colonial powers and the brutal suppression of any African revolt reinforced this submissiveness to a one-man rule. During the colonial period, the colonial powers brought with them their systems of governance, jurisprudence and legislation (Martin & O’Meara, p. 8). Colonialism lost its vigor in the early 20th century and by 1980, most ex-colonies in Africa gained independence. The former colonial powers before exiting from the continent tried to put into place systems of governance in ‘their own image’. Thus across Africa, a variety of ‘democratic’ systems took hold. Most of these ‘democratic systems were basically presidential forms of government, being the closest approximation to what they were used to both as per their pre-colonial experience and their colonial experience. The end of the Second World War gave rise to the Cold War and the Soviet Union tried to expand its influence in Africa also. This gave rise to numerous socialist-communist regimes in Africa that were opposed by the U. S. leading to proxy wars. Having examined the broad trends of the historical period of Africa till the advent of independence, the paper will now examine specific examples of how prevalence of one party rule exists in Africa. It is not intended to cover all 54 countries, but few sample countries that typify the various regions of Africa. For the ease of comprehension and brevity, Africa will be discussed under the heads North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. North Africa North Africa because of its proximity to Asia had significant influence of Asian and Islamic traditions superimposed on ethnic African traditions and cultures. It is because of the spread of Islam in the 7th century, most of North Africa is Islamic. Islam, an egalitarian religion is considered as a complete body of work wherein all aspects of human life including politics and governance can be practiced through the Quran, the Holy book and the Hadith, the Islamic interpretation of Jurisprudence. Under Islamic law and Islamic political systems, an Islamic state is governed by a Caliph and where a Caliph no longer exists, then by a monarch or a ruler. Ideas such as secularism and democracy have very little congruence with the practice of political Islam. When such a system is overlaid over ancient tribal culture of a village head, it becomes natural that a state be ruled by a monarch or an authoritarian head and if not, the nearest approximation, a single grouping or party. Take for example, Egypt. Egypt, since ancient times was a land ruled by the Pharaohs, then the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and the Arabs. In the colonial era, Egypt was ruled by Britain but the largely Islamic populace got independence from Britain in 1922 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, 2003, p. 28). Egypt was initially a constitutional monarchy and had adopted the British parliamentary system of government but constant political interference from Britain led to internal turmoil that finally resulted in a military coup in 1952 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 28) in which the monarchy was overthrown and Egypt declared itself to be a Republic under General Muhammed Naquib. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew Naguib in 1954 to become the Egyptian President. Nasser, on assuming power banned all political parties and created a one party named the Liberation Rally to run the government. This move helped him consolidate his power and rule Egypt till his death in 1970 after which he was succeeded by Anwar El-Sadat, the vice President (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat carried out political reforms and reverted to a multi-party system (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 31); creating one of the parties called the National Democratic Party and remained the President till he was assassinated in 1981 by a group of Egyptian army officers during an army parade (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak is still in office since 1981 and is the present leader of the National Democratic Party. Though by the Egyptian constitution, multi-party system is allowed, due to sustained state patronage, the National Democratic Party is the only party which has the necessary financial and political clout to win elections. There are other smaller parties that have virtually no chance of winning a single election and till to date Egypt is essentially ruled by a single party. Libya, a British colony was declared as a monarchy under King Idris in 1951 but was overthrown by a revolution led by Colonel Muammer al-Gaddafi in 1969 (Wright, 1981, p. 130) who has ruled the country ever since. Political parties were banned by Gaddafi in 1972 and the country is ruled by the ‘revolutionary leader’, Gaddafi aided by a Revolutionary Committee also