Saturday, February 28, 2009

In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, how does Scout learn to cope with the evils of the world? Please provide a few examples.

Jean Louise Finch is an innocent little girl who is faced with many controversial situations at a young age. Luckily, her innocence and youth might be protective shields that help her to filter the tragic adult issues she faces. For the most part, however, she is lucky to have good, strong role models who show her first-hand how to cope with the harsh vicissitudes of life. Atticus, Jem, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra all teach Scout to remain calm and not worry, keep her head rather than fight, and act like a lady and be an example.


Scout's brother is four years older than she is, but he is the bridge between childhood and understanding adulthood. Jem is not only brave, but generally cool-headed because he keeps himself in check. He also watches Atticus's example and follows suit. For instance, Jem's coping strategy is one he learned from watching his father in challenging situations. If Atticus is calm, then Jem remains calm. He passes this onto Scout while they watch Miss Maudie's house burn down. Both Jem and Scout start to get really scared, but Jem calms down by saying the following:



"'Don't worry, Scout, it ain't time to worry yet, . . . Looka yonder.'


Atticus was standing with his hands in his overcoat pockets. He might have been watching a football game. Miss Maudie was beside him.


'See there, he's not worried yet, . . . Let's don't pester him, he'll know when it's time,' said Jem" (70).



Jem teaches his little sister to watch Atticus to know if it's time to worry or not. He and Atticus both tell her not to worry multiple times, which teaches her to pause, watch and listen before reacting to a crisis.


Next, Atticus always has a keen sense of understanding other people, which also transfers into good advice. The first great advice this father gives to his young daughter is how to get along with people in life. Sometimes people push buttons that can set us off, but we shouldn't be affected by them. Atticus says the following to help Scout cope with other people:



"First of all, . . . if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. . . --until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (30).



This advice is clearly teaching her to see life through other people's eyes and not to react so quickly when people do things she doesn't like. Later, after Scout beats up her cousin for calling her father a bad name, he let's her listen in on a discussion he has about her with Uncle Jack:



"Scout's got to learn to keep her head and learn soon, with what's in store for her these next few months. She's coming along, though. Jem's getting older and she follows his example a good bit now. All she needs is assistance sometimes. . . she know I know she tries. That's what makes the difference. What bothers me is that she and Jem will have to absorb some ugly things pretty soon. I'm not worried about Jem keeping his head, but Scout'd just as soon jump on someone as look at him if her pride's at stake" (88).



By allowing Scout to hear this, she understands what is expected of her and what she needs to work on to be prepared for future problems. The calm way Atticus teaches helps to lock down the expectation, but also gives her room to practice her coping skills.


Finally, Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra provide the feminine touch that Scout needs to bear life's problems like a woman. They teach her patience, logical reasoning, and charity. They teach her to keep her head in front of company during tea parties even though the guests might be outright bigots. Such is the case when Atticus takes Calpurnia away from the party to go tell Helen her husband died. Aunt Alexandra's guests had been gossiping harshly about social status and racism and finding out about Tom's death and all that Atticus had to bear that year takes its toll. Alexandra becomes overwhelmed and leaves the party. Scout then witnesses Maudie coax her back into the room by saying that there are a handful of people in Maycomb who have to bear the burden of being good examples. They all go back to the party and Scout explains what coping strategies she's learned by saying the following:



"Aunt Alexandra looked across the room at me and smiled. She looked at a tray of cookies on the table and nodded at them. . . With my best company manners, I asked [Mrs. Merriweather] if she would have some.


After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (237).


Could this conflict between generations as presented in "Everyday Use" be experienced by any family anywhere?

While families may universally experience conflicts among the generations present in those families, the type of conflict presented by Walker in "Everyday Use" could not be experienced by any family at any time in any place.  The conflict between Dee and her family is bound by time, place, and culture, and both Dee and her family have based their values on their lived experiences and their perception of cultural norms.  The story is set in the early 1970s, a time when older people still new the lingering effects of Reconstruction and the recent reality of Jim Crow laws.  There was a push to dissociate from the white community and to embrace more traditional African values to reaffirm black culture.  A large part of why Dee considers the quilts important is because she believes in this reaffirmation of culture and wishes to preserve the quilts as symbols of her family's heritage.  Mama, however, is from an older generation, and she lives a different lifestyle from Dee, so her views on the family heirlooms differ in that she believes items ought to be used for their intended purpose.  The conflict present in the story occurs because the characters have differing values, and families universally speaking do not all share the same values.  

The first government for the United States was outlined in ______.

The answer to this question is the Articles of Confederation.  The first government of the independent United States was outlined in a document called the Articles of Confederation.  This document was the first constitution of the United States.


The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. This was after the Declaration of Independence, but before the colonies had actually won their independence. This constitution created the government that led the US through the Revolutionary War and the first few years of its independence.  The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the document that we now call the Constitution of the United States in 1789.


The Articles of Confederation set up a government that is very different from what we have today.  It had a unicameral Congress with equal representation from each state. It had no executive branch. It created a confederal system in which the states had much more power than the national government did. It created this sort of government because the citizens of the new country were anxious to make sure their government would not be able to abuse them the way that (they felt) the British government had.


The first government of the US, then, was created by and outlined in the Articles of Confederation.

Friday, February 27, 2009

In the poem "Out, Out--" by Robert Frost, the poem turns on the word "supper." Describe what happens. Is it an appropriate word in the context?

In this narrative poem by Robert Frost, a boy is using a chain saw to cut up firewood in the back yard. The boy's sister comes and stands next to him and says, "Supper." At this, the boy must have lost his concentration. Perhaps he was startled. When there are loud sounds, even loud music playing, you often don't hear someone approach. Then when the person speaks, you jump because you weren't expecting him or her to be there. In this case, the boy was probably startled or at least distracted by his sister's brief announcement. That was all it took for him to lose control of the chainsaw momentarily. He was probably a little small or young to be handling such powerful, dangerous equipment, for the poem describes him as a "big boy / Doing a man’s work, though a child at heart." The chainsaw strayed over to his other hand and severed it, almost completely off. The boy held it up, probably dangling, and begged his sister to not let the doctor amputate it. However, that was wishful thinking, for "the hand was gone already." Then the doctor arrives and gives a general anesthetic, ether, presumably in preparation for amputating the hand. However, whether through the administration of the anesthesia, or more probably from profuse loss of blood, the boy dies. 


The use of the word "supper" is central in the poem. It is the word that causes the accident. It's fitting that it is a simple, humble word, rather than the more impressive synonym "dinner." The humble setting, a day of yard work at a country home, is consistent with this word. That the word is so mundane and such an "everyday" word creates irony in the poem. A simple, ordinary word created a horrific, extraordinary, completely unexpected result. This is what happens in accidental deaths. Often a completely normal, routine day changes radically into a momentous, life-altering moment when the accident occurs. Frost uses the simple word "supper" appropriately in the context to reflect both the ordinary setting and characters and to bring out the irony of the tragedy that grew from a normal day's activities.

Is the speaker in Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem" going to give up on his dream?

In his poem "Harlem," Langston Hughes asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?," meaning a dream that is delayed from being fulfilled. He sets out to answer his question by comparing the delayed dream to many images of death and destruction.

Specifically, he uses similes to compare a delayed dream to a dried up raisin, which is a grape plucked from the life-sustaining vine and sucked by the sun of all of its life-sustaining moisture. He further compares a delayed dream to a puss-secreting infected wound, and infections that cause serious illness, even death. He even compares the delayed dream to "rotten meat," which is meat that has gone uneaten for so long that it would now cause illness and death if consumed.

Yet, he ends by asking, "Or does it explode?" The image of an explosion is a very powerful image that stands in stark contrast to his other images of death and destruction. It takes a great deal of energy to create an explosion; it does not take a great deal of energy to shrivel a grape into a raisin, develop an infection in a wound, or to allow meat to go rotten. This image of energy that contrasts with images of death and destruction helps paint the picture that what really happens to a dream delayed is that it builds up so much energy within the dreamer that the dreamer finally explodes in a burst of energy needed to finally fulfill the dream. We saw the exact same burst of energy occur during the Civil Rights Movement; therefore, it is possible to conclude that the speaker of the poem is not going to give up on his dream but will instead finally release all of the pent-up energy needed to fulfill his dream.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

`1.5x + 0.8y = 2.3, 0.3x - 0.2y = 0.1` Solve the system by the method of substitution.

First multiply everything by 10 to get whole numbers.



