Panama essays

Panama essays For centries man has used water as way to get from one place to another very quickly. The Panama Canal is no exception. From around the start of the 16th century people have been trying to find a way to cut a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Many misfortunes and deaths have been sacrificed to obtain this goal. Finally in 1914 the American had completed one of the greatest feats of all time the Panama Canal, cutting a many months journey to nine hours. The Panama Canal; The Shorter Trade Route. Europeans had wanted of Central American canal as early as the 16thy century; President Ulysses S. Grant sent seven expeditions to study the feasibility of digging the cannel. As travel and trade in the Western Hemisphere increased the need for a canal grew increasingly more important. To sail from the Atlantic to the pacific, ships navigated around the Cape Horn. This was a long and very dangerous trip especially around the tip of South America. A New York to San Francisco journey measured more than 13000 miles and took months to complete. The canals construction was badly needed. History Of Canals A canal is an artificial waterway built for navigation, crop irrigation, water supply and drainage. Canals are usually connected with natural bodies of water or other canal. Canals have been used for thousands of years. They started out in early civilization in the middle east as a way to bring water to the city and to water their crops. In the 3rd century the Chinese began building canals, the longest of these early canals was more than 1000 miles long. Making it the longest artificial waterway in the world. (Britannica(no date)) Romans built huge canals mainly for military transport. By the twelfth century 85% of all Medieval European travel was by waterway.( Britannica(no date)) The greatest invention in canal construction came along 1373. The Dutch developed the pound lock system. The Lock system uses a series of chambers that can be ...

USS Hancock (CV-19) in World War II

USS Hancock (CV-19) in World War II USS Hancock (CV-19) - Overview: Nation: United States Type: Aircraft Carrier Shipyard: Fore River Shipyard Laid Down: January 26, 1943 Launched: January 24, 1944 Commissioned: April 15, 1944 Fate: Sold for scrap, September 1, 1976 USS Hancock (CV-19) - Specifications Displacement: 27,100 tons Length: 888 ft. Beam: 93 ft. Draft: 28 ft., 7 in. Propulsion: 8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shafts Speed: 33 knots Complement: 3,448 men USS Hancock (CV-19) - Armament 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns Aircraft 90-100 aircraft USS Hancock - Design Construction: Designed in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys Lexington- and Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were planned to meet to the restrictions set forth by the Washington Naval Treaty. This agreement placed limitations on the tonnage of various types of warships as well as capped each signatorys total tonnage. These types of restrictions were reaffirmed in the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As global tensions rose, Japan and Italy departed the treaty structure in 1936. With the collapse of the system, the US Navy began developing a new, larger type of aircraft carrier and one which drew from experience gleaned from the Yorktown-class. The resulting type was longer and wider as well as possessed a deck-edge elevator. This had been employed earlier on USS Wasp (CV-7). In addition to carrying a greater number of aircraft, the new design mounted an enlarged anti-aircraft armament. Designated the Essex-class, the lead ship, USS Essex (CV-9), was laid down in April 1941. This was followed by several additional vessels including USS Ticonderoga (CV-19) which was laid down at Bethlehem Steel in Quincy, MA on January 26, 1943.   On May 1, the name of the carrier was changed to Hancock following a successful war bond drive conducted by John Hancock Insurance.   As a result, the name Ticonderoga was transferred to CV-14 then under construction at Newport News, VA.   Construction progressed over the next year and on January 24, 1944, Hancock slid down the ways with Juanita Gabriel-Ramsey, wife of Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics Rear Admiral DeWitt Ramsey, serving as sponsor.   With World War II raging, workers pushed to complete the carrier and it entered commission on April 15, 1944, with Captain Fred C. Dickey in command. USS Hancock - World War II: Completing trials and shake-down operations in the Caribbean later that spring, Hancock departed for service in the Pacific on July 31.   Passing through Pearl Harbor, the carrier joined Admiral William Bull Halseys 3rd Fleet at Ulithi on October 5.   Assigned to Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitschers Task Force 38 (Fast Carrier Task Force), Hancock took part in raids against the Ryukyus, Formosa, and the Philippines.   Successful in these efforts, the carrier, sailing as part of Vice Admiral John McCains Task Group 38.1, retired towards Ulithi on October 19 as General Douglas MacArthurs forces were landing on Leyte.   Four days later, as the Battle of Leyte Gulf was commencing, McCains carriers were recalled by Halsey.   Returning to the area, Hancock and its consorts launched attacks against the Japanese as they departed the area via the San Bernardino Strait on October 25. Remaining in the Philippines, Hancock struck targets around the archipelago and became flagship of the Fast Carrier Task Force on November 17.   After replenishing at Ulithi in late November, the carrier returned to operations in the Philippines and in December rode out Typhoon Cobra.   The following month, Hancock attacked targets on Luzon before raiding through the South China Sea with strikes against Formosa and Indochina.   On January 21, tragedy struck when an aircraft exploded near the carriers island killing 50 and injuring 75.   Despite this incident, operations were not curtailed and attacks were launched against Okinawa the next day. In February, the Fast Carrier Task Force launched strikes on the Japanese home islands before turning south to support the invasion of Iwo Jima.   