called as the People’s Congress. Tunisia was a French protectorate that became independent in 1956 and adopted a Presidential form of government, copying the French model, except that it rapidly turned into an authoritarian police state where most ‘Presidents’ have been military personnel. The present incumbent, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a former military officer (Perkins, 2004, p. 7). On paper, political parties are allowed but in reality, it is only the President’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally that gets almost all the seats. The rest of the political parties are usually browbeaten into submission by the state’s security system and there is virtually no free press. The farcical nature of Tunisian ‘democracy’ can be gauged by the fact that in the 2009 presidential election, Ben Ali received 89. 62% votes to continue as the President (Lowe & Amara, 2009, p. 1). The ancient kingdom of Morocco, a French and Spanish Protectorate gained independence in 1956 as a constitutional monarchy, a system that continues till to date. Though the King of Morocco has a prime minister, a parliament and a multi-party system, the style of governance continues to be – rule by one man, the King (Forum, 2008, p. 49). West Africa In West Africa, the situation is slightly different. Here more than Islamic influence, it was the effect of local dynamics, ethnic rivalries, Christian missionaries and communist influence that has determined the preference for single party rule. Take for example Liberia, the only other country other than Ethiopia which has an American connection rather than a European past. Liberia was created through a private American enterprise to house freed African American slaves and became independent in 1847. Since, the project was American led; Liberia adopted a presidential form of system. However, the American backed Liberian elite who ruled the country came in conflict with 16 other indigenous ethnicities living in Liberia. Since the regime was thrust ‘top down’ from the Americans, tensions quickly developed and a coup by a group of ethnic military soldiers led by Samuel Doe took place in 1980. Doe replaced the presidential republic with his authoritarian regime. Political parties were allowed to exist but their freedom remained curtailed by the regime which furthered the hold of its own party, the National Democratic Party of Liberia. The 1985 election results in which the opposition Liberal Action Party won were declared invalid by Doe, which led to the Liberian Civil War in 1989. Doe was killed and the power passed into the hands of Charles Taylor (Moran, 2008, p. 106), who continued his dictatorial regime which again led to another civil war in 1999 that continued up to 2003 and only came to halt with Charles Taylor being forced into exile in Nigeria. From 1847 till 2003, Liberia was ruled by the Americo-Liberian elite and their single party. Since 2003, a transitional government was put into place with international intervention, which because of corruption was dissolved and fresh presidential elections were again held in 2005 and was won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the head of Unity Party who became the first woman President of an African country (Polgreen, 2005, p. 1). Nigeria got its independence from Britain in 1960 and had numerous political parties. These political parties were sharply defined along ethnic lines comprising of three main ethnicities; the Hausa, the Igbo and the Yoruba (Rotberg, 2007, p. 19). The Yoruba dominated Nigerian National Democratic Party won the elections in 1965, which led to political dissensions and instability resulting in two military coups in 1966. This did not resolve the problem as the Igbo, dominating the Eastern region of the country declared independence from Nigeria leading to the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 that led to over a million deaths. The civil war ended but not the ethnic strife and the military continued to rule Nigeria with coups and assassination of the presidents being a regular feature. For thirty years, Nigeria continued under military rule till 1999 when it finally elected Lusegun Obasanjo, a former military dictator as its President. Obasanjo was re-elected in 2003 (Rotberg, p. 13) as the President amidst allegations of rigging. Obasanjo was replaced by Umaru YarAdua of the People’s Democratic Party in 2007 and on his demise now been replaced by Goodluck Jonathan (Nossiter, 2010, p. 1). So while the American model was adopted, the actual functioning of a presidential type of government has been a recent development in Nigeria’s history. At present there are two main parties in Nigeria, the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party with numerous smaller parties. What must be noted is that a democratic political