Hard Water free essay sample

The purpose of this lab is to determine whether a liquid is hard water or not. Background: Hard water is the water that has a high amount of mineral in it, usually Ca2+ and Mg+. These cations enter the source of water by leaching from minerals within a wet underground layer of water- bearing rock, or an aquifer. According to the WHO, hard water is not harmful to human’s health but it’s a serious problem in the water industry. Household plumbing and appliances are also greatly affected by hard water conditions. Some of the effects include clogged pipes, water heater inefficiency and hard scaling. Hard water is also linked to decreased water flow or water pressure and seized (frozen) valves in faucets, water heaters, and fixtures. However, some researches prove that drinking too much hard water caused heart diseases in men or eczema in children. As the result, WHO set a standardize amount of how much calcium and magnesium can exist in drinking water to prevent damages. We will write a custom essay sample on Hard Water or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Analyzing skill and an experiment are needed to test whether a liquid is hard water or not. First, add a buffer solution to keep the solution basic. Next, put a small amount of Eriochrom Black T so that the color of the water would change based on the amount of Ca2+ or Mg+. Observe the change of color. Then, a solution named EDTA should be added to determine how much Ca2+ there is in the water. Add EDTA until the water turns blue. Then use analyzing skill to figure out whether the water is hard or soft. Citation. The shampoo will then lather and creates more bubbles; that’s greater to bathe in. 3) Pots and pans used for boiling water often develop a coating of scale in homes that use hard water. What might this scale be? The scale might be magnesium and calcium. After the water reaches its boiling point, all the water molecules would turns into gas evaporates, left the solid magnesium and calcium at the bottom of the pans. 4) Why might the water of one region be much harder than another? The water of different region has different hardness level because water comes from different sources of underground aquifers. The amount of calcium and magnesium in the rocks in the aquifers varied. If the water of a region happened to come from aquifer of high calcium/magnesium, then it would be much harder than water from another area. 5) Why is it important to make up all of the reagents used in this experiment in distilled water rather than tap water? It’s important to make up all of the reagents used in this experiment in distilled water rather than tap water because if we used tap water (which is also hard water) as a buffer, we would be added more calcium and magnesium to the tested water without knowing it. Therefore, the final result of how hard the water is would be incorrect. We would conclude that the water is much harder than how it really is. Conclusion: After this experiment, the hardness of 2 different sources of water, Elk Grove tap water and Wilton well water is determined. The well water of Wilton is about two times harder than the Elk Grove tap water. Well water needed averagely 28. 5 drops to turns into sky blue while Elk Grove tap water only needed 16. The difference is about 12. 5 drops. Therefore, the hypothesis is fully supported. Well water is harder than tap water because the water from the well came directly from the underground aquifers while tap water, even though it might come from the same source, the water company must somehow distilled it before it was put into used. The government has set a standard of how much calcium and magnesium could be in order to keep everyone healthy and prevent diseases. However, there were people in suburban area, to save some money, use well water in daily life. This is very dangerous. In our lives, there are many times we used hard water without realizing it. For example, the shampoo was originally full of hard water. The same chemical, EDTA, is added to shampoo to keep it lathers. We must be careful with cooking at home with tap water because different regions have different amount of Calcium and Magnesium. To test how hard the water is, put tap water into a pot then boils it. Do this before cooking. After all the water evaporates, if there was a thick scale at the bottom of the pot, then the water is very hard. Either choose not to use it or go buy a water softener. If there was little or no scale at all, then the water is soft water.