Solve equation [2] for the variable  x 
 


`3x = 2y + 1`

`x = 2y/3 + 1/3`

Plug this in for variable  x  in equation [1]


`15(2y/3+1/3) + 8y = 23`
`18y = 18`

Solve equation [1] for the variable  y 


`18y = 18`

`y = 1`  

By now we know this much :


`x = 2y/3+1/3`
`y = 1`

Use the  y  value to solve for  x 


`x = (2/3)(1)+1/3 = 1`

The solution is `(1,1)`

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

What does To prove [England has interfered with colonial rights], let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the...

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson believed the colonists needed to explain to the world what the King and the British government had done that caused the colonists to feel they had to declare independence from Great Britain. This section was the longest part of the Constitution. It lists the actions of the King and the British government that were causing the colonists to declare independence.


The phrase “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good” means that King refused to give his approval to laws that were designed to help the public. These laws included dealing with the government protecting the rights of the people. The colonists felt this was a fundamental responsibility of the government. This statement also references the idea of government being based on the consent of the governed. By having to get the King to approve their laws, consent really didn't exist. With the King not approving these laws, these ideas were not happening.

Why did newspapers in the US become much less partisan?A. the parties with which they were associated no longer exist.B. few Americans vote.C....

Most historians say that newspapers in the United States stopped being associated with one political party because it was not good business. 


At first, it did not cost very much to publish a newspaper.  The political parties subsidized the newspapers and the newspapers adhered to the parties’ lines.  The papers had little other choice because there were not many other sources of revenue.


But then things changed.  It became more expensive to publish a newspaper and the subsidies from the political parties were no longer sufficient to keep the papers afloat.  In addition, the papers started to get more money from advertisers like large department stores.  These advertisers wanted to reach the widest possible readership so they did not want the newspapers to be read by people from just one party.  For these reasons, there were economic factors pressuring the newspapers to stop being so partisan.


So, of the choices you have given us, it is most accurate to say that the newspapers became less partisan because the publishers wanted to reach a broader audience.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

What specific evidence did Atticus Finch use in the courtroom to prove Tom Robinson's innocence?

Atticus first gets Heck Tate's testimony from the investigation he did on the night in question. Tate reports that Mayella Ewell was "all bunged up" on the left side of her face. Atticus asks whose left, and Tate says his left, meaning it was on the right side of Mayella's face. Next, Bob Ewell, Mayella's father, takes the stand. Atticus asks him if he agrees with Tate's description of Mayella's condition, and he agrees. Then he asks if he can read and write; when Ewell says yes, he has him write his name in the full view of the court, thus demonstrating that Ewell is left-handed. When Mayella identifies Tom Robinson as her attacker and Atticus has him stand, the court sees that his left arm is shriveled, a full twelve inches shorter than his right. Reverend Sykes explains to Jem that he'd gotten the arm caught in a cotton gin when he was a boy and had been disabled since. 

In Twelve Angry Men, who was the leader of the jury and why?

Over the course of the play, Juror #8 emerges as the leader of the group. Juror #8 is the first person (and initially the only person) to express doubt that the boy accused of murdering his father is guilty of the crime. The other jurors consider the evidence of the boy's guilt so definitive that they are shocked by his dissent. However, slowly and patiently, Juror #8 convinces the members of the jury that the boy is innocent (or, at least, he brings them each to a place where they have a reasonable doubt to his guilt). Juror #8 is a leader in the sense that he is able to convince people he is right, and rally people to his cause. His style is different from that of many other leaders: Juror #8 is respectful and deferential towards the other jurors, and listens carefully to their contributions. He is also is unfailing in his own beliefs and unafraid of being perceived by everyone else as wrong or crazy.  

In The Merchant of Venice, what is Shylock's attitude towards Antonio?

Shylock despises Antonio with a passion. He says as much throughout the play. When he observes him at the beginning, he says the following in an aside:



How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian,
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!



In this extract, his loathing is pertinent. He hates Antonio because he is a Christian. He also hates him since he lends out money without charging interest, compromising Shylock's own money-lending practice, for he charges interest. By lending without interest, Antonio brings down the interest rate which Shylock charges for loans, thus affecting his income. Shylock swears that if he should get Antonio at a disadvantage, he will use it to carry through an age old grudge that he holds against him. Shylock is resentful of the fact that Antonio hates Jews and that he consistently criticizes his money-lending practice. He feels that his people would be cursed if he should ever forgive Antonio for his persistent censure.


It is clear later that Shylock wants to use sly means to draw Antonio into a compromising situation. In a prayer, uttered in the presence of Antonio and Bassanio, he asks what advantage he would gain from the forfeit of a pound of Antonio's flesh if he should not meet the terms of a loan he was going to extend. A pound of flesh is useless to him. He, however, wants to gain Antonio's favor and therefore extends him a kindness in the form of the loan he requests. It is Antonio's choice to accept or reject the bond.  


Later in the play, after Antonio is arrested and imprisoned for failing to repay the loan on the agreed date. Antonio wishes to consult with him, But Shylock is not prepared to reason, and instructs Antonio's jailer:



Gaoler, look to him: tell not me of mercy;
This is the fool that lent out money gratis:
Gaoler, look to him.



Shylock is adamant on punishing Antonio and refuses to negotiate. He has now gained an advantage and wishes to hurt Antonio. He tells the desperate merchant:



I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak:
I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more.
I'll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool,
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield
To Christian intercessors. Follow not;
I'll have no speaking: I will have my bond.



During the trial later, Shylock addresses the court and, on a question by the duke as to why he wishes to continue with his action against Antonio even though an offer has been made to repay the bond at thrice its value, Shylock responds: 



As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodged hate and a certain loathing
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him.



Shylock's unrelenting attitude, bred from his deep contempt for Antonio, is what eventually ensnares him. He becomes a victim of his own malice and almost loses his life. In the end he has to relinquish his religion and become a Christian. He has to give up half of his estate and will the remainder to his Christian son-in-law upon his death.

What is an inertial frame of reference?

Inertial frames of reference deal with Newtonian laws and mechanics seen in physics. More specifically, inertial frames of reference are frames of reference in which Newton's laws hold true.


A good example of an inertial frame of reference in most cases is the earth, although this does not hold true when looked at relative to phenomenon not occurring on the earth but in the rotating galaxy or universe. Interestingly, non inertial frames of reference exist as well. In these cases, Newton's laws appear to be violated.


A general rule about inertial frames of reference exists. Any frame of reference that moves with a constant velocity in respect to the inertial frame of reference is also an inertial frame of reference.


This means that Newton's laws can hold true in one set of inertial frames of reference moving at a certain velocity relative to one another and in a second set of inertial frames of reference that are moving at a different (but same relative to one another) velocity. Hope this helps! 

Monday, February 23, 2009

In the story, "Through The Tunnel" what piece of equipment does Jerry need for his adventure?

Jerry asks his mother to purchase some swimming goggles for him.


Having been humiliated by the older African boys who are able to hold their breaths for minutes as they swim through a tunnel of rock and emerge far on the other end, Jerry vows to make this "rite of passage" and prove that he, too, is no child anymore. So, when he acquires the goggles that permit him to keep his eyes open as he tries to make his way through the tunnel, Jerry begins his training.


With the goggles Jerry can see; it is as though he has



...fish eyes that showed everything clear and wavering in the bright water.



Further, Jerry explores the floor of the sea and examines the great rock that the bigger boys have swum through, but he is unable to find any opening. After several attempts, Jerry finds the hole.



He knew he must find his way through that cave, or hole, or tunnel, and out the other side.



Thus, with his goggles Jerry is able to explore the rock that is hollowed out so that it can be swum through. He does this and practices until he can imitate the other boys. In this way, Jerry makes his rite of passage into maturity.

In Whirligig's Chapter 3, what is a symbol (other than the whirligig) appearing in that chapter and what effect does it have on Brent?

When you re-read a chapter with a specific focus in mind – like searching for a symbol – you may surprise yourself by what you discover the second or third time around. I found three potentially symbolic items here.


In the third chapter, called “The Afterlife,” Brent learns what he must do in order to atone for his crime. He has to travel to the four corners of the country, then build and install whirligigs as tribute to Lea. He buys a used instruction book on how to make them. The previous owner had written lots of notes in the margins. This book and the unseen woodcrafter can be symbolic of the possibilities that lie ahead for Brent. They also serve as his teachers in the process. He seems grateful for the guidance.


Brent carries a photograph of Lea with him. He looks at it from time to time as he makes this first whirligig (and later, with the others). The photo is a symbol of the accident and of the past. It is a vivid reminder of what kind of tragedy can result when someone gets angry, gets drunk, and loses his self control. It’s something that Brent surely doesn’t ever want to do again.