system in Nigeria is still nascent and fragile and should ethnic differences arise again it will not be long that another military coup will take place in the interests of ‘national security’. Angola became independent in 1975 after having been a Portuguese colony from the 16th century. Angolan independence came right in middle of the Cold War where Soviet influence in Africa was rising. The independent country was immediately plunged into a civil war between the Soviet backed Communist MPLA faction and the American backed anti-communist UNITA rebels (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, 2010, p. 38). The Angolan civil war continued for 27 years (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, p. 43) till declaration of ceasefire in 2002 by which time over 500,000 people were killed. The ideological factions had an ethnic base too wherein the MPLA comprised basically Angolans of the Kimbundu clan and the UNITA, the Ovimbundu tribe. Presently, the Communist MPLA holds power in Angola. As can be deduced, this being a communist regime with no legitimacy, the concept of political parties in a democratic system does not apply. East Africa East Africa including the Horn of Africa portrays a region of extreme instability with a few deceptively stable nations. Sudan, the first country being analyzed, after gaining independence from Egypt and Britain in 1956, was gripped by a civil war till 1973 (Barker, 2008, p. 16). This civil war was basically because of ethnic differences between the people of Northern Sudan (Islamic of Arabic lineage) and Southern Sudan (non-Islamic of non-Arab lineage). While the civil war raged, Khartoum was ruled by the Sudanese military. A ceasefire in 1973 negotiated through granting autonomy to Southern Sudan kept the peace till 1983 when the military general, and the de-facto President, Nimeiry unilaterally decided to incorporate Southern Sudan into a federation. The civil war continued (Barker, p. 18), Nimeiry was ousted in 1983 and replaced by a democratic government under Prime Minister Al Sadig Al Mahdi which was not recognized by the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan. Civil war continued anew. In 1989, Colonel Omar al-Bashir over threw Prime Minister Al Mahdi, abolished political parties and established an Islamic code on entire Sudan. Al-Bashir formed the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation and allied his group with National Islamic Front to consolidate Islamization of firstly, Northern Sudan and then the rest of the country. In the subsequent military action by the Sudanese army, the SPLA were defeated in Southern Sudan by 1994. Having achieved consolidation, Bashir dissolved the revolutionary council in 1993. In the 1996 election Bashir declared himself to be the only candidate eligible to run for President. All other political parties were disbanded and Bashir converted Sudan into an Islamic state with single party at its helm – the newly created National Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, Bashir unleashed a brutal war of suppression on the non-Arab ethnic minorities in the Darfur region using proxy militia known as the Janjaweed that has resulted in deaths of over 400,000 Darfuris (Kessler, 2005, p. 1) leading to an indictment of Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. At the tip of the Horn of Africa lies the failed state of Somalia where no functional government exists. Somalia was never formally colonized by any power and had come under a variety of influences ranging from Islamic influence during the Ottoman Empire, Fascist influence under Mussolini’s Italy and then British military administration from 1941 that was replaced by the formation of a republic of Somalia in 1961 with a parliamentary form of government (Lewis, 2008, p. 33). This brief democratic interlude was shattered in 1969 when President Shermake was assassinated and replaced by a military government. The military created the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party in 1976 and ruled the nation till 1990. Meanwhile, various Islamic factions and clans grew in size and potency that overthrew the military government leading to a series of skirmishes through the period, 1990-1991. The long standing military dictator, Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and President Ali Muhammed was installed, yet the civil war continued. The UN Security Council approved the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) in 1992 that has since been replaced by UNOSOM II with no success. Presently, a Transitional Federal Government (Lewis, p. x)is the internationally recognized government of Somalia whose writ does not even run through the entire city of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. In the dismal narrative so far, Kenya appears to be a bright democratic