Taking station off the island, Hancocks air group provided tactical support to troops ashore until February 22.   Returning north, American carriers continued their raids on Honshu and Kyushu.   During these operations, Hancock repelled a kamikaze attack on March 20.   Steaming south later in the month, it provided cover and support for the invasion of Okinawa.   While executing this mission on April 7, Hancock sustained a kamikaze hit that caused a large explosion and killed 62 and wounded 71.   Though remaining in action, it received orders to depart for Pearl Harbor two days later for repairs.    Resuming combat operations on June 13, Hancock attacked Wake Island before rejoining American carriers for raids on Japan.   Hancock continued these operations until notification of the Japanese surrender on August 15.   On September 2, the carriers planes flew over Tokyo Bay as the Japanese formally surrendered aboard USS Missouri (BB-63).   Departing Japanese waters on September 30, Hancock embarked passengers at Okinawa before sailing for San Pedro, CA.   Arriving in late October, the carrier was fitted out for use in Operation Magic Carpet.   Over the next six months, Hancock saw duty returning American servicemen and equipment from overseas.   Ordered to Seattle, Hancock arrived there on April 29, 1946 and prepared to move into the reserve fleet at Bremerton. USS Hancock (CV-19) - Modernization: On December 15, 1951, Hancock departed the reserve fleet to undergo a SCB-27C modernization.   This saw the installation of steam catapults and other equipment to allow it to operate the US Navys newest jet aircraft.   Recommissioned February 15, 1954, Hancock operated off the West Coast and tested a variety of new jet and missile technologies.   In March 1956, it entered the yard in San Diego for a SCB-125 upgrade.   This saw the addition of an angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, optical landing system, and other technological enhancements.   Rejoining the fleet that November, Hancock deployed for the first of several Far East assignments in April 1957.   The following year, it formed part of an American force sent to protect Quemoy and Matsu when the islands were threatened by the Communist Chinese.   A stalwart of the 7th Fleet, Hancock took part in the Communication Moon Relay project in February 1960 which saw US Navy engineers experiment with reflecting ultra high frequency waves off the Moon.   Overhauled in March 1961, Hancock returned to the South China Sea the following year as tensions mounted in Southeast Asia.   After further cruises in the Far East, the carrier entered Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in January 1964 for a major overhaul.   Completed a few months later, Hancock briefly operated along the West Coast before sailing for the Far East on October 21.   Reaching Japan in November, it then assumed a position at Yankee Station off the Vietnamese coast where it largely remained until early spring 1965. USS Hancock (CV-19) - Vietnam War: With the US escalation of the Vietnam War, Hancock returned to Yankee Station that December and commenced launching strikes against North Vietnamese targets.   With the exception of brief respites in nearby ports, it remained on station into July.   The carriers efforts during this period earned it the Navy Unit Commendation.   Returning to Alameda, CA in August, Hancock stayed in home waters through fall before departing for Vietnam in early 1967.   On station until July, it again returned to the West Coast where it remained for much of the next year.   After this pause in combat operations, Hancock resumed attacks over Vietnam in July 1968.   Subsequent assignments to Vietnam occurred in 1969/70, 1970/71, and 1972.   During the 1972 deployment, Hancocks aircraft helped slow the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive.   With the US departure from the conflict, Hancock resumed peacetime activities.   In March 1975, with the fall of Saigon looming, the carriers air group was offloaded at Pearl Harbor and replaced by Marine Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron HMH-463.   Sent back to Vietnamese waters, it served as a platform for the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon in April.   Completing these duties, the carrier returned home.   An aging ship, Hancock was decommissioned on January 30, 1976.   Stricken from the Navy List, it was sold for scrap on September 1.   Selected Sources DANFS: USS Hancock (CV-19)USS Hancock AssociationNavSource: USS Hancock (CV-19)

Twe assingments each one is one page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Twe assingments each one is one page - Essay Example However, the war has already crossed the 60 days limit and the Congress still remains silent. The March 21 notification of Obama was that U.S would engage in a ‘limited and well-defined mission’ in Libya. However, by May 20, as Huffpost Politics reports, Obama wrote to the Congress that U.S is ‘no longer in lead’ but the participation involves non-kinetic support like intelligence and refueling, and kinetic attacks on Libyan air defenses and NATO-led forces. Obama violated the law by not seeking the formal approval of the Congress for military operations in Libya. Secondly, he violated the law by not certifying in writing that there is ‘unavoidable military necessity’ in Libya so that the military operation continues after 60 days. Now, what Obama has to do is to seek and receive the permission from Congress before the completion of 90 days. In addition, he will have to withdraw all the forces and resources from Libya in 90 days. II Article II, Section I of the American Constitution states that Congress would decide the date of appointment of electors. So, in 1845, Congress enacted a law providing that Tuesday after the first Monday of November of the year in which the electors are to be appointed is the Election Day. There are many reasons behind the selection of Tuesday as the Election Day.