The Meaning of Myths, Folklore, Legends and Fairy Tales

The Meaning of Myths, Folklore, Legends and Fairy Tales The terms myth, folklore, legend, and fairy tale are often used interchangeably, leading to the misconception that they mean the same thing: fanciful tales. Although its true that these terms may refer to bodies of writing  that answer some of lifes basic questions or present commentary on morality,  each type presents a distinct reader experience. Theyve all stood the test of time, which speaks volumes about their ongoing hold on our imaginations. Myth A myth is a traditional story that may answer lifes overarching questions, such as  the origins of the world (the creation myth) or of a people. A myth can also be an attempt to explain mysteries, supernatural events, and cultural traditions.  Sometimes sacred in nature, a myth can involve gods or other creatures. It presents reality in dramatic ways. Many cultures have their own versions of common myths that  contain archetypal images and themes. One common myth that spans multiple cultures is that of a great flood. Myth criticism is used to analyze these threads in literature. A prominent name in myth criticism is that of the literary critic, professor, and editor Northrop Frye. Folklore and Folktale Whereas myth has at its core the origins of a people and is often sacred, folklore is a collection of fictional tales about people or animals. Superstitions and unfounded beliefs are important elements in the folklore tradition. Both myths and folklore were originally circulated orally. Folktales describe how the  main character copes with the events of everyday life, and the tale may involve crisis or conflict. These stories may teach people how to cope with life (or dying) and also have themes common among cultures worldwide. The study of folklore is called folkloristics.   Legend A legend is a story thats purported to be historical in nature but that is without substantiation. Prominent examples include King Arthur, Blackbeard,  and Robin Hood. Where evidence of historical figures, such as  King Richard, actually exists, figures such as  King Arthur  are legends due in large part to the many stories that have been created about them. Legend also refers to anything that inspires a body of stories or anything of lasting importance or fame. The story is handed down orally but continues to evolve with time. Much of early literature began as legend told and retold in epic poems that were passed down orally originally, then at some point written down. These include masterpieces such as the Greek Homeric Poems (The Iliad and The Odyssey), circa 800 BCE,  to the French Chanson de Roland, circa  1100 CE. Fairy Tale A fairy tale may involve fairies, giants, dragons, elves, goblins, dwarves, and other fanciful and fantastic forces. Although originally  not written for children, in the most recent century, many old fairy tales have been Disneyfied to be less sinister and to appeal to kids.  These stories have taken on lives of their own. In fact, many classic and contemporary books, such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White, are based on fairy tales. But read the original Grimm brothers fairy tales, for example, and youll be surprised at the endings and how they differ from the versions that you may have grown up with.

Compartive report between Australia and Norway Health Care System Essay

Compartive report between Australia and Norway Health Care System - Essay Example However, Australia presents a mixed system of public and private care that presents more choices to those that are ill compared to Norway, which has a predominantly centrally planned state sponsored health system. The Norwegian system presents generous support to those who are ill, but long waiting lists for procedures exist despite a higher number of physicians per 100,000 population. Norway presents very limited patient choice and say. Australians have a guarantee of healthcare, no matter how expensive it becomes, and can decide about the quality of care that they receive by selecting their contributions to Medicare or private healthcare schemes. However, in Norway, the GP assigned to a patient decides about what the system will offer to a patient, and it is not easy to change the GP. Longer waiting lists and a lack of advanced diagnostic techniques, including use of MRI and CT scanning, points to a certain rationing and a lack of sophistication in the Norwegian system, despite its generous support for those that are ill. Access to drugs is better in the Australian system. Although the year 2000 WHO Health Report ranked Norway higher than Australia in terms of the performance of its health system, this report is now a decade old. The latest OECD Frequently Requested Healthcare Data points to the fact that the Australian healthcare system is now performing better and offering more choices to those who are ill with shorter waiting lists and access to more sophisticated diagnostic procedures compared to Norway. Life expectancy is higher in Australia, with a lower figure for Potential Years of Life Lost for the population, and the Australian system offers better pharmaceutical / drug assistance. It is certain that economic constraints have forced choices, and the Norwegian healthcare system has had to try to optimise. Thus, although it is likely that things will improve with the development of a parallel private healthcare system in Norway,