spark in the African continent. After achieving independence from Britain in 1963, Kenya adopted a semi-presidential form of government albeit, with the peculiar African preference for single party rule. The Kenyan constitution mandated formation of only a single party in Kenya. Governments continued to be formed under the single party system until 1992 when electoral reforms were introduced to allow a multiparty system. The elections since then have been held in generally free and fair manner. The 2007 elections were marred by allegations of rigging in which the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Freedom accused the ruling Party of National Unity for stealing the election. In the ensuing rioting, over 1000 Kenyans lost their lives (Raghavan, 2010, p. 1) and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Peace was restored through international mediation in 2008 and the country is presently being run by a grand coalition of members of both the parties under a new constitution (Raghavan, p. 1). Kenya’s relative stability is attributed to the British colonial era, where unlike the rest of Africa, the colonists set up educational institutions and government infrastructure. Also, unlike the other African countries, 78% of Kenyans are Christians while 10% are Muslims, 10% indigenous and the rest 2% are Asian immigrants (CIA World Factbook, 2010, p. 1). Central Africa In Central Africa, the Republic of Congo has been in the news for decades for all the wrong reasons. Congo received independence from France in 1960 and adopted the French presidential model of governance. However, the first President, Fulbert Youlou was ousted in 1963 by a military coup, which then installed a puppet civilian government (Rorison, 2008, p. 225) and also adopted communist ideology. In 1965, the Congo republic formally joined hands with the Soviet Union, firmly coming into the soviet bloc (Rorison, p. 226). This alignment did not bring about political stability as the original French democratic influence clashed with the ‘uni-power’ Soviet ideology leading to a series of coups and dictatorship under Denis Sassou. During his first spell of rule from 1979 to 1992, Sassou ruled Congo under a single party rule of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) (Rorison, p. 227). When external pressures grew strong, he introduced multiparty system in 1990 and was defeated in the 1992 Presidential election. Sassou’s ouster led to a civil war between the supporters of Sassou and his competitor Pascal Lissouba. Sassou, a former colonel won the civil war and proclaimed himself as the President in 1997. In 2009, Sassou was sworn in for another seven-year period (Amnesty International, 2010, p. 1). In Congo’s case too, for most of its independent history, the country has been ruled by a single party and now despite a multi-party ‘democracy’ in place, the original political party, the PCT continues to rule the country. Southern Africa In Southern Africa, any discussion regarding Africa would remain incomplete without illustrating the case of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, originally Rhodesia became independent after a violent struggle with the British in 1980. Throughout the period, 1965-1979, the country was engulfed in a civil war between British government forces and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led by Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) led by Joshua Nkomo as also a number of smaller splinter groups (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, 2009, pp. 141-165). In the 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe won by a wide margin but fighting with opposing parties and groups continued. The two main parties the ZANU and ZAPU fought bitterly until 1988 when ceasefire was declared and the two parties merged into ZANU-PF thus starting Zimbabwe’s slide into single party dominated system (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. 179). Till to date the ZANU-PF has won every single election by force. Mugabe’s policies of throwing out the white farmers and forcibly occupying lands and giving it to the poor black resulted in economic sanctions by the West and a meltdown of the economy. Owing to his bad economic policies, hyperinflation struck the country and created political space for Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change to challenge him in the 2008 elections. The results were rigged but could not conclusively establish Tsvangirai’s claim of having won the elections. In September 2008, Mugabe maintained his power as the President by agreeing to share power with Tsvangirai who became the Prime Minister (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. xxxii). Yet again, the single party rule dominates Zimbabwe. Finally, a discussion of Africa would be incomplete without