Bar built estuaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Bar built estuaries - Essay Example An example for this is the East Matagorda Bay. Bar-built estuaries are also found in The Netherlands. Estuaries found in North Carolina are also the examples of bar-built estuaries; for example Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound. Bar-built estuaries are semi-isolated from ocean waters through the barrier beaches found between estuaries and oceans. Barrier spits and barrier islands are located between estuaries and oceans. As barrier beaches get formed they partially encircle the estuary allowing only small inlets to allow contacts between estuaries and ocean waters. Bar-built estuaries usually get formed over gently sloping plains placed along tectonically stable boundaries of marginal sea coasts and continents. The barrier beaches that encircle bar-built estuaries are formed in numerous ways. Wave action causes the formation of offshore bars. Here, the sand from the seafloor gets accumulated in extended bars parallel to the shoreline. This forms barrier beaches. Reformation of sediment discharge from rivers through current, wave, and wind action causes the formation of barrier beaches. Mainland beach ridges get engulfed because of the rise in sea level. This led to the breaking of the ridges and flooding of the coastal lowlands. Shallow lagoons get formed as a result. This contributes to the formation of barrier beaches. Extension of barrier spits through the erosion of headlands also form barrier beaches. Barrier beaches get created in shallow water. They are mostly parallel to the shoreline. This leads to the formation of long narrow estuaries. Water depth of these estuaries is between 5 m and 10 m. Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Pamlico Sound, North Carolina and Laguna Madre, Texas are some of the examples of bar-built estuaries. Scientists have made use of variety of criteria to classify estuaries. Previously they used to classify estuaries based on the rate of fresh water, evaporation.

Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller Essay Between 1949 and 1953, Arthur Miller wrote two of his most famous plays. Both plays dealt with major problems in society. The main characters of the plays were similar. Also, the supporting characters of both plays were alike. Arthur Millers plays Death of a Salesman and The Crucible are similar in many ways. The main purpose of both Death of a Salesman and The Crucible was to show major problems in American society. In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller was trying to show the impossibilities of the American Dream. In The Crucible, he was trying to show how society is intolerant toward others and is prone to hysteria. Both plays dealt with society defeating the average, hard-working man. Each play showed a society that was full of deceit and liars. In both of these plays, society was depicted as an evil thing that would overpower the average person and create an unjust world. The main characters of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, Willy Loman and John Proctor, were alike in many ways. Both of these men had extramarital affairs, and in both cases, the affairs ended up destroying their lives. Both of these men were hard-working, average men who were just trying to make a good life for themselves and their families. Names were important to both men, and they both took pride in their names. In both cases, many decisions the two made were because of their family members. One large similarity between Willy and John was the fact that they both eventually died, and the death was partly their choice. Both men could have avoided death, but instead, they chose to die because they believed it was the correct thing to do. In these two plays, there were also many similarities between the supporting characters. In both plays, children had much more power than they normally do. In Death of a Salesman, Willys son controlled much of his life. In The Crucible, the girls, led primarily by Abigail Williams, caused many people to be hanged, and even more to be imprisoned. Also, both John and Willy had wives that were very loyal to them throughout their lives and supported them until the end. Both plays showed a figure of power, seen as Howard in one play and Judge Danforth in the other. In both plays, the main character had a friend who stood up for them at the end. Willy had Charley, who had been his best friend for a long time, and John had Reverend Hale, who tried to prevent Johns death. There are many similarities between characters in the two plays. Death of a Salesman and The Crucible are alike in many ways. Arthur Miller created similar characters in both plays. He used both to show the many things wrong in America. These two plays are both powerful pieces of literature that should be read and appreciated by all people.Sources: Death of a Salesman and The Crucible by Arthur Miller

The Reforms of Michel Fokine Essay -- essays research papers