Brent shares a camp site with a Canadian bicyclist. He introduces Brent to the Chinese stone game called Go. Coincidentally, this is Brent’s first stop with the project. He’s just getting started, getting ready to Go. Brent enjoys the challenge of learning something new. This game is a silent prod for him to indeed Go, to keep on Going, and to keep on learning.

How does Grandma get away with lying in Richard Peck's A Long Way from Chicago?

In the story, Grandma Dowdel gets away with lying by using her age and life experience to her advantage.


Throughout the book, Grandma often uses white lies to maneuver her way around difficulties. In the story about Shotgun Cheatham, she manages to lie to the reporter because she's able to turn his biased perception about country folk to her advantage. Additionally, because of her shrewd ability to correctly assess the characters of others, she's able to tailor her lies so as to appear credible to her listeners.


Playing upon the reporter's presuppositions about gossipy country housewives, she tells the reporter that Shotgun Cheatham served with the Illinois Volunteers in the Civil War and that he was with General Grant when the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi fell to Union control. On top of these two lies, she maintains that it was General Grant who gave Shotgun his nickname. So, in one instance, Grandma Dowdel manages to change Shotgun from a "kill-crazy gunslinger" to a Civil War "war-hero marksman." While this is no mean feat, Grandma Dowdel only gets away with lying because she knows how desperate the reporter is to craft a newsworthy story for the sake of his career.


Later in the book, Joey is horrified when Grandma Dowdel tells Ernie Cowgill he's part of a Chicago gang and "meaner than he looks." After all, Ernie, although the smallest of his brothers, is still an intimidating figure, and Joey is afraid of the repercussions that may result from Grandma's lies. Grandma Dowdel is unperturbed. She insists she only lied to protect Joey and since Ernie Cowgill is only in the fourth grade (despite being almost sixteen), he'll believe anything he hears. The implication is that Ernie is too unintelligent to comprehend she lied to him.


Grandma Dowdel gets away with lying by shrewdly assessing the nature of her victims and using others' perception of her to her advantage.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

How does Anne get along with her teachers?

Anne seems to get along well with her teachers. Her attitude at the beginning of her diary, though sprinkled with a bit of adolescent angst and annoyances, is generally good-natured and she seems to have that attitude in interactions with her teachers. 


The main story she tells involving a teacher is when Mr. Keesing, aggravated by Anne's incessant talking during class, assigns her a series of essays as punishment. Rather than complaining about it or just writing big to fill up the three pages quickly, Anne considers the "convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking" (pg 11). While Mr. Keesing finds her essay amusing, she continues to talk and gets another essay as punishment, which she writes. The third time, an exasperated Mr. Keesing assigns Anne an essay entitled, "Quack, Quack, Quack," Went Mistress Chatterbox."


Again, Anne shows her good humor and ability to joke with her teachers, writing a story about a family of ducks in verse with her friends. Mr. Keesing can take a joke too, and reads some of it out loud. 


Another small mention Anne makes is of Mrs. Kuperus, the principal and Anne's 6th grade teacher at her Montessori nursery school. Anne says they "were both in tears as [they] said a heart-breaking farewell" (pg 7) when Anne was accepted to the Jewish Lyceum.


Judging from these anecdotes, Anne gets along very well with her teachers.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

What is the difference between metaphase I and metaphase II?

During metaphase I of meiosis, chromosome tetrads line up along the middle of the cell. In other words, during metaphase I of meiosis, the chromosome tetrads line up along the metaphase plate. During metaphase II of meiosis, the replicated chromosomes line up along the metaphase plate.


Meiosis is a type of cell division that results in sex cells (also known as gametes). During meiosis, one parent cell is divided into four gametes. This is made possible because there are two rounds of division that occur during meiosis. However, the genetic material of the parent cell is only replicated once. Thus, the four gametes that result only have half of the genetic material that the parent cell has. In other words, meiosis results in four haploid gametes.

Friday, February 20, 2009

What does the motto over the Palace of the World Council suggest about what is valued in this society?

Ayn Rand's novella Anthem introduces the reader to what she calls a Collectivist society. This society that she creates in the story is based on the direction that she felt society was heading when she wrote it in 1937. In the Author's Foreward from the Student Centennial Edition (circa 1946), she says she believes that most of society already is as she portrays it in Anthem. Rand was against this type of society and wrote these stories to show how society infringes on the rights of the individual. Hence, the motto on the Palace of the World Council (probably representative to the League of Nations from Rand's time) represents that Collectivist thought. It states the following:



"We are one in all and all in one.


There are no men but only the great WE,


One, indivisible and forever" (19).



The first line means that every individual lives for the community. No one lives for his or her own goals. The goals are all about everyone existing for the whole. The second line verifies that by saying that an individual man does not exist except for being a part of the community. Along with that existence comes the duty to serve the community before oneself. Finally, the third line suggests that the community should not divide itself and they plan on living this way forever.

How did political bosses justify their graft?

There was corruption associated with political machines and with political bosses. The political bosses found ways to justify this graft or corruption.


The political machine formed because the local government wasn’t able to meet the needs of the people living in the cities. People, especially immigrants, were having a difficult time finding jobs, paying bills, getting medical care, and making ends meet. The local government wasn’t able to meet the needs of the people, so the political machines stepped in to do this.


The bosses justified their corruption because they believed they were helping the people in the cities meet their needs. There was a cost associated with providing medical care, providing jobs, and helping people pay their bills. The bosses believed that some of the money they received through corrupt actions was going to help those people in need. They also felt there was nothing wrong in asking for votes from the people whom they helped. They believed this was the way the people who received assistance could repay the bosses and the political machine for the help they received.


The political machines and the bosses were corrupt. However, they were able to justify their corruption by helping people who needed various forms of assistance.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

In Chapter Three of Animal Farm by George Orwell, how do certain events suggest to the reader that the rebellion will not work out as well as it...

Soon after the animals of Animal Farm get rid of Farmer Jones and take over the farm for themselves, they begin to run the farm quite well. As a matter of fact, they bring in the harvest faster and better than they had ever done under Jones. However, some of the animals also start to notice a few things that foreshadow for the reader what is to come. For one, the milk starts disappearing, and for another, the windfall of early apples from the trees also disappears. The animals had thought they would all share in the apples, and suddenly they were gone.


They soon find out that the pigs have taken both the milk and the apples for themselves. When questioned, Squealer tells the other animals that the pigs need apples and milk because they are "brainworkers," and it's important for everyone that they are properly nourished.


At this early point in the book, the pigs are already setting themselves above the other animals--something that should not have happened when "All animals are equal." (Orwell 43)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Where are each of the 4 macromolecules found in a cell?

The four macromolecules are nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins.


Nucleic acids refer to DNA and RNA. In eukaryotic cells, the majority of DNA is found in the nucleus, with a small amount of mitochondrial DNA in the mitochondria. RNA is found in the nucleus as it is first transcribed, in the cytoplasm where it can be translated, and also in the mitochondria as it is transcribed from mitochondrial DNA. Prokaryotic cells such as bacteria do not have nuclei, and nucleic acids are found in the cytoplasm.


Lipids make up the membranes in the cell. This includes the plasma membrane as well as organelle membranes.


Carbohydrates such as sugars are energy sources and are found in the cytoplasm. Glucose, for example, is metabolized in the mitrochondria to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Carbohydrates also make up the backbone of nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are often covalently linked to lipids or proteins in the plasma membrane, and function mainly for cell recognition.


Lastly, proteins are important for both the structure and function of cells and are found in almost all parts of the cell. Proteins such as actin and myosin make up the cytoskeleton for cell support and are found in the cytoplasm. There are proteins in the nucleic responsible for DNA condensation, replication, and transcription. Degrading enzymes in lysosomes are responsible for digesting macromolecules. Ribosomes, which are made of proteins, reside in the cytoplasm and translate RNA to protein. Proteins are also present as receptors and channels on the plasma membrane to allow for selective passage of molecules into the cell.

What can you say about the story of The Lady or the Tiger?

Many readers find the short story, “The Lady or the Tiger”, maddening because of the unresolved ending.  My students would always react with, “What?!?” We are not used to stories and movies not tied up neatly at the end, and it can be frustrating to us as readers. We want to know whether the Princess signaled her lover to choose the door with the tiger or the door with the beautiful lady!  However, I think you need to analyze why Frank Stockton might have written the story in the first place.  It is a tale of morality that lends itself to discussion on what is right and what is wrong.  The right thing would be for the Princess to signal to her lover the door with the beautiful woman, thus saving his life.  However, the Princess is “semi-barbaric” which suggests she would rather see her lover die than give him to another woman.   The story asks the reader to find context clues and to speculate about the Princess’ motivation and intentions.  As we interact with the text, we analyze character and motive. I think this is what Frank Stockton wanted his readers to do.