examining its most prosperous and advanced state – South Africa. In South Africa, the colonial power, the Dutch did not relinquish their hold over the country and continued in the form of Apartheid, which was once again predicated on the dominance of a single party – the White minority party thereby conditioning the people of South Africa to rule by a single party. However, the violent suppression of the minorities could not continue indefinitely and ever since 1961, when South Africa left the British Commonwealth (Berger, 2009, p. 166) the white minority National Party faced constant protest from the black majority for equality. Till 1993, the National Party had banned other political parties (Berger, p. 166) and it was only in the face of sustained international pressure and internal struggle by the black and colored populations that the ban was lifted in 1993 and the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela was allowed to participate in elections. In Mandela, the South Africans found a charismatic leader who exuded the moral authority and statesmanship, which promised to build a future for the suppressed races. Mandela delivered on his promises but also led to consolidation of the ANC as the only party of choice for the people of Africa. The National Party chose to merge with the ANC and this yet again showed the propensity of Africans to prefer single party rule. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be reiterated that analysis of all the regions of Africa shows a remarkable similarity of circumstances that seemed to have shaped their preference for single party rule. The ethnic make up into tribes and clans were at the most basic level, the building blocks for adhering to the instructions of the clan leader or village headman. This obedience in turn was further conditioned by brutal colonial rule, where the colonial masters used every suppressive means to keep the Africans submissive. Suppression and exploitation itself became the rallying point for the African clans to unite and fight for their independence. Since most of the colonial powers only exploited Africa and did not build institutions, the succeeding indigenous governments had no infrastructural back up to employ their people or give immediate succor; naturally, the people fell back to tribal and clan loyalties as rallying forces. Since these points of opposition had to be formed clandestinely, they became sort of secret societies that formed oligarchic groups to fight for independence. On attaining independence the basic dynamics of the groups did not change and they continued as a closed ‘in-group’, which only heightened social inequalities and strife broke out in most cases. As democratic institutions had not been allowed to mature under the colonial period, people tended to cluster around the ‘village headman’, in other words, any leader with some charisma and since one institution that always has a clearly defined leader is the army, most governments became victims of military takeovers. The populace conditioned by colonial repression now became victims of military repression. Military forces needed a ‘democratic fig leaf’ to govern nations and so they set up political parties which were then headed by serving or former military officers to perpetrate the rule of a single party in the states. Parts of Africa that had predominantly Islamic influence adopted Islamic laws, which ideologically are not compatible with democratic secularism. Therefore, these countries by default became ruled by a king or a dictator or by a single party. Where the Cold War intruded the African political space, communist regimes under laid by African tribalism became the dominant feature. In these cases, the political ideology required the rule of the state by a single party. Later, when communist regimes fell, the old habit of single party rule lingered on. Thus the assertion that there is prevalence of one party rule in African states is emphatically proved. However, as can be seen from the examples of African states discussed, the hold of one party system is slowly changing. Multiple parties are emerging as the African people are becoming more aware of the wider world through the process of globalization. They are also realizing the need for multiple choices for governance as a panacea against corruption and despotism. So while the one-party prevalence in Africa may seem predominant at the present, political evolution of the African polity is taking place that will, in time transform into a more inclusive political process across the continent. References Amnesty International. (2010). Congo (Republic of). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www. unhcr. org/refworld/country,,,,COG,,4c03a835c,0. html Barker, G. (2008). Sudan. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Berger, I. (2009). South Africa in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CIA World Factbook. (2010, August 3). Kenya. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke. html Forum, A. P. (2008). An Audit of Police Oversight in Africa. Cape Town: African Minds. Kessler, G. (2005, April 27). State Dept. Defends Estimate Of Deaths in Darfur Conflict. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601397. html Lewis, I. (2008). Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History, Society. NY: Columbia University Press. Lowe, C. , & Amara, T. (2009, October 26). Tunisian President Wins Fifth Term in Office. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Reuters: http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE59P03M20091026 Martin, P. M. , & O’Meara, P. (1995). Africa. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Moran, M. H. (2008). Liberia: The Violence of Democracy . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Nossiter, A. (2010, February 9). Nigerian Parliament Names Acting President. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/10/world/africa/10nigeria. html Pateman, R. , & El-Hamamsy, S. (2003). Egypt. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Perkins, K. J. (2004). A History of Modern Tunisia . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Polgreen, L. (2005, November 12). In First for Africa, Woman Wins Election as President of Liberia. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2005/11/12/international/africa/12liberia. html Raftopoulos, B. , & Mlambo, A. (2009). Becoming Zimbabwe: A History from the Pre-Colonial Period to 2008. Harare: Weaver Press. Raghavan, S. (2010, August 6). Kenyans Celebrate Approval of New Constitution. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from The Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080500525. html Rorison, S. (2008). Congo. Guilford: The Globe Pequot Press Inc. Rotberg, R. I. (2007). Nigeria: Elections and Continuing Challenges. NY: Council for Foreign Relations. Sheehan, S. , Yong, J. L. , & Lin, Y. J. (2010). Angola. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Wright, J. (1981). Libya: A Modern History. Beckenham: Croom Helm Ltd.

Physics, Energy

Romar M. Cabinta EXERCISES 15 WORK, ENERGY, AND POWER A. CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS 1. Is work done when you move a book from the top of the desk to the floor? Why? Yes. It is because the displacement of the book from the top of the desk to the floor and the force that is applied to the book is parallel with one another. 2. State the law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy in two ways? The law of conservation of energy states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore the sum of all the energies in the system is a constant. TMEinitial=TMEfinal 3. Explain the basic ideas that govern the design and operation of a roller coaster.A roller coaster is operated and designed through the application of Physics. The law of Conservation of Energy governs the changes in a coaster's speed and height. Simply put, the higher an object is off the ground, the more potential energy it has – that is, potential to gain speed as it falls. As it falls toward the ground, that potential e nergy changes to kinetic energy, or energy of motion. The sum of the two types of energy is constant, but a roller coaster must maintain an adequate balance of potential and kinetic energies to deliver a thrilling ride. . An inefficient machine is said to â€Å"waste energy†. Does this mean that energy is actually lost? Explain. Energy is never lost. An inefficient machine wastes energy by converting it to an unproductive state. A machine, such as a motor car engine has the primary task of converting the energy in the fuel to motion of the car. It is unproductive because a large proportion of the fuel's chemical energy is dissipated in the form of noise, heat, vibration etc. so that only a small proportion is actually used for its prime purpose. 5.Is it possible for a simple machine to multiply both force and speed at the same time? Why? It is impossible for a simple machine to multiply both force and gain speed at the same time. It is because the gain in speed of a machine i s the result of an exertion of a lot more force and therefore do not take place at the same time. One best example is a bicycle crossing a steep hill requires a greater force to be exerted to be able to gain speed. B. PROBLEMS 1. Starting from rest, 5-kg slides 2. 5 m down a rough 30 ° incline. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the incline is 0. . Determine the work done by (a) the force of gravity; (b) the friction between the block and incline; (c) the normal force; and (d) the net force on the block. W=5kg9. 8kgs2 W=49 N a. ) W=Fd W=Wsin30 °(2. 5m) W=49sin30 °(2. 5m) W=61. 25 J b. ) W=-Fd W=-? kNd W=-(0. 