The Reforms of Michel Fokine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Photography, painting, videography, and literature have all progressed over time. New technology, and new ways of thinking have brought these arts to new levels. There seems to be a broad misconception, though, that ballet is an art form that does not progress; does not change. Many people assume that ballet’s set vocabulary of movement places limitations on how far the art can expand. Little do many people realize that this vocabulary is a mere foundation for the myriad of interpretations that the art went and will continue to go in. Michel Fokine is one revolutionary ballet choreographers, whose reforms have taken this previously monotonous art to a new level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fokine’s ideas were revolutionary for his time, but ironically made perfect sense. He believed that all of the elements in a ballet should be parallel. In other words, he thought that the music, costuming, makeup, movements, and sets should all reflect the same culture and time period of the ballet. During this time in ballet there were often incongruencies. For example, there would be Russian music, and pointe shoes in a ballet that supposedly was based on a foreign medieval culture. Fokine was extremely and consciously consistent in his works. Fokine explains, â€Å"The ballet should be staged in conformity with the epoch represented.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fokine sets his 1911 ballet, Petrouchka, in Russia. The first scene is a street fair, which Fokine sets appropriately. He is sure to make the costumes realistic of that time and place. Rather than dressing the dancers in tutus and leotards, they wear dresses that are brightly colored and long. They are bundled up appropriately in many colorful layers, considering the chilling temperatures of Russian winters. They also do not wear pointe Atkins 2 shoes with long laces, but instead high heel character shoes that were typical of the time period. Fokine also successfully creates personalities for the three dolls, partly by their costumes. Petrouchka, who is a forlorn rag doll, wears a thin suit that is as lifeless and limp as his personality. The costume and makeup is effective in showing his lack of motivation and sadness. The Moor doll on the other hand, who is a very bold and vain character is seen in dress that corres... ...ure to not let the music dictate the dance, as many artists before him had done. In his Memoirs of a Ballet Master, he wrote â€Å"The choreography for [a pas de deux I performed with Anna Pavlova] we mostly staged ourselves . . . We did whatever we felt we could do best,† (Fokine quoted in Cass). This superficial movement was completely against what Fokine believed in. Movement that did not contribute to the purpose and plot af the piece was useless. Due to his intense focus on his intent, he successfully gave the music, choreography, costumes, and sets equal importance and relevance to the entire creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fokine’s exceptional dedication to his art is quite obvious. It is simply seen thorough his opinion of applause, that his focus is his art, more than any recognition he may get for it. While most artists would bask in the glory of each set of applause, Fokine despised it, except at completely appropriate times. He believed that to move on from tradition, one must be thoroughly trained in that technique, which he was. His many daring reforms truly opened the world of ballet up to new possibilities, while not straying too far from traditional technique.

Hess’s Law

Enthalpy and Hess’s Law Lab Introduction Every chemical reaction is accompanied by a change in heat. Thermochemical reactions include the heat of reaction as part of the equation. The heat released or absorbed in a reaction at constant pressure is the Enthalpy change (? Hrxn) for the reaction. The enthalpy change for each reaction is unique to that reaction. Many values for ? Hrxn were experimentally determined, and many were calculated used Hess’s law.This lab will illustrate the principle of Hess’s law: if a reaction can be carried out in a series of steps, the sum of the enthalpies for each step equals the enthalpy change for the overall reaction. ?Hrxn = ? Hstep1 + ? Hstep2 . The three reactions that we will be using are as follows: Reaction 1: Reaction 2: Reaction 3: NaOH(s) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) NaOH(s) ? NaOH(aq) Since reaction 1 can be obtained by adding reactions 2 and 3, the ? Hrxn1 should equal ? Hrxn2 + ? Hrxn3. At constant pressure ? Hrxn = qp. We cannot directly measure ?Hrxn or qp, but we can measure the change in temperature for a solution, and using the specific heat of the solution, and the grams of solution, we can find qp using the following equation: Equation 1: q = (grams of solution) x (specific heat of solution) x ? T The heat that is released by the reaction will be absorbed by both the surroundings; in this case, the water in the solution and the calorimeter itself: Equation 2: qrxn = -(qsolution + qcalorimeter) Since every group’s calorimeter is slightly different, the heat capacity for the calorimeter will need to experimentally determine before it is used.Pre-Lab Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Define ? Hrxn. Define specific heat, and heat capacity. How are these two terms different? The specific heat of a solution is 4. 18 J/gK and its density is 1. 02g/mL. The solution is formed by combining 25. 0mL of solution A with 25. 0mL of solution B, with each solution init ially at 21. 4C. The final temperature of the combined solutions is 25. 3C. Calculate the heat of reaction, qrxn, assuming no heat loss to the calorimeter. If the calorimeter in the reaction above has a Heat Capacity of 8. 20J/C, recalculate the qrxn, taking the heat loss to the calorimeter into account.If the reaction above between solutions A and B goes as follows: A(aq) + B(aq) ? AB(aq), and the molarity of A in solution A is 0. 60M, and the molarity of B in solution B is 0. 60M, what is the enthalpy of reaction (? Hrxn), for the formation of 1 mole of AB in solution. Express ? Hrxn in kJ/mol Materials NaOH(s) HCl(aq, 1. 0M) 250mL Beaker Digital Thermometer Graduated Cylinder Balance Distilled Water NaOH(aq, 1. 