Entering the Conversation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Entering the Conversation - Essay Example & Monroe, D. Food and philosophy. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 2007. Print Allhof and Monroe’s book gives a very enlightening and also refreshing exploration on how philosophy can go about conversing about food and the activity of eating. There are various chapters that focus on a certain aspects of food and philosophy. Aesthetics and ethics cover certain themes and issues that involve the matter of food and eating. Aesthetics would try to expound on the nature of the good taste and refined experiences of eating food and what qualifies a dish to be wonderfully delicious. Ethics would speak on how eating should be done accordingly for the good of an individual. Each chapter in this book deals with such different themes and issues, and is written by various contributing authors from different fields related to the food culture and even life science. Iggers, J. Who needs a critic? the standard of taste and the power of branding. In F. Allhoff & D. Monroe (Eds.), Food an d philosophy (pp.88-100). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 2007. Print This article written by Iggers speaks on what is the standard of food that would consider it be of â€Å"good taste† and also the effects of branding that would affect the criteria of such standards. Being a food critic himself, Iggers expounds the reasons and the mindset as to what would make an individual a person of good taste and have a refined palate for food. Since not everyone has the sensitive tongue and taste buds to without experience and learning it is important that a good food critic develop good taste by going through a more critical and refined manner of enjoying and understanding food more than just a mere necessity for survival. King, R.J.H. Eating well: Thinking ethically about food. In F. Allhoff & D. Monroe (Eds.), Food and philosophy (pp.177-191). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 2007. Print. King wrote this article on how an individual should ethically conduct himself or h erself in the activity of eating and to consider the nature of eating. King expresses that the reasons why an individual should eat properly because it has its effects much larger in scale for both an individual and for the environment around. For an individual, good health is the reason why eating well is important. The reason why a balanced diet exists is to promote proper nutritional intake and balance for a person when he or she eats. Having too much of eating is just as bad as not eating. Parasecoli, F. Hungry engrams: Food and non-representational memory. In F. Allhoff & D. Monroe (Eds.), Food and philosophy (pp.102-114). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. 2007. Print. Parasecoli’s article takes reference from a neurologist turned chef by the name of Miguel Sanchez Romera. Parasecoli is an Italian food and wine critic expresses his fascination on how the flavor of food can be associated with the human brain’s ability to remember things or store memory. In thi s article, Parasecoli gives an explanation with regards to Romera’s research that different flavors of food have different effects to a person’s ability for memory association as well as emotional association. The taste and flavor of food can at times represent various emotional memories to a person since the mind would associate it with either an experience or sentiment. Shelley, J. The concept of the aesthetic. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aesthetic-concept/. 2009. Web The article

Diversity and Multiculturalism Meaning Assignment

Diversity and Multiculturalism Meaning - Assignment Example sity has been defined â€Å"as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status† (Esty, et al., 1995). Diversity can be defined in many other ways too. Diversity is recognizing and appreciating the various characteristics, some of them have already been mentioned above, that make an individual unique. Diversity helps in promoting individual as well as collective achievement. Diversity believes in providing equal opportunities to all irrespective of race or religion. The concept of diversity is being increasingly used by business managers to deal with the issues that have cropped with the increased presence of minorities and women in the workplace. "Managing diversity† has become a critical part of the management of an organization. Diversity has to be successfully managed or else i t can lead to an increase in employee turnover, absenteeism, disruption in work, harassment and what is more important a low morale. All this in turn will further lead to low productivity. Today it has become necessary to have a diverse workforce as it adds value to an organization. Diversity in a workplace means recognizing and respecting individual differences that may arise in the workplace. This will benefit the organization and lead to more productivity and also give a competitive edge to the organization. Good diversity management means creating a fair environment for the employees. Today many definitions and terms can be used to describe multiculturalism. One definition is that multiculturalism is â€Å"the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can co-exist peacefully and equitably in a single country† and "by making the broadest range of human differences acceptable to the largest number of people, multiculturalism seeks to overcome racism, sexism,