4)(42. 44N)(2. 5m) W=-42,44 J c. ) W=0 Normal force does not exert work because it is perpendiuclar with the displacement. d. ) WT=49Nsin30 °2. 5m-0. 442. 44N2. 5m+0 WT=18. 81 J 2. Car A has twice the mass of car B, but only half as much kinetic energy.When both cars increase their speed by 5m/s, then they have the same kinetic energy. What were t he original speeds of the two cars? CAR A CAR B mass=2mB mass=mB KEA=12KEB KEB =KEB VA=5ms VB =5ms VA=2KEAmA KEA=KEB VA=2(12KEB)2mB 12mAv=12mBv 2122mB5=12mB5 VA=KEB2mB 10mB4=5mB2 VB=KEBmB 5mB2=5mB2 3. A 400-g bead slides on a curved frictionless wire, starting from rest at point A. Find the speed of the bead at point B and point C. 400g? 1kg1000g=0. 4 kg PEA=mgh PEA=(0. 4 kg)(9. 8)(5m) PEA=19. 6 J PEB=(0. 4)(9. 8)(0) PEB=0 J KEA=12mv2=120. 4kg02=0 J TME=PEA+KEA=19. 6 J+0 J=19. 6 J KEB=TME-PEB=19. 6-0=19. 6 J KEB=12mvB2 19. 6 J=120. 4 kgVB2 VB=39. 2 J0. 4 lg=9. 90 m/s PEC=mgh=(0. 4)(9. 8ms22m=7. 84 J KEC=TME-PEC=19. 6 J-7. 84 J=11. 76 J KEC=12mv2C 11. 76=120. 4kg) (v2C Vc=23. 2 J0. 4 kg=76. 67 m/s 4. A tandem (two-person) bicycle team must overcome a force of 34 lbs. to maintain a speed of 30 ft. /s. Find the power required per rider, assuming they contribute equally. Express your answer in horsepower. F=34 lb F1=17 lb=F2 P1=F1v=17 lb30fts=510 ftlbs? 1hp550 ftlbs=0. 93 hp P2=F1v=17 lb30fts=510 ftlbs? 1hp550 ftlbs=0. 93 hp 5. A pump is required to lift 200 L of water per minute from a well 10 m deep and eject it with a speed of 20m/s. (a) How much work is done per minute in lifting the water? (b) How much in giving its kinetic energy? What horsepower engine is needed if it is 80% efficient? a. ) W=mgh+12mv2=200kg? 0m? 9. 81kgm2+12? 200kg? 20ms2=59620Js=993. 67J/min b. ) W=12mv2=12200kg20ms2=40000 J c. ) HP=59620js? 0. 8? 746js=99. 899 hp EXERCISES 16 LINEAR MOMENTUM A. CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS 1. Which has greater momentum, a ten wheeler truck at rest or a moving motorcycle? Why? A moving motorcycle has a greater momentum than the truck. A truck at rest has zero momentum because an object has to be moving in order to have a momentum. 2. How does impulse differ from force? Impulse is the product of force and the time interval of the application of force; while force is just a factor that affects an object’s impulse when it is at motion. 3.Why is it incorrect to say that impulse equals momentum? It is not right to say that impulse is equal to momentum because impulse is the measure of the change in momentum and therefore an object with constant and non-changing momentum has zero impulse. 4. What is the function of seatbelts and airbags in automobile? The function of seatbelts and airbags in an automobile is to increase the time of a force to reach its destination, which results to a lesser impact of objects that can collide to a passenger and therefore will have a higher chance for his/her life to be saved. 5. Distinguish between an elastic collision and inelastic collision.In elastic collision, the momentum and the kinetic energy are conserved; and its coefficient of restitution is equal to one. However in inelastic collision, the kinetic energy is not conserved and the coefficient of restitution is zero. B. PROBLEMS 1. A 10,000-kg truck has a speed of 100 km/h? (a) what is its momentum? What speed must a 5,000-kg truck attain in order to have (b) the same momentum? (c) the same kinetic energy? a. ) P=mv=10000 kg27. 78ms=2. 78? 105kg? m/s b. ) P=mv 2. 78? 105kg? ms5000kg=5000 kgv5000 kg v=55. 6 m/s c. ) KE=12mv2 KE=121000027. 782 KE=3. 86? 106J KE=12mv2 3. 86? 106J=125000kgv2 v=7. 72? 106J500kg v=39. 29 m/s . A car is stopped for a traffic signal. When the light turns green, the car accelerates, increasing its speed from 0 to 60 km/h in 0. 8 s. What are the magnitudes of the linear impulse and the average total force experienced by a 70-kg passenger in the car during the time the car accelerates? J=m? v J=(70 kg)(16. 67ms) J=1166. 9 kg? m/s J=Ft=Jt F=1166. 9 kg? ms0. 8s=1458. 63 N 3. A 5-g object moving to the right at 20cm/s makes elastic head on collision with a 10-g object that is initially at rest. Find (a) the velocity of each object after the collision and (b) the fraction of the initial kinetic energy transferred to the 10-g object.PT=PT' mAvA+mBvB=mAvA'+mBvB' 5g20cms+10g0=5g-vA'+(10g)(vB') 100=-5vA+10vB' 20=-vA+2vB' 20=-vB+20 +2vB' vB'=0 cm/s e=(vB'-vA')/(vA-vB) 1=(vB'-vA')/(20 cm/s-0cm/s) 20=vB'-vA' vA'=vB'-20 vA'=0-20 vA'=-20 cm/s 4. After a completely inelastic collision between two objects of equal mass m, each having initial speed v, the two move off together with speed v/3. What was the angle between their initial directions? P1x + P2x = Pfx = Pf,  P1y+P2x = 0. 2mv cos? = 2mv/3, cos? = 1/3, ? = 70. 5o. The angle between their initial directions is 2? =141  ° 5. A stone whose mass is 100 g rest on a frictionless horizontal surface.A bullet of mass 2. 