So, I think what you can say about the story is that although frustrating, it does lend itself to debate and the search for what is right.  We will never know that the outcome of the story is, so we might as well enjoy it as a vehicle to discover our own morality.

Monday, February 16, 2009

What is the argument in George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant"?

While the short one- or two-page essays you are expected to write in introductory writing classes are expected to have a singular argument, George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" is a longer, more complex work attempting to portray the experience of being a colonial policeman in Burma. Generally, the essay argues that the effect of colonialism is to demoralize and brutalize both the British and the natives, but it also makes important points about how mob pressure can make one act against one's best judgment and how fear can lead to mob hysteria.


For the British, to control a large native populace despite being outnumbered, they felt that they constantly needed to project an image of strength. This meant always appearing to act decisively and with what appeared efficiency bordering on brutality. Orwell himself, young and insecure, would have preferred a more moderate and reflective approach but caves in to the way the people expect him to act and is ashamed of it. He suspects that the outward appearance of strength often is grounded in inner weakness and is ashamed when his fellow policemen compliment him on killing (slowly and painfully) a harmless and innocent creature, concluding:



I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.


What are the pros and cons of election of judges by legislature?

When it comes to the appointment process of a Federal Court Judges there appear to be few defensible arguments in favor of the current process. With the only pro to the process being the ability to "vet" the potential nominee, which can also be done by a committee of Federal Administrators, ultimately it seems the Cons outweigh the Pros in this political process, as outlined below.


What makes a good judge? Is it being impartial, unbiased and immovable by the politics of the age? Is it age and wisdom? Or is it a concept of justice that must be preserved rather than a focus on conflicts of interest? There seem to be many traits to which a judge must possess. It is quite clear however that one trait rises above the rest that a judge, let alone a Supreme Court Justice must observe and abide by. This trait, as well stated by Caroline Kennedy is a judiciary that is independent from political thought, and the political positions of the age. In other words, a Supreme Court Justice is required to place their politics, biases, religion or any sort of personal characteristic out of their decision-making, and rule simply in defense of justice and the Constitution of the United States of America. However as time is passing it is becoming quite apparent that this is no longer the practice, or within the capabilities of Supreme Court Justices, with politics sprouting up all over the courtroom.


It seems in today’s United States Supreme Court decisions are being made along party lines, which is not only undemocratic by eliminating the checks and balances foundation, but also unconstitutional in nature completely, the question is, how has it reached this point? Simply put, the Constitution of the United States made it that way.  The President of the United States under Article II Section III of the United States Constitution, “The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.” In other words, the President of the United States has the power to appoint whomever he sees fit to the Supreme Court when there is a vacancy. The implications of this seem to be clear, the President therefore will almost always appoint a Justice to the Supreme Court that is sympathetic to his cause, or at least share the same political affiliation. This will ultimately lead to the following, when a piece of legislation reaches the floor of the Supreme Court, the Justices that have been appointed by the current President of the United States, or at least a President from the same political party, will act in accordance with this party, therefore in favor of the bill.


This has most recently been seen in a case that was presented to the Supreme Court’s floor in 2001, when the New York Times filed a lawsuit against the Electoral College electors from the state of Texas for casting their votes for then President George W. Bush during the 2000 Presidential Elections. Electors that sit on the Electoral College are not allowed to cast their votes for a candidate from their own state, however, each of the Electoral College electors from Texas cast their votes for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Now it would seem as though this would be a clear-cut case for the Supreme Court, considering the acts of the Texas Electors were blatantly unconstitutional. However that is not exactly how it turned out. President George W. Bush before this controversy emerged on the floor of the Supreme Court appointed a Supreme Court Justice who was confirmed one month prior.


Now when this case that should have had a clear ruling from the start emerged on the floor of the Supreme Court, this Justice as well as Justice Samuel Alito (also put in place by George W. Bush), turned the tables ruling in favor of the President. Now why would these individuals perform such an act? It seems quite clear, these justices were put in power by the President, therefore were loyal to him, as well as shared his political agenda, therefore proving that their decision to rule against the constitution and for a politician was not in defense of the Constitution they hold so dear, but in defense of their political ideology. Levinson writes on this very issue in his work stating, “There is no way, nor should there be a way, to prevent politics from playing an important role at the nomination and confirmation stages, at least so long as we place nomination in the hands of a politically sensitive President, and confirmation in the hands of an equally attuned Senate.”


Now I would tend to agree with Levinson’s statement. There does not seem to be a way to eliminate political ideology from the appointment process of Supreme Court Justices, however what Levinson fails to consider is the consequences of this rationale. If politics and political bias is used as a standard against which to measure the capability and compatibility of Supreme Court nominees then the entire concept of a Supreme Court falls. Why not merely elect a cohort of lawyers every few years to deliberate on the very issues that fall upon the Supreme Court’s shoulders? It seems that the Supreme Court of the United States, from it’s beginning, was slowly drifting away from its intended responsibilities, that being to provide unbiased, unhindered, protection of the United States Constitution, all due to Article II, Section III that gave the power to a politician to select those that oversee justice.


Source: Levinson, Sanford (2006-09-28). Our Undemocratic Constitution:Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It.) 

Upon entering the Promised Land, the people expected to enjoy ________, the deep peace of God.

The Hebrew term Shalom is often used to refer to the peace of God. It is a polysemous word, used in many different contexts with different connotations. It can be used as a greeting, in places where one would say "hello" or "goodbye" in English, and is the root of the custom practiced in many churches of "exchanging the peace", and in English liturgy is often translated as "the peace of the Lord."


The term shalom can refer to two different types of peace, that among humans (in contrast to war) and that between God and humans, in the sense of reconciliation and forgiveness. It refers to a state of wholeness, and spiritual well-being, as opposed to material prosperity. 


The "Promised Land" is mentioned is several of the books of the Old Testament, as a place given by God to the Israelites, where they could cease their wandering and live in peace. 

What is the principal of reversibility?

Principle of reversibiity is commonly used in reference to light. It simply states that if the path of travel of light is reversed, it will retrace its path. In other words, it will follow the same path when it was incident on the surface (or interface). Imagine what happens when we try to take our own picture using a camera or a mobile phone (with its main camera, that is, rear camera) by standing in front of a (plain) mirror. If a flash is used, the light from the flash will be reflected by on its own path and onto the flash itself, and that is why the flash is never clearly seen in such pictures. One can simply stand in front of a plane mirror with a small torch and see the light reflected back onto itself, thus demonstrating the principle of reversibility. 


Hope this helps. 

What is going on in the human realm in Act I Scene 1 of Macbeth?

All we can tell of the human realm from the witches' first meeting is that a battle is going on. The witches agree to meet when the "hurly-burly's done/when the battle is lost and won." They say that they will meet with Macbeth, and we can tell as they chant "what's foul is fair" that they do not mean well. In the second scene, we learn that the battle in question is the result of a rebellion against King Duncan by traitorous nobles named Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor as well as an invasion by the King of Norway. Macbeth emerges as the King's preeminent defender, killing Macdonwald and leading his forces to victory. After the battle, the witches reveal to Macbeth that he will become King of Scotland, setting in motion a tragic train of events that result in the deaths of almost all of the play's major characters.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

What distance does a photon of violet light travel in 4.20 ns?

In the vacuum the speed of light is the same, for all colors that are part of the white light. However each color differs by its value of frequency and wavelength.


The color violet is the component of white light with greater frequency and lower wavelength within the spectrum of visible light. A photon of light violet has the following values for the frequency and wavelength:


f = 7.5*10^14 s^-1


λ = 0.4*10^-6 m


According to these values, the speed of a photon of violet light in vacuum is:


v = λ*f = (0.4*10^-6)(7.5*10^14)


v = 3*10^8 m/s


So, from the equation for the speed we can find the distance d, traveled by the photon during 4.2 ns:


v = d/t   →  d = v*t


d = (3*10^8)(4.2*10-9)


d = 12.6*10^-1 = 1.26 m

On January 8th of this year Bobby Fischer won the U.S chess championship for the first time. He was only 14 years old. During that same year he...

Let the year be represented by abcd where a is in the thousands place, b is in the hundreds place, c in the tens place and d in the units place.


We are given that bxd=72 (hundreds digit times unit digit is 72). And we are given that the hundreds digit is 1 more than the units digit so b=d+1. Then b=9 and d=8. (You can get this by guess and check: 5x4=20,6x5=30,...,8x7=56,9x8=72) or if you have algebra:


d(d+1)=72 ==> d^2+d-72=0 ==> (d+9)(d-8)=0 ==> d=8 (since d>0)


Also c=5 since the number of sides of a pentagon is 5.