Strategic business management planning

Strategic business management planning Introduction In this assignment I will be aiming to access, in a critical manner, the classic and contemporary models, concepts and tools in business strategy and planning. I will also be evaluating the methods used by organisations to identify their goals and values. I will be doing the above two in reference to the British bakery chain Greggs plc. 1) Manning (1988:27) made a set of assumptions about the contemporary concept and ideas of strategy, and in relation to Greggs plc they are: The strategy Greggs develops must be designed in order to allow the organisation to deal with an uncertain future. The strategy developed designs a restructuring process instead of a plan per se. The rules of competition with other bakery must be inherent in the strategy. Inspiration and imagination of Greggs allow better performance for them. Synthesis is the most important skill for Greggs. All discussions in the Greggs board room are followed by measurements, which in turn is managed. ‘Transformational is an executive management tactic. This involves combining Greggs organisational strategy and target with their initiatives for the employees, process and technology. This tactic helps in supporting the business strategy and achieving the long-term goals. This tactic is achieved by combining different areas of people, process and technology, and trying to achieve specific targets together; this involves changing appearance, shape and form, and also through new technology, business models and management practices. Incremental is a gradual increase by a certain (or fixed) amount. E.g. Greggs experienced the opposite of incremental (a decrement) as it had a gradual decrease in its profit margins from 2009 to 2010, and then continuing to 2011. However, they also had an increment as sales increased on a fixed percentage of 2.1% year on year. 2) Greggs uses various methods, as shown above, to achieve their targets. As a modern day organisations, it is fair to evaluate the success of those methods for Greggs. The strategy Greggs developed a few years back has surely failed to ensure it was designed for an uncertain future. This is evidenced by their fall in profits from  £52 million to  £48 million; they were not able to prepare for a future they were not sure of and thus had to face consequences. On the other hand, if Greggs initial strategy was to increase sales then they have indeed succeeded as they have experienced increases in sales of 2.1%. But, even so Greggs can still be taken to be a failure as it failed to increase profit. Therefore we can conclude the success of their strategies depends on exactly what they were, but either way Greggs have faltered. Transformational is visibly used by Greggs. This is evidenced by their use of newsletters to increase communication between employees; this will allow staff, starting from those in the lowest level to those in the most influential position, to be aware of the organisations target, as well as staying updated on any happenings around any other departments. This in turn will aid in motivating and inspiring staff to work harder together towards the common target. 3) The main differences between prescriptive and emergent theories in relation to Greggs plc are: Prescriptive approach, as used by Greggs, will be systematic and based upon pre analysis of future happenings in the bakery industry. But, emergent, in contradiction to that is, unplanned and develops over time as Greggs continually keeps adjusting to the changing business environment in the bakery market. In prescriptive, the executives of Greggs set the objectives, and design the organisation strategy. But, in the emergent approach, managers at any level (e.g. managers of local branches) are capable of having an input in setting the objective or strategy. The prescriptive approach supports analysis of the situation in the bakery market as a strong base for competitive advantage. But, the emergent approach supports Greggs expert knowledge as the basis for competitive advantage. The logical and analytical approach of the prescriptive allows Greggs to predict and revise their strategies in order to take advantage of any new opportunities that may come up. One example of this approach (in relation to another company) is when EasyJet correctly predicted and lowered their cost in order to gain an advantage in the cost-conscious European market. Whereas, the emergent approach allows a more creative and responsive strategy which can be well suited for a hyper-competitive and unpredictable business environment (as that in the food market). Examples of organisations (other than Greggs) that dont tie themselves to pre-designed objectives and strategies include big names such as Microsoft and Apple In todays organisations, like Greggs, the emergent approach would have a bigger relevance. The reason being the prescriptive model doesnt allow the contemporary style of allowing employees at the lower levels to make contributions to the decision made. As a result of such an approach employees become less motivated. 4) There are three types of goals. They act together to form the overall organisation goal. The three goals in relation to Greggs plc are: Strategic Goal (the targeted position Greggs intends to be in the future), Tactical Goal (the targets set for the most important departments within Greggs), and Organisational Goal (specific results expected from a certain department, groups or individuals). Goals help in designing the actions to be taken, and works best when clear choices exist regarding the future. But, in may not work properly if Greggs restructures at a fast rate. Every organisation has its own values, including Greggs. This values shape the Greggs culture and working environment. It helps in setting goals in line with the culture, and in increasing performance in key areas such as quality and customer service. Peter Druckers Eight Content Areas in Developing Goals are: Marketing Innovation Productivity Physical and financial resources Profitability Managerial   performance and development Worker performance and attitude Public responsibility One of the most important problems with goal and value setting is the failure of Greggs to think strategically. A common problem that occurs is that planners (i.e. the executives at Greggs) confuse organisational efficiency with organisational effectiveness. In doing so, they only look at internal matters and how to make things slightly better than they currently are. Ultimately, they end up without having solved potential threats, and without using their strengths to gain advantage. Steps to a progressive strategic thinking (in other words settings goals and values) are: Select the strategies that Greggs wants to implement. Strategies must focus with the restructuring of Greggs, as this aids in directing and sustaining changes. Strategies must be designed in order to allow adaptation to unexpected results. Use brainstorming techniques to allow fellow planners to contribute. While developing the strategy the planners (the executives at Greggs plc) must think whether it will allow a change in the organisation, as well as it was whether it was actually a strategic activity. Reconsider strategies that have failed in the past. Make sure to avoid conflicting strategies. Also, Greggs must take the following into considerations to ensure their strategies, targets and values are truly effective and dont contradict each other: The most important issues always present the most complicating problems. Therefore it is advisable to concentrate more on such matters. Continually question every idea to ensure clarity. Each of the strategies must be associated with currently running programs. 