5 g, travelling horizontally at 400 m/s, strikes the stone and rebounds horizontally at night angles to its original direction with a speed of 300 m/s. (a) Compute the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the stone after it is struck. (b) Is the collision perfectly elastic? a. ) Assume that the bullet is traveling in the positive x-direction and that the stone has components of  velocity  vx and vy after the collision . Equating momentum before and after in these directions. 0. 0025 kg x 400ms=0. 1 kg vx vx = 10 m/s 0. 1 vy= 0. 0025 x 300 vy = 7. 5 m/s Magnitude of velocity = v(102+7. ) = 10. 37 m/s Angle =tan-1(vy/vx) = 36. 87 deg to the x-axis b. ) No. EXERCISES 16 LINEAR MOMENTUM A. CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS 1. What is Hooke’s Law? Hooke's law  of  elasticity  is an approximation that states that the extension of a spring is in direct proportion with the  load  applied to it. Many materials obey this law as long as the load does not exceed the material's  elastic limit. Materials for which Hooke's law is a useful approximation are known as  linear-elastic  or â€Å"Hookean† materials. Hookean materials are a necessarily broad term that may include the work of muscular layers of the heart.Hooke's law in simple terms says that  stress  is  directly proportional  to  strain. Mathematically, Hooke's law states that 2. When is a material said to be elastic? A mate rial is called elastic if the deformation produced in the body is completely recovered after the removal the load. For ideally elastic materials, a single valued (linear) and time independent relation exists between the forces and the deformations. Although it is hard to find an ideally elastic material, i. e. , A Hookean solid, most of the materials can be considered elastic at least for a specific range. 3.Which is more elastic, a rubber band or spiral steel spring? Why? Spiral steel spring is more elastic than rubber band because it has greater elastic limit and ultimate strength than a rubber band because it has greater elastic limit and ultimate strength than a rubber. 4. What is the difference between the elastic limit of a material and its ultimate strength? Why are these concepts of special importance to construction engineers? Elastic limit is the maximum stress that can be applied to a material without being permanently deformed while ultimate strength is the stress requir ed to cause actual fracture to a material.These concepts are important to construction engineers because it gives them the idea of what materials are perfect for the construction and those that are fragile. 5. Which is more compressible, alcohol or water? Why? Alcohol. It is because alcohol has higher compressibility and accepts a greater pressure than on water. B. PROBLEMS 1. A nylon rope used by mountaineers elongates . 5 m under the weight of an 80-kg climber. (a) If the rope is 50 m in length and 9 mm in diameter, what is the Young’s Modulus for this material? (b) If Polson’s ratio for nylon is 0. , find the change in diameter under this stress. a) y=F? LoA? L y=(784N)(50m)Pi4. 5Ãâ€"10-32(1. 5 m) y=4. 11Ãâ€"108 Pa b) ? tto=- LL0 ?t=- LtoLo=-0. 21. 59Ãâ€"10-3m50m=-5. 4? 10^-5 2. The elastic limit of steel elevator cable is 2. 75Ãâ€"108 N/m2 Find the maximum upward acceleration that can be given a 900-kg elevator when supported by a cable whose cross-section is 3 cm2, if the stress is not to exceed ? of the elastic limit. Maximum stress allowed:14(2. 75? 108=6. 875? 104 Pa Force force this stress=stress ? area=6. 875? 104 x0. 0003=20. 625 N=Fup Fup=mg+ma 20. 625=900(9. 81)+900(a) a=13. 11 m s-2 . The deepest pint in the ocean is the Mariana trench, about11 km deep. The pressure at this depth is huge, about 1. 13? 108 Pa. (a) Calculate the change in volume of 1000 L of seawater carried from the surface to this deepest point in the Pacific Ocean. (b) The density of seawater at the surface is 1. 025g/cm3. Find its density at the bottom. 4. If the shear stress in steel exceeds 4Ãâ€"108 N/m2, the steel ruptures. Determine the shearing force necessary to (a) shear a steal bolt 1. 0 cm in diameter and (b) punch a 1. 0-cm diameter hole in steel plate 5mm thick. a. ) FA= 4x108Nm2= F/R2 = F/*0. 1m2 F = 125663. 706143592N b. ) FA= 4x108Nm2= F/2RT= F/2*0. 005 m*0. 005m F = 63,000 N 5. In the figure below, 103 kg uniform log hangs by two steel wires, A and B, both of diameters 2. 4 mm. initially, wire A was 2. 5 m long and 2. 0 mm shorter than wire B. The log is now horizontal. a) What are the tensions in wires A and b? Since the log is not moving: FA + FB –mg = 0 Since the log is horizontal: LA + DLA = LB + DLB = LA + l + DLB, DLA = DLB + l, where l = 2 mm is the original difference in lengths between A and B. Which gives: b) What is the ratio of distance a and b?