0M) Calorimeter w/ Lid Magnetic Stirrer and Stir Bar Procedure Part 1: Determining the heat capacity of the Calorimeter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.Set up a calorimeter of two nested cups with a cover inside a beaker. Measure 50. 0mL of room temp distilled water into the calori meter. Place the calorimeter on a magnetic stirrer and add a stir bar, set the stir bar to stir slowly. (Alternatively, gently stir the solution with the thermometer. ) Record the Temperature of the water in the calorimeter. Heat or obtain roughly 75mL of 70? C water. Measure out 50. 0mL of this water using a graduated cylinder. Record the temperature of the hot water, and pour the hot water into the room temp water in the calorimeter. Cover the calorimeter and insert the thermometer. . Stir and record the temperature every 20 seconds for three minutes. 10. Empty and dry the inside of the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Part 2: Determining the heats of Reaction Reaction 1: NaOH(s) ? NaOH(aq) 1. Weigh out about 2. 0g of NaOH(s). Record the actual weight. 2. Add 100. 0mL of room temperature water to the calorimeter. 3. Start the stir bar and record the temperature of the water. 4. Add the NaOH(s), and record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing. 5. Du mp out the NaOH(aq) into the sink, rinse out, and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar.Reaction 2: NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) 6. Combine 50. 0mL of 1. 0M NaOH and 50. 0mL 1. 0M HCl, in the calorimeter, 7. Record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing. 8. Dump out the solution into the sink, rinse and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Reaction 3: NaOH(s) + HCl(aq) ? NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) 9. Measure 50. 0mL of Distilled water into the calorimeter. 10. Add 2. 0g of NaOH(s) (Record the actual weight) and 50. 0mL of 1. 0M HCl to your calorimeter 11. Record the temperature once every 20 seconds, until it stops changing.. 12.Dump out the solution into the sink, rinse and dry the calorimeter, thermometer, and stir bar. Data Create a data table to hold all of your data for the 2 parts. Make sure you have a space for the initial and final temperatures, as well as the mass or volume for each reactant. Calculations 1. Calculate the Heat Ca pacity of the Calorimeter. a. When equal volumes of hot and cold water are combined, if there is no heat loss the new temperature should be the average of the two starting temperatures. In actual practice, the new temperature will be slightly less than the average because of heat lost to the calorimeter assembly.Additionally, when two solutions are mixed the thermometer cannot instantaneously record the temperature of the combined solutions. The solutions require some time to become completely mixed, and the thermometer needs time to come to temperature equilibrium with the solution. The theoretical temperature that the mixture would have if the process occurred instantaneously can be found from a graph. Plot the data with temperature on the vertical axis versus time on the horizontal axis. The first few points may be erratic because of incomplete mixing and lack of temperature equilibrium with the thermometer.The points that follow should occur in a straight line as the temperature slowly drops while heat is lost to the calorimeter and to the surroundings. Draw a straight line through these points, and extend it back to find the temperature at time zero, the theoretical instantaneous temperature of mixing, Tmix. See Figure 1. b. Calculate the average temperature of the hot and cold water, Tavg. c. The difference between the average temperature, Tavg and the instantaneous temperature, Tmix, is due to the fact that some heat was lost by the water and absorbed by the calorimeter.Calculate q water, the heat lost by the water: qwater = (grams of water) x (specific heat of water) x (Tmix – Tavg) where qwater = heat lost by water and the specific heat of water is 4. 18 J/(g ·Ã‚ °C). The heat absorbed by the calorimeter, qcalorimeter, will be equal to that lost by the water but opposite in sign. qcalorimeter = ? qwater d. Calculate the heat capacity of the calorimeter, Ccalorimeter, which is the heat that the calorimeter absorbs each time the temperature of the solution changes 1 °C: Ccalorimeter =qwater / (Tmix -Tinitial) where Tinitial is the initial temperature of the cool water. . Calculate ? H for Each Reaction. e. Graph the temperature versus time for each of the three reactions tested. Extrapolate the line back to find the theoretical instantaneous mixing temperature, Tmix, as you did above. f. Calculate the amount of heat evolved in each reaction, qrxn, by assuming that all of the heat is absorbed by the solutions and the calorimeter: qrxn = – [heat absorbed by solution + heat absorbed by calorimeter] qrxn = – [(grams of solution x specific heat of solution x ? Tsolution ) + (Ccalorimeter x ? Tsolution)] where ? Tsolution = (Tmix – Tinitial) for each reaction mixture.Assume that the density of the solutions is 1. 03 g/mL, and that the specific heat of the solutions is the same as that of water, 4. 18 J/(g ·Ã‚ °C). g. 3. Calculate the value of the enthalpy change, ? H, in terms of kJ/mole for each of the reactions. Verify Hess's Law. . h. i. j. Discussion Conclusion Write net ionic equations for the three reactions involved. Show how you must arrange the first two equations to algebraically find the third. Calculate the value of ? H for the third reaction from your ? H values for the first two reactions using Hess's law. Find the percent difference between the calculated and measured values.