5) Stakeholders in Greggs plc have different interest, some of which are conflicting and some of which are in agreement. Examples of agreement include high profits (which leads to high dividends and job security), interest in growth and prosperity, etc. Examples of conflict include wage rises (which results in a decrease in dividends), growth of the organisation at the expense of short term profit and local community, etc. It cannot be taken that stakeholders have equality in terms of power and influence. Stakeholders can exert influence by disrupting and causing uncertainty in Greggs plans. However, Governments, community groups and managers can also exert influence; government can indirectly through the use of taxation, community groups through protests and violence, and managers as they make decisions and therefore hold extensive power. In conclusion, even though stakeholders on paper have greater influence and power, other individuals or groups can exert influence through indirect means and methods. However, if conflict or disagreement exists between stakeholders, than proportionality in the ownership of the company comes into effect, as those with the largest share are the most influence. 7) Strategic intent is the reason behind the existence of any organisation like Greggs. It forms a clear path to achieve the vision of the company. It helps to prioritise and concentrate on the important issues. The means of strategic intent are the following: A properly designed strategic intent allows development of strategies and setting of targets. Inspiring people by making targets a valuable asset. Encouraging participation and contribution. Careful direction of resources. Emphasises on building new resources. Strategic intent has certainly been used by Greggs in restricting their organisation. They have ensured participation, efficiency of resources and have developed a well thought strategy. This is clearly visible as their number of sales as increased in the past years. In conclusion, strategic intent is indeed a successful theory as seen by the success of Greggs due to their implementation of it. Mission statement states the importance behind the existence of Greggs. It explains the basic expectations, and the primary values of the company. The statement should be brief, to-the-point and easy to understand. Also, it should showcase the uniqueness of the organisation. Vision statement is how the organisation wishes to be in the future, in other words its future position. 8) Mission intent is a description of the role the organisation plays in serving their stakeholders.It provides a framework upon which strategies are formulated. The means of mission intent are the following: Produce a mission statement that is feasible and clear. A statement which is inspiring and credible. A statement which is unique and analytical. Greggs mission statement is â€Å"Making a difference to the lives of people in need in the heart of Greggs local communities.† It is a well-structured mission statement because it is feasible and very clear (to help the local communities), it is inspiring (helping others is always a motivating cause) and analytical (because it looks carefully at the specific needs of the community). And it certainly seemed to have succeeded as Greggs successfully raised money in aid of the local community, as well as ensuring to provide environmental friendly packaging for its products. In conclusion, the mission intent is an effective tool in creating a friendly and comfortable atmosphere and environment. It increases organisation profile and allows successful growth. Vision statement is a statement identifying what the organisation intends to be in providing its services and products. A well planned statement should be clear, realistic and should harmonize with the organisations culture and values. Greggs vision is â€Å"Our vision is to be Europes finest bakery-related retailer. Our purpose is the growth and development of a thriving business, operating with integrity, for the benefit and enjoyment of our people, customers, shareholders and the wider community.†It is a perfect vision statement as it is clear (grow into Europes finest bakery), realistic (it can almost be achieve as it continues to grow across Europe) and harmonize with the organisations culture and values (of support for the community). The fact Greggs clear vision has allowed it to become one of Europes biggest and fastest growing bakery shop, proves that vision intent is indeed an effective method. Objectives are targets that the organisation aims for in a certain time. The theory of objectives suggests they are: They are the basics of any plan. Policies are designed in order to achieve objectives. Setting objective is the responsibility the executives. It is common to have a set of objectives, rather than one single. Objectives are set in the short term, as well as long term. Objectives must be set in order to ensure they can be adjusted in the future if needed. The objectives must be feasible, realistic and operational. Greggs objective of being a ‘customer-focused business has certainly been a success, as seen from their increased sales and their growth. This proves that setting objective is indeed effective as it allows an organisation to meet their target in an organised manner. Conclusion: In conclusion, businesses now-a-days use all forms of models, concepts and tools, regardless of whether their classic or contemporary, to develop their strategy and plans, and do so in a successful manner so that the strategies and plans are both compatible for both the present and future situations that the Greggs might find themselves in. Also, the methods used by organisations like Greggs to identify their goals and values, are certainly effective and aids in developing and furthering growth for the company.