The sum of the digits is one less than 2 dozen or 24-1=23.


So a+b+c+d=a+9+5+8=23 ==> a=1


The year was 1958

What is Atticus trying to teach Scout when he tells her to step in another person's shoes?

Scout had a terrible first day of school.  Due to a misunderstanding, her teacher had punished her.  Scout had been shocked when "Miss Caroline picked up her ruler, gave [her] half a dozen quick little pats, then told [her] to stand in the corner" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).  Scout was upset and embarrassed after this experience.  


Later, Scout told her father about the incident.  She begged her father to keep her home instead of sending her back to school.  Instead of keeping her home, Atticus spoke words of wisdom to his daughter:



"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view" (Chapter 3).



Atticus was trying to teach his daughter empathy, but Scout did not understand exactly what her father meant by his advice.  He explained that Miss Caroline was new to Maycomb.  She was not accustomed to their ways.  It would take her time to learn, and until then he suggested that Scout be understanding.  Atticus told his daughter that if she put herself in Miss Caroline's shoes, she would see that the teacher had punished Scout due to a mistake.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

What literary devices are used in "Thank You, M'am"?

Literary devices are the tools an author uses--such as foreshadowing, imagery, hyperbole, characterization, and metaphor, to name a few--that provide the reader with details and bring the text to life.


In "Thank You, M'am" Hughes expertly uses many literary devices to capture the encounter between Roger and Mrs. Jones.


To bring the characters immediately to life and engage us in the story, Hughes starts the story with a characterization and conflict. Woven together in the first paragraph of the story, these devices invite us quickly into the world of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.



"She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails. It had a long strap, and she carried it slung across her shoulder. It was about eleven o'clock at night, and she was walking alone..."



In these words Hughes provides a brief but effective characterization of Mrs. Jones as a powerful, imposing, and fearless figure. Right away the author moves on to create a conflict when Roger dares to try and steal Mrs. Jones' purse, a device that draws the reader in, engaging him or her with the characters.


Lastly, along with characterization and conflict in the first paragraph of the story, the author provides the reader with effective imagery. The scene in which Roger attempts to take Mrs. Jones' purse is so graphically described that the reader immediately paints a picture of the confrontation in his or her mind.



"The strap broke with the single tug that the boy gave it from behind. But the boy's weight and the weight of the purse combined caused him to lose his balance...the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up."



Throughout the remainder of the story, Hughes effectively uses other literary devices that allow the reader to effectively experience Roger's encounter with Mrs. Jones.

Friday, February 13, 2009

How many of Odysseus' men did Charybdis kill?

Odysseus faced a number of frightful monsters during his wanderings. One particularly scary monster was the whirlpool (or sea monster) Charybdis, the daughter of Poseidon. Charybdis does not kill any of Odysseus' men--at least not directly. However, at one point Odysseus must traverse the narrow strait between Charybdis and Scylla, a six-headed sea monster. The strait is not large enough to avoid both hazards. Under advice from Circe, Odysseus opts to avoid Charybdis and travel by Scylla. Each of Scylla's heads snaps up one of Odysseus' men, six in all. Thus Charybdis did not physically kill any of Odysseus' men, but her presence led to the death of the six sailors Scylla killed.


For more information, consult this website, which reprints the passages from the Odyssey which reference Charybdis. 

What human rights did Stalin violate?

Stalin violated many human rights.  He needlessly executed top generals out of fear that they would become more powerful and more beloved than him.  He occupied Eastern Europe after WWII and cracked down on anyone professing a religion.  He signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler in 1939 and divided Poland.  Perhaps the greatest human rights violation in the history of Europe was the Holodomor, an artificially created famine in Ukraine and the Northern Caucasus so that Stalin could export food to the rest of the world while his own people starved.  Stalin collectivized farms in Ukraine and when the farmers resisted (it reminded them too much of serfdom), Stalin ordered the leading farmers, intelligentsia, and religious leaders rounded up, tried before sham trials, and shot.  Stalin ordered government officials to confiscate food to send to the Russian state even if it meant taking away Ukrainians' draft animals and seed stock.  Stalin exported much of this food around the world so that he could boast the success of the Communist state.  Over two million people were known to have died in the Holodomor.  

How does the theme of self-discovery play out in the narrative of Gail Godwin's "A Sorrowful Woman"?

One might argue that the theme of self-discovery in Gail Godwin's short story "A Sorrowful Woman" plays out as the young woman breaks ties with the obligations society has imposed on her to be a wife and mother. As she breaks ties with her obligations, she discovers she wants nothing more than independence.

As the story progresses, the young woman feels more and more that she is sick of the presence of both her three-year-old son and her husband. Her husband very lovingly understands and treats her as a woman who is ill. Each night, he gives her a sleeping draught and takes upon himself more and more of her responsibilities during the day. When she grows sick of the nanny they hire to care for the boy, he even takes on the role of a single working father.

At first, the young woman is content just to see her son very little. The nanny brings him into her bedroom to see her for a short time only twice a day. Her husband pays courtship to her by frequently inviting her out to dinner. But, soon, she grows even more distant from both her son and her husband. She even moves out of their bedroom and into the room that had been occupied by the nanny. Her growing distance from her husband and son are evidence that, as she phrases it, "I'm not myself anymore." If she feels she is no longer herself, then she is at a state in which she must discover a new self, which illustrates the theme of self-discovery.

In the nanny's room, she begins to explore new selves by staring out the window, seeing new things, reading new books, writing poetry, and behaving at times as the nanny had behaved in the room. The narrator describes her exploration of new selves in the following:



All day long she stayed in the white room. She was a young queen, a virgin in a tower, she was the previous inhabitant, the girl with all the energies. She tried these personalities on like costumes, then discarded them.



As she continues to explore new selves, she grows distant from her husband and son to the point that she no longer sees them at all and only accepts notes from them. Her exploration of selves and continued distance from her husband and son shows that her only desire is to rid herself of her obligations imposed on her by society and to be what she wants to be--independent. At one point, in secret, while her family is out, she returns to performing the obligations society has imposed on her by baking, cooking, knitting, and doing the laundry; but doing these things displeases her so much that she commits suicide. Her suicide further demonstrates that it was her discovery of new selves not imposed on her by society that kept her alive.

Describe Robert’s experiences with women. Why was he devastated by his divorce? How has Frances affected his life? How has their relationship...

Robert Cohn is one of the main characters in Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, about expatriates living in Europe after World I. The narrator of the novel, Jake Barnes, spends several pages at the beginning of the book discussing Cohn. They are tennis pals and both are writers. Barnes suggests that while Cohn can be annoying he likes him. In reality, however, Cohn is Barnes' opposite and displays characteristics which Hemingway despised. 


Cohn went to Princeton and, even though he was a boxing champion and came from a wealthy family, he was the victim of prejudice because he was Jewish. We get the feeling that for most of his life Cohn did things more out of duty than because he wanted to. He is a man who seems to lack the ability to act or make up his mind. About boxing, Barnes says,



He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton.



He enters a marriage to "the first girl who was nice to him." He's married five years and though he is unhappy and ready to end the marriage his wife beats him to it and divorces him, going off with another man. But rather than strike off on his own he falls into a relationship with another woman, Frances, who dominates him and hopes to rope him into marriage even though "her looks were going." Barnes comments on the control the woman has over Cohn:



I watched him walking back to the café holding his paper. I rather liked him and evidently she led him quite a life.



A drastic change comes over Cohn after he has his novel accepted by "a fairly good publisher" and "several women were nice to him." For Barnes the change in Cohn is not a good one. Cohn becomes arrogant and suddenly thinks, after reading a book about "splendid imaginary amorous adventures," that he has something to prove. Before his novel, Cohn had been only slightly annoying, but later he becomes insufferable.


After a weekend with Lady Brett Ashley, Cohn crashes the party in Pamplona, even though Brett is there with her fiancé, Mike Campbell. For Cohn, Brett is obviously the first woman he ever loved, and his new found confidence gives him the idea that someone like Brett could actually love him. When Brett spurns him for the bullfighter Pedro Romero, he turns violent, taking on Barnes, Campbell, Bill Gorton and badly beating Romero on the eve of his appearance in the ring.


In the end, Cohn is a pathetic figure. When we last see him he is sitting on the bed in the Pamplona hotel vociferously apologizing to Barnes over punching him. He has let every woman in his life control him. Not only does Brett control him, but she also makes a terrible fool of him. He is completely antithetical to Barnes, who avoids letting Brett control him, despite the fact he is obviously madly in love with her.  