Scm and Erp Software Implementation at Nike †from Failure to Success

Introduction: Nike was founded under the name Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. In 1972 the first pair of sports shoes was sold and experienced enormous growth and achieved a 50% market share within the sports shoe market in the US only eight years later. After sluggish focus and growth in the 1980ies, Nike experienced strong growth in the 1990ies and cemented the position as global recognizable brand. The increased international focus created strains on the supply chain, which was consider inadequate to cater efficiently to the organization and the rapid changes consumer demands .As a consequence of the afore mentioned supply chain problem Nike faced inefficient inventory management, problems in flow of goods and poor demand forecasting capabilities. In addition Nike was facing though competition in Asia, which as a region performed worse than expected. Given this it is clear that both external, internal and situational factors were the catalysts behind the Organizational Buying Behavior (OBB) of Nike catalyzing the mammoth project of implementing global supply chain management (SCM) software and an integrated ERP system.Question 1: What are the failure factors for the first NIKE-i2 ERP-SCM implementation? Using conventional project management measurements it is clear the implementation of i2 was a colossal failure . I analyze the failure using a combination for factors from the OBB and analysis based on the five phase implementation framework. Nike states a clear vision of what they want to achieve with the i2 implementation: â€Å"Achieving greater flexibility in planning execution and delivery processes†¦.. ooking for better forecasting and more profitable order fulfillment† . However, I believe Nike overall underestimated the SCM project as I see some indications that the main focus and resources were on the general ERP framework and implementation of the Single Instance Strategy (SIS). As a consequence the project management turned out to be weak. T he lack of prioritization of the SCM project is also visible in the lack of external consultancy services obtained.Both project management and appropriate usage of external consultants are evaluated as key critical success factors for successful implementation of large scale IT projects. (Appendix 3) So I see the project being initiated on the wrong foot, but would consider phase 2, 3 and 4 as the phases where the project fell apart. I strongly believe external consultants with expertise knowledge would have challenged a number of the technical issue and decisions made by the project management. The implementation of i2 on the legacy system is such example.SIS required a large degree of integration and data migrations, so deploying the SCM software on the legacy system instead of as part of the SAP ERP is a strategic mistake. This specific decision later proves unwise when Nike begins to experience large problems in data integration as formats and outline of i2 didn’t match t he other systems. Also in the data specification and parameterization external experts would have stepped in and limited the vast number of customization enquiries from Nike.I believe this specific problem has its roots in the inadequate blueprinting of Nike. The missing blueprinting –the realignment of the long term business strategy with capabilities of the software – is not uncommon as it is estimated that 51 percent of failing IT projects, fail due to lack of understanding between IT and business departments† I believe there is evidence of that happening in this case as well. The fundamental idea behind the SCM software in terms of demand planning did not fit well with the business strategy of Nike.Nike used a bottom-up demand process where the retailers committed to an order in advance before manufacturing. With i2 Nike changed this core process as the demand now was forecasted using a top-down approach. The combination of the changed process and lack of pro per data integration lead to duplicated orders and overproduction. As the original i2 software did not support the many SKUs of Nike, heavy customization was required, which in turn diluted the quality of the software as the specifications were unclear.McAfee of Harvard Business School has said: â€Å"What Nike and i2 Technologies Inc. began experiencing the problem actually is not the software itself†¦ The culprit there was misspecification† Further on the subject of customization, Nike had great difficulties balancing customization with speed-to-market. I believe the external factors of significant competition, changing market place and resulting disappointing financial performance in growth markets lead Nike to rush the implementation and interfered with normal OBB.The rushing meant that a guideline, templates and implementation methodology was discarded by Nike with the argument that the i2 provided material was too rigid. In general I would argue that Nike required technology that was not sufficiently available at the time. This pushed i2 to enter unknown software-territory and program-to-order disabling sufficient time for vendor/developer testing. The criticality of this was further boosted due to lack of testing from Nike, which clearly illustrates faults in phase 4 of the implementation as well. (Appendix 3)Lastly, I find evidence that a global ERP and SCM software potentially would be difficult to manage successfully at the time due to the structural issue of underdeveloped bandwidth infrastructure , which could indicate Nike required a technical solution which was not complete available in 1999. As the SCM software required a big-bang implementation , the mistakes mentioned above considerably increased the risk of failure. So due to urgency Nike selected to implement a highly customized solution discarding advice from the vendor, avoiding third party/external consultations, neglecting testing and proper training of end-users.As Steel say s â€Å"Could we have taken more time with the roll-out? Properly. Could we have done a better job with software quality? Sure. Could