Arapesh and Embedded vs. Disembedded economy :: Essays Papers

Arapesh and Embedded vs. Disembedded economy Polanyi says, regarding the economy, â€Å"the economic process†¦.is embedded in noneconomic institutions.† An embedded economy is an economy in which economic activities occur such as, production and distribution; however other activities, which are not economic also occur. Activities such as forming friendships or helping other people may be happening, but it might just seem like the normal economic process because it is an embedded economy. When Polanyi says that the economy is â€Å"embedded in noneconomic institutions† he means that while economic activity is occurring, it is occurring for noneconomic reasons. The economic activity may be occurring in order to continue a friendship or help someone. Activities in an embedded economy often seem like they are not economic activities. They seem like this because usually the reason the economic activity is occurring is for noneconomic reasons. For example, if two bakers both produce wheat bread, but do not eat their own, instead they exchange bread, because they want to have a reason to be friends. This situation does not seem like economic activity, it seems like two people sharing their food. It actually is economic activity, because the two bakers are both producing and distributing their bread. So, even though the bakers are only exchanging the bread because they want to maintain their friendship, what they are doing is an economic activity that would happen in an embedded economy. Today most economic activity is considered to be part of a disembedded economy. In a disembedded economy, economic activity occurs only for economic reasons, so it is the opposite of an embedded economy. Economic activity is completely independent from such institutions as family or friendship. An example, of activity in a disembedded economy is a person going to a grocery store and buying bread. There is no other institution involved in the economic process of production and distribution of the bread which is why this would occur in a disembedded economy. The producer of the bread is making the bread so that he can sell it and get money for it, the consumer is buying the bread so it will belong to him. Economic activities of production and distribution are perceived by the Arapesh to just be part of their society. Everything that the Arapesh use and take care of daily belongs to someone else, whether it is their trees or pigs. The Arapesh believe that they must share what they own with the other Arapesh to help them survive.