What is your response to the story "The Monkey's Paw"?

In the 1902 short story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, a sergeant comes to visit the home of the White family—mother, father, and son—and brings with him a monkey’s paw that has the power to grant its owner three wishes, but warns the family against using the monkey’s paw and pleads with them to destroy it. However, they decide to take a risk instead, and the son tells his father to wish for two hundred pounds; the father obeys. At first, nothing happens except for a loud crash when the wish is made, but the following day a messenger comes to the house to inform the White family that their son was killed at work by the machinery and the company will compensate them for their loss with a sum of two hundred pounds. In the following days, Mr. and Mrs. White attempt to deal with their grief, but when Mrs. White can no longer handle it she insists that her husband use another wish to wish their son alive again. Against his will he does, but as his wife runs down to answer a knock at the door, out of fear for what creature will have returned, Mr. White makes his third and final wish and the knocking stops.   


One of the most interesting aspects of the story is the dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows, or has an idea, of what is going to happen but the characters do not. It creates tension and suspense for the reader, keeping us engaged. The dramatic irony of this story is that the reader knows even before it happens that the White family will use the monkey’s paw to make a wish and something terrible will happen, though the reader does not know exactly what. We know this from early on when the sergeant warns the White family that the paw will bring sorrow. On page two the sergeant says to them, “‘If you keep [the monkey’s paw], don’t blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again, like a sensible man,’” and then Mr. White asks for an explanation on how to make the wishes. This scene is crucial because of course the reader knows that the family is going to use the monkey’s paw, otherwise there would not be a story to tell, and the reader is waiting to see what exactly the terrible consequences will be.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

In The Ransom of Red Chief, Bill and his friend would think several times before attempting another kidnap. Why ?

The petty criminals Sam and Bill in O. Henry's humorous story "The Ransom of Red Chief" bit off more than they could chew when they kidnapped Ebenezer Dorset's son, a.k.a. Red Chief. The fact is, the kidnapping took its toll on them physically, mentally/emotionally, and financially. Bill in particular suffered physically at Red Chief's hands (and feet and mouth). He had bruises on his lower legs from being kicked, he had a swollen area behind his left ear from being hit by a rock Red Chief threw, and he had several bites on his hands, not to mention he hadn't slept for over 24 hours. Emotionally Bill was humiliated, terrorized, lost his nerve, and was pestered to distraction by incessant questioning and blather from the boy. His "spirit was broken." Mentally, he was in such a state that Sam feared for his mind. Sam himself, though he wouldn't admit it, was afraid of being burned at the stake at dawn. In the end, instead of gaining the $2500 they hoped to extort from Dorset, they ended up paying him $250 to take his boy back. So for their own physical, mental, and financial health, the men will think very seriously before they attempt another kidnap. 

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

`int_1^(sqrt(3)) arctan(1/x) dx` Evaluate the integral

`int_1^sqrt(3)arctan(1/x)dx` 


If f(x) and g(x) are differentiable functions, then


`intf(x)g'(x)dx=f(x)g(x)-intf'(x)g(x)dx`


If we write f(x)=u and g'(x)=v, then


`intuvdx=uintvdx-int(u'intvdx)dx`


Using the above method of integration by parts,


`intarctan(1/x)dx=arctan(1/x)*int1dx-int(d/dx(arctan(1/x)int1dx)dx`


`=arctan(1/x)*x-int(1/(1+(1/x)^2)*d/dx(1/x)int1dx)dx`


`=xarctan(1/x)-int(x^2/(x^2+1)*(-1x^-2)*x)dx`


`=xarctan(1/x)+intx/(x^2+1)dx`


Now let's evaluate `intx/(x^2+1)dx`


substitute `t=x^2+1,=>dt=2xdx`


`intx/(x^2+1)dx=intdt/(2t)`


`=1/2ln|t|`


substitute back `t=x^2+1`


`=1/2ln|x^2+1|`


`intarctan(1/x)dx=xarctan(1/x)+1/2ln|x^2+1|+C`


C is a constant


Now evaluate the definite integral,


`int_1^sqrt(3)arctan(1/x)dx=[xarctan(1/x)+1/2ln|x^2+1|]_1^sqrt(3)`


`=[sqrt(3)arctan(1/sqrt(3))+1/2ln(3+1)]-[1arctan(1/1)+1/2ln(1+1)]`


`=[sqrt(3)pi/6+1/2ln(4)]-[pi/4+1/2ln2]`


`=[sqrt(3)pi/6+1/2ln(2^2)]-[pi/4+1/2ln(2)]`


`=(sqrt(3)pi/6+ln(2)-pi/4-1/2ln(2))`


`=(sqrt(3)pi/6-pi/4+1/2ln(2))`


`=(2sqrt(3)-3)pi/12+1/2ln(2)`

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Write a structural equation to show what happens to ethanol when it is warmed with potassium dichromate.

When ethanol is heated with potassium dichromate (acidified with dilute sulfuric acid), the dichromate oxidizes the ethanol to ethanoic acid. The oxidation equation is written as:


`C_2H_5OH + H_2O -> CH_3COOH + 4H^+ + 4e^-`


Here, the ethanol gets converted to ethanoic acid. The reduction half-reaction is written as:


`Cr_2O_7^(2-) + 14H^+ + 6e^(-) -> 2Cr^(3+) + 7H_2O`


Here, dichromate ion is reduced to chromium ion. Combining the two half-reactions (oxidation and reduction), we end up with a well-balanced chemical reaction of ethanol and potassium dichromate.


`3C_2H_5OH + 2Cr_2O_7^(2-) + 16H^+ -> 3CH_3COOH + 4Cr^(3+) + 11H_2O`


This reaction takes place when an excess of potassium dichromate (oxidizing agent) is used and the ethanol is heated. If an excess of alcohol is used, we end up with an aldehyde (`CH_3CHO` ), instead of the carboxylic acid.


Hope this helps. 

Monday, February 9, 2009

Ozone is depleting, that is true, but gasses are free to move. Why don't they cover the hole, and if they are covering, then there will be a change...

The ozone layer is that part of the atmosphere that screens out potentially dangerous radiation from the sun, such as x-rays and gamma rays.  A hole in the ozone layer was discovered, caused by the ozone combining with compounds called "chlorofluorocarbons," or "CFCs", for short.  You are confusing the other gases in the atmosphere with the chemical makeup of ozone.  Yes, there are other gases in the atmosphere, such as oxygen that we breathe, but the chemical makeup is totally different.  Oxygen we breathe, also called diatomic oxygen, is O2 (two atoms of oxygen), whereas ozone is O3 (three atoms of oxygen).  So it is not as simple as allowing the regular oxygen to drift in and fill in the hole.  It is doing that already, but diatomic oxygen does not have the same properties as ozone, so it does not serve the same function.  A reduction in the amount of CFC's being released into the atmosphere project to have the ozone layer hole being repaired in about fifty years.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

What is the narrative technique in The Necklace?

The narrative technique in the short story "The Necklace" is a third person omniscient point of view or perspective. This is an appropriate technique since Madame Loisel nor her husband would be reliable narrators. The third person omniscient narrator knows all and shares what the characters are thinking and feeling. This narrative technique allows the reader to know exactly how Madame Loisel truly feels. Using this narrative technique helps the reader see that Madame Loisel is humiliated about her station in life. She is angry because she feels she was born for the finer things in life. Truly, this narrative technique is used to express the emotions that both Madame Loisel and her husband feel. While she is depressed and very unhappy, her husband tries so hard to make her happy. He does not have the prestige and high ranking wealthy reputation that Mathilde so desires. He does not have the financial status that Mathilde so desires. She longs for a wealthy, luxurious lifestyle. The narrative technique is craftily used to help the reader get into the minds and hearts of the characters. In this technique, the reader can form an opinion that is based on the inner turmoil that Madame Loisel experiences due to not having expensive jewelry, fine clothes and a mansion. The reader can see that Madame Loisel feels life has been unjust to her. At the same time, this narrative technique shows the reader that Madame Loisel is truly missing out on what is really important in life. The reader is relieved that Mathilde learns this lesson even if it is learned the hard way. The third person omniscient point of view is a narrative technique that allows the reader to travel on Madame Loisel's journey as she goes from being extremely unhappy to a lady who is finally "decently content" with the life she was born to live.         

If increased prices cause demand to fall, why then is art painted by famous artists so expensive and in great demand? Does this law apply to all...