the planners have been better prepared to use the system be it went live? You can never train enough! † Question 2: How do you evaluate the role of i2 in this process? In believe both companies are to be blamed for the failed implementation. Looking isolated at i2’s role, I believe both tactical and strategic mistakes were made. As a vendor i2 had a responsibility to work together with Nike to create a common understanding of the capability of the software and the business management impact.If the client was not adequately knowledgeable about the product delivered i2 should have made a point of this in the RFP, by stating that a certain level of technical knowhow and expertise was expected and required from the client as well, to secure a smooth implementation. Such point – or clause – would have created the necessary aware ness at Nike and would have secured the necessary focus from Nike before engaging in the implementation. We learn from the case that Nike when they started working together with i2 already had tried several other solutions without being successful, which further underlines my point.Philip Kotler describes a common pitfall in B2B transactions as the B2B market is dominated by fewer buyers than on the consumer market, which can provide an undesired purchasing power to large corporations. In addition Nike was on the forefront of the technology required, which eventually meant i2 was pressured to provide significant more customization to the software. The fact that the customization widely exceeded the 10-15% maximum customization recommendation from i2 illustrates the negotiation and purchasing power Nike had over i2.I sincerely believe it was a tactical mistake from i2 to allow to the large degree of customization. i2 added further to the tactical mistakes by not highlighting potentia l issues with running the i2 on the legacy system hindering data integration effectually diminishing the usability – and in turn satisfaction – of the software. During the implementation phase i2 made another tactical mistake by not being close enough to Nike and co-manage the process or the rollout. To rollout without proper/any testing and training was a huge mistake committed by Nike, but i2 should have intervened.I believe project management on both sides was weak, which allowed for these mistakes caused by poor communication and lack of managing expectations. Unfortunately for i2 the number of tactical mistake converted in a strategic issue damaging the reputation of i2, when Nike publically assigned the blame of the failure to them. i2 had in the cooperation with Nike a unique opportunity to position itself as a world leading SCM software vendor as the project was groundbreaking in terms of size and complexity.However, instead of gaining this competitive advantag e the failed implementation, the public statements by Nike and the following class-action lawsuits from the Nike shareholders labeled i2 as incompetent. i2 severely miscalculated the tactical benefits of pleasing the client versus the strategic gains of completing the project successfully. I believe i2 was too focused on the short-term completion, which made them cut corners and discard own recommendations in order not to have a conflict with the client.Overall, I find it unfair to blame i2 entirely. After all, the vendor selection is always the responsibility of the buyer and proper evaluation and testing of the product for its functionality would have averted this kind of failure. â€Å"Implementing a supply-chain management solution is like crossing the street; High risk if you don't look both ways, but low risk if you do. † Question 3: Nike was one of the first companies to start using the SAP module Apparel and Footwear Solution (AFS). From NIKE viewpoint, do you think t hat is a good strategy?In my opinion Nike took a chance when start using AFS. Being one of the first users of the AFS software, could potentially have been a risky endeavor as software in the initial stages can be prone to bugs and other dis-functionalities. However, Nike implemented the AFS to perfection, which meant that the risk was very well handled. Especially the meticulous testing, seeking external consultancy service and skeleton roll-out stands out as key steps for the success of this specific project.To analyze if it was a good strategy we need to analyze Nike’s financial performance against the main competition . The aim is to analyze if Nike after the implementation of AFS was performing more efficiently – measured on key financial parameters – hence creating a competitive advantage. I find clear evidence that is the case. I believe Nike created a competitive advantage by being a first-mover in the usage of AFS. Nike had the key objective to manage a nd turn the inventory faster and more efficiently. In my research I find that in addition to turning the inventory 4. times versus 3. 5 of the competition, Nike has significant less cash tied up in inventory – $2. 7bln versus $3. 4bln – which is remarkable as Nike produces a larger revenue than Adidas. A final point showing great operational efficient at Nike, is the ability to create a cash flow from these activities, where Nike in 2011 generated $1. 8bln in cash versus the competitors $1. 6bln. The competitor’s gross profit margin only exceeds Nike’s in 2011 after Nike has clearly outperformed on this factor as well throughout the time period being analyzed.It could be an indication that the competitors are closing in on Nike’s competitive advantage in the areas of software implementation. I believe it was a good strategic decision to be an AFS first-mover. Nike handled the implementation very well and thereby managed to balance the risk and rewa rd to the benefit of Nike against the competition. We see that Nike has outperformed Adidas in terms of gross profit margin continuously with exception of the last year in the analysis. I argue that the outperformance is based on primarily the relative efficiency of the supply chain.The main indication of Nike’s superior supply chain is the inventory and inventory turn rate. We see below that Adidas has significantly higher holding of inventory relative to Nike and that Nike turns its inventory faster. In more efficient supply chain and hence business operation is reflected in the ability to generate cash from the operating activities. Nike evidently creates a larger cash flow than Adidas. The financial markets also recognize Nike’s competitive advantage as the stock shows a significant better performance than Adidas. (+171% vs. +86%, 2007-)