This is a great question!  I think the answer to it lies in the uniqueness of works of art and in the supply side of analysis. I also think that there are some psychological principles involved.  Let's look at why art is different from most other goods and services.


Most of what we buy is certainly price sensitive, and this is because much of what we buy is what economics calls substitute goods. This means that one good can easily be substituted for another.  For example, if one brand of coffee goes up in price, I am likely to simply switch brands, without really suffering at all.  If I want to use a tax service, if one is higher than the other, I will go for the lower-priced one, and there really won't be an appreciable difference.  In a capitalistic economy, we all have plenty of choices for most things, and we exercise those choices to at least some degree based on their price depending on how elastic (very elastic, substitutes are readily chosen) or inelastic (inelastic, substitutes reluctantly chosen) they are.


However, art is not like that, is it?  If I want a Monet, a cheaper Picasso is not going to do.  Once you are in a largely aesthetic realm, goods are far more inelastic (substitutes chosen/ accepted extremely reluctantly) than in other markets in part because of the complex mechanism that attributes value to works of art.  Art collectors are not going to be content to substitute one work of art for another.  Art buyers are not shopping around for substitutes in the highly inelastic art market.  Since each work of art is unique, the normal economic principles of price and demand do not apply. 


There are also limitations on the artist's ability to provide a supply of artwork.  For artists who are gone, of course, there are only those works that were created in their lifetimes available today.  There will be no more Monets or Picassos.  This limited supply drives up the price, particularly as serendipitous discoveries of lost works dwindle in today's world, which seems to have few surprises left in people's attics or basements.  For living artists, though, the argument still holds true, that their production capabilities are finite. If it is fine art and not mass-produced, an artist can paint only so many paintings or create only so many sculptures.  So, across the board, there is a finite supply of art, far more finite than the supply of coffee or tax services.  We know that a limited supply of anything--a scarcity of any good--drives up the price of the good, and so the normal dynamics of scarcity on the supply side of economic theory applies.


Another aspect of this that occurs to me is that this is in some ways a behavioral economics question. Behavioral economics is a discipline that looks at the intersection between psychology and economics.  If you know anyone who collects art or read any articles about art collectors, you will know that for some, there is something compulsive about the behavior. People will bid at an auction for a work of art not simply because they want the artwork, but also because they are caught up in winning at auction.  They will often spend far more than they intended to.  Auction houses encourage this by marketing their auctions with great deliberateness and by procuring what it at the "top" of the current collector's market.


As someone who teaches economics, I do think there are economic explanations for the phenomenon you speak of. But I also think that economics in and of itself does not always account for everything.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

What are the characteristics of an autobiography?

A biography is the true story of a person's life. An autobiography is the true story of a person's life when it is written by that person. The author writes about him- or herself in an autobiography. Autobiographies are typically written in the first person because of this.


Like a biography, an autobiography usually tells about the important events in a person's life in chronological order. Important details can include places where the author has lived, important people in the author's life, and life-changing events that the author experienced. When an autobiography is told in chronological order, the author usually writes about the circumstances of their birth, childhood experiences, and educational background. Anecdotes about these life stages and experiences are common.  


Autobiographies are often about people who have achieved some level of fame. In this case, parts of the autobiography would explain the author's rise or journey to fame. The author's career is usually discussed, as is if they married or had children. Some autobiographies are written by young adults, while others are written later in life. For example, Helen Keller wrote her autobiography, The Story of My Life, when she was a student in college. She went on to live for over fifty years after her autobiography was published.

Friday, February 6, 2009

`int_0^(1/2) x cos(pi x) dx` Evaluate the integral

You need to solve the integral `int_0^(1/2) (x) cos (pi*x) dx` , hence, you need to use substitution `pi*x = t => pi*dx = dt => dx = (dt)/(pi)`


`int x*cos (pi*x) dx = 1/(pi^2) int t*cos t`


You need to use the integration by parts for `int t*cos t`   such that:


`int udv = uv - int vdu`


`u = t => du = dt`


`dv =cos t=>v =sin t`


`int t*cos t = t*sin t- int sin t dt`


`1/(pi^2) int t*cos t = 1/(pi^2)(t*sin t +cos t) + c`


Replacing back the variable yields:


`int x*cos (pi*x) dx = 1/(pi^2)(pi*x*sin(pi*x) +cos (pi*x)) + c`


Using the fundamental theorem of calculus, yields:


`int_0^(1/2) (x)cos (pi*x) dx = 1/(pi^2)(pi*(1/2)*sin(pi/2) +cos (pi/2) - 0*sin 0 - cos 0)`


`int_0^(1/2) (x)cos (pi*x) dx = 1/(pi^2)(pi/2 - 1)`


Hence, evaluating the integral, using  integration by parts, yields `int_0^(1/2) (x)cos (pi*x) dx = 1/(pi^2)(pi/2 - 1).`

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Where does Crispin go immediately after Bear is captured?

While Bear and Crispin are visiting Great Wexley, Bear attends a gathering of people who want to start a rebellion against the king. Crispin eavesdrops on their meeting from a garden, where he sees John Aycliffe and a number of guards approaching. Crispin is able to warn Bear and his companions that they are about to be disrupted and many of them are able to scatter, but Bear is captured. Crispin is frightened but decides to try and follow Bear and his captors to see if he can intervene. He tracks them to the town center and witnesses Bear being dragged into Lord Furnival's Palace. When Crispin realizes he cannot help Bear at this time, he returns to the room at the Green Man tavern to think. He soon hears crashing, banging, and screams from downstairs and takes refuge in a crawl space behind the wall.

How do you get rid of scars?

A scar results whenever the skin is cut or damaged through its full thickness. A scar can be made less visible by reducing its size or changing its appearance, but it is almost impossible to remove it completely without leaving any mark.


The method of treating a scar would depend on the type of scar, the scar's location, its size, the depth of the cut which created the scar, and the person's age, ethnicity, and genetic disposition.


Keloid scars commonly occur among people of dark skin and they result from an unduly aggressive healing process. They tend to extend beyond the boundaries of the injury. They can be removed surgically, but this must be combined with injection of corticosteroids at the site of the removal to prevent recurrence.


Keloids can also be flatted with silicon sheets. If the keloid is a small one, it can be treated with cryotherapy, a form of freezing therapy that uses liquid nitrogen.


Hypertrophic scars are similar to keloids but do not extend beyond the boundary of the injury. They can also be treated by the administration of corticosteroid injections or flattened with silicon sheets. If treated surgically, hypertrophic scars may leave a new scar which may be worse after the surgery.


Severe acne can leave a scar which may be angular or wave like in appearance. A doctor would need to evaluate the scar carefully to determine treatment options. Similarly, contracture scars require a doctor's careful evaluation because the scars may have affected deeper structures such as muscles and nerves and could have impaired or restricted movements.


Other methods such as laser therapy, injection of dermal fillers, and skin needling may yield results that vary considerably in efficacy. The benefits of these options should be discussed with qualified medical specialists before considering them. Low-dose superficial radiotherapy is reserved for the most serious cases of hypertrophic and keloid scars after surgery.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What is the plot of "The Sniper" by Liam O’Flaherty?

"The Sniper" by Liam O’Flaherty is a short story published in 1923 and set in Dublin during the Battle of Dublin, when the Irish were attempting to free themselves of English rule. The story is told in the third person by a limited narrator who has access to the thoughts, actions, and feelings of the sniper of the title. 


The sniper is sitting on a roof searching for targets. He realizes that an enemy sniper is aware of his position, which he gave away by lighting a cigarette. An armored car drives over the bridge and an old lady walks up to the car. He realizes that the old lady is alerting the car's driver to his position and so he kills both the old lady and the British soldiers without remorse. The opposing sniper sees his muzzle flash and shoots his arm. He lures the other sniper out into the open by pretending to be dead and kills the other sniper.


He feels some kinship to the dead sniper, and "he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed". He makes his way to the corpse. The story ends with the line:



Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother's face.


Which poetic devices can be found in the poem "My Life Closed Twice Before its Close" by Emily Dickinson?

In Emily Dickinson's poem "My Life Closed Twice Before its Close," death is used as a metaphor for two events in the narrator's (poet's) life. We are not told what these events are, but they are surely tragic. The narrator feels as if she has died. If you do a bit of research, you will find that Dickinson lost two loved ones within a year of each other, so those losses may have been her inspiration for this poem.


The rhyme scheme in the poem is A, B, C, B in the first stanza and D, E, F, E in the second. This gives the poem a simple rhythm throughout.


Dickinson ponders actual physical death in comparison to the events suffered in life. Notice that the only capitalized word other than the first word in each line, is "Immortality," personifying the end of life or the beginning of what happens next.