The Death of Emperor Montezuma

The Death of Emperor Montezuma In November of 1519, Spanish invaders led by Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Mexica (Aztecs). They were welcomed by Montezuma, the mighty Tlatoani (emperor) of his people. Seven months later, Montezuma was dead, possibly at the hands of his own people. What happened to the Emperor of the Aztecs? Montezuma II Xocoyotzà ­n, Emperor of the Aztecs Montezuma had been selected to be Tlatoani (the word means speaker) in 1502, the maximum leader of his people: his grandfather, father and two uncles had also been tlatoque (plural of tlatoani). From 1502 to 1519, Montezuma had proven himself to be an able leader in war, politics, religion, and diplomacy. He had maintained and expanded the empire and was lord of lands stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Hundreds of conquered vassal tribes sent the Aztecs goods, food, weapons, and even slaves and captured warriors for sacrifice. Cortes and the Invasion of Mexico In 1519, Hernan Cortes and 600 Spanish conquistadors landed on Mexicos Gulf coast, establishing a base near the present-day city of Veracruz. They began slowly making their way inland, collecting intelligence through Cortes interpreter/mistress Doà ±a Marina (Malinche). They befriended disgruntled vassals of the Mexica and made an important alliance with the Tlaxcalans, bitter enemies of the Aztecs. They arrived in Tenochtitlan in November and were initially welcomed by Montezuma and his top officials. Capture of Montezuma The wealth of Tenochtitlan was astounding, and Cortes and his lieutenants began plotting how to take the city. Most of their plans involved capturing Montezuma and holding him until more reinforcements could arrive to secure the city. On November 14, 1519, they got the excuse they needed. A Spanish garrison left on the coast had been attacked by some representatives of the Mexica and several of them were killed. Cortes arranged a meeting with Montezuma, accused him of planning the attack, and took him into custody. Amazingly, Montezuma agreed, provided he be able to tell the story that he had voluntarily accompanied the Spanish back to the palace where they were lodged. Montezuma Captive Montezuma was still allowed to see his advisors and participate in his religious duties, but only with Cortes permission. He taught Cortes and his lieutenants to play traditional Mexica games and even took them hunting outside of the city. Montezuma seemed to develop a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, in which he befriended and sympathized with his captor, Cortes: when his nephew Cacama, lord of Texcoco, plotted against the Spanish, Montezuma heard of it and informed Cortes, who took Cacama prisoner. Meanwhile, the Spanish continually badgered Montezuma for more and more gold. The Mexica generally valued brilliant feathers more than gold, so much of the gold in the city was handed over to the Spanish. Montezuma even ordered the vassal states of the Mexica to send gold, and the Spaniards amassed an unheard-of fortune: it is estimated that by May they had collected eight tons of gold and silver. Massacre of Toxcatl and Return of Cortes In May of 1520, Cortes had to go to the coast with as many soldiers as he could spare to deal with an army led by Panfilo de Narvaez. Unbeknownst to Cortes, Montezuma had entered into a secret correspondence with Narvez and had ordered his coastal vassals to support him. When Cortes found out, he was furious, greatly straining his relationship with Montezuma. Cortes left his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado in charge of Montezuma, other royal captives and the city of Tenochtitlan. Once Cortes was gone, the people of Tenochtitlan became restless, and Alvarado heard of a plot to murder the Spanish. He ordered his men to attack during the festival of Toxcatl on May 20, 1520. Thousands of unarmed Mexica, most of the members of the nobility, were slaughtered. Alvarado also ordered the murder of several important lords held in captivity, including Cacama. The people of Tenochtitlan were furious and attacked the Spaniards, forcing them to barricade themselves inside the Palace of Axaycatl. Cortes defeated Narvaez in battle and added his men to his own. On June 24, this larger army returned to Tenochtitlan and was able to reinforce Alvarado and his embattled men. Death of Montezuma Cortes returned to a palace under siege. Cortes could not restore order, and the Spanish were starving, as the market had closed. Cortes ordered Montezuma to reopen the market, but the emperor said that he could not because he was a captive and no one listened to his orders anymore. He suggested that if Cortes freed his brother Cuitlahuac, also held prisoner, he might be able to get the markets to reopen. Cortes let Cuitlahuac go, but instead of reopening the market, the warlike prince organized an even fiercer attack on the barricaded Spaniards.   Unable to restore order, Cortes had a reluctant Montezuma hauled to the roof of the palace, where he pleaded with his people to stop attacking the Spanish. Enraged, the people of Tenochtitlan threw stones and spears at Montezuma, who was badly wounded before the Spanish were able to bring him back inside the palace. According to Spanish accounts, two or three days later, on June 29, Montezuma died of his wounds. He spoke to Cortes before dying and asked him to take care of his surviving children. According to native accounts, Montezuma survived his wounds but was murdered by the Spanish when it became clear that he was of no further use to them. It is impossible to determine today exactly how Montezuma died. Aftermath