Dickinson uses alliteration in the line, "So huge, so hopeless to conceive," repeating both the  primary "s" sound and the secondary "h" sound.


Finally, even the length of the poem may be an abstract allusion to the short time each of us has in this physical life of ours.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

In Things Fall Apart, Achebe includes stories from Igbo culture and tradition, proverbs, and parables. What is the significance of Achebe's...

A major theme of Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart is culture clash, or inter-cultural conflict generated by unprecedented interactions between two cultures. This theme is not only illustrated through the characters, syntax, diction, and plot of Achebe's piece, but also through the construction of the work itself. 


In traditional Western literature, there are certain expectations of the novel as a literary form. Characters and plots are meant to develop in a sure, expected manner; details are meant to be linear, clearly and pointedly developing one after another. 


This is sharply contrasted against Igbo cultural norms, which Achebe represents in his literature. Igbo culture, its proverbs, parables, and traditions, are perceived by Western characters, and indeed by many Western readers, as indirect, unnecessary, and frustrating. 


By integrating Igbo tradition into a Western literary form, Achebe's novel embodies this major theme of his work, culture clash. 

During the groundbreaking ceremony in Hoot, where did the owl land?

In Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot, chapter twenty describes the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Mother Paula's pancake house that is about to be built in Coconut Cove, Florida. The townspeople and the press gather in this chapter as Chuck Muckle and Coconut Cove dignitaries take gold-painted shovels to break ground on the new restaurant. 


Roy tries to prove that owls are living on the property by showing pictures Mullet Fingers took. The pictures are of poor quality, however, and Chuck Muckle claims the picture is a lump of mud, not an owl.  


Mullet Fingers, also known as Napoleon Leep, has buried himself in an owl's burrow to try to stop construction. Beatrice's soccer friends and other students from Trace Middle School join hands in protest of the construction, which would destroy the owls' habitat. Chuck Muckle loses his temper and attacks the rubber snakes Mullet Fingers brought to scare him away. He also attacks a reporter. He is losing control of the publicity of this event, and it causes him to make bad choices. His only goal is to discredit Roy, Beatrice, and Mullet Fingers so the restaurant can be built without challenges. The students have all joined together in defense of the owls. 


On the last page of the chapter, Roy shows Beatrice an owl flying overhead. 



Overhead, a small, dusky-colored bird was flying in marvelous darting corkscrews. Roy and Beatrice watched in delight as it banked lower and lower, finishing with a radical dive toward the burrow at the center of the circle. Everybody whirled to see where the bird had landed. All of the sudden, the singing stopped. There was Mullet Fingers, trying not to giggle, the daredevil owl perched calmly on the crown of his head.



This quote shows where the owl landed at the end of this chapter. The owl landing on Mullet Fingers's head proved the existence of the owls, which put a series of events in motion that eventually permanently stops construction.

Monday, February 2, 2009

What figures of speech does William Wordsworth use in "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways"?

Writers and poets use figures of speech (also referred to as “figurative language”) to make comparisons that convey meaning to their readers. Generally speaking, a figure of speech is a statement that is not literally true; it is “figuratively” true in the sense that it conveys important information. Some common figures of speech are similes, metaphors, symbolism, and personification.


William Wordsworth uses several figures of speech in the poem “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways.” This poem is an elegy (a written or spoken tribute to a deceased person) for a woman named Lucy. It is short, a mere 12 lines, so Wordsworth doesn't tell us much about Lucy. He wants to make us understand that Lucy was beautiful in a unique way, and also that she lived in an out-of-the-way place and did not know many people. He does that in the poem's second stanza, first with this metaphor:



A violet by the mossy stone,


Half hidden from the eye



This metaphor compares Lucy to a violet. The metaphor is appropriate for Wordsworth's intention for several reasons. A violet is a particularly beautiful flower, so the metaphor reflects the speakers opinion of Lucy's beauty. Notice that he doesn't just call her a violet, but he also says that the violet was half-hidden by a mossy stone. Lucy lived in the country and, like this violet, was easy to miss.


The metaphor is immediately followed by this simile:



Fair as a star when only one


is shining in the sky.



Here the speaker again characterizes Lucy as beautiful, this time by comparing her to a star. But this time he emphasizes her uniqueness—she is one of a kind. He asks us to consider how beautiful a star would be if it was the only one in the sky. Like such a solitary star, Lucy is a unique beauty. Perhaps he means that she is the only beauty in that place, or perhaps he means she is beautiful in an unusual way—he doesn't say.


Figures of speech allow writers and poets to express meaning in a memorable, sometimes surprising way. Since we know first hand what a violet and a star are like, the comparisons give us a deeper understanding of Lucy than a simple explanation could.

Why does George say that he and Lennie can't leave yet?

In Chapter 2 Lennie wants to leave because George warns him against Curley who is antagonistic, and about looking at Curley's wife, warning him to avoid her.


With the appearance of Curley in the bunkhouse, tensions are felt by George and Lennie as Curley becomes confrontational to both men when George speaks for Lennie, excusing Lennie as not wishing to talk. 



Curley lashed his body around. "By Christ, he's gotta talk when he's spoke to. What the hell are you gettin' into it for?"



After Curley leaves, Candy describes Curley as always "picking scraps with big guys" to prove his boxing ability and manliness. So, George warns Lennie sternly to stay away from this man who is the boss's son. Shortly after this episode, Curley's wife appears in the bunkhouse doorway, dressed seductively and posing with her body at the entrance. Lennie is immediately taken with her sexuality and prettiness. So, after she departs, George cautions Lennie sternly,



"...keep away from her, 'cause she's a rat-trap if I ever seen one."



All this scolding, disturbs Lennie, who cries out,



"I don't like this place, George. this ain't no good place. I wanna get outa here."



George tells them that they cannot leave after they have just arrived because they need to earn some money:



"We gotta keep it till we get a stake. We can't help it, Lennie. We'll get out jus' as soon as we can. I don't like it no better than you do."



He adds that perhaps they can leave after they accumulate a little savings.

What happened to the characters in "Thank You M'am"?

In the story "Thank You M'am," a boy named Roger tries to steal a woman's purse. However, he falls down in the process and is apprehended by his intended victim. She takes a look at him, decides that he needs some mothering and a bath, and drags him home with her. When they get there she asks him why he tried to steal her purse and shares that she made some poor decisions when she was young as well. She has him wash his face and then makes him dinner and hot cocoa. She even decides to share her slice of cake with him before finally sending him on his way. As he is leaving, she hands him a 10 dollar bill and tells him to go buy the shoes he tried to steal her purse to get the money for. Roger is so moved by her generosity that he can't even bring himself to utter the words "Thank You M'am" as he is leaving.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

One day, a person went to a horse racing area. Instead of counting the number of humans an horses, he conuted 74 heads and 196 legs. How many...

Hello!


A straight way to solve this problem is to create a system of equation (and solve it). Namely, denote the number of humans as `x` and the number of horses as `y.`


Then the number of heads is `x+y=74,` while the number of legs is `2x+4y=196.`


Solving such a system is simple: the second equation is equivalent to `x+2y=98,` so `x=98-2y.` Substitute this into the first equation and obtain `98-2y+y=74,` or `y=98-74=24.` Then `x=98-2y=98-48=50.`


The answer: there were 50 humans and 24 horses.



The same calculations may be made without assembling equations. Assume all 74 creatures were humans, then they would have 74*2=148 legs. It is not sufficient, so all "missing" legs are horse ones. There are 196-148=48 "missing" legs. Each horse gives us 2 additional legs compared to a human, so 48/2=24 horses are needed. And therefore 74-24=50 were humans.

What does the prince say will happen to Romeo if he returns to Verona?

In Act 3, Scene I, Prince Escalus decrees Romeo's banishment, unknowingly setting the scene for the deaths to follow.


From the start of the play, the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets has erupted.  The fray in Act 1, Scene 1 causes the prince to declare, "if you ever you disturb our streets again / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace." While Romeo was not present at that declaration, it was meant to apply to all Montagues and Capulets.


Thus, given what he has decreed, the prince was well within his bounds to kill Romeo after he discovered that Romeo slew Tybalt.  Instead, the prince decrees that Romeo is banished from Verona and that, if he returns, "that hour is his last." (Act 3, Scene 1).  Thus, the prince states that he will kill Romeo, should he ever attempt to return to Verona.

How does author Elie Wiesel use symbolism to contribute to the meaning of Night?

In his book Night , Elie Wiesel uses symbolism throughout to enhance the text. First of all, the title itself is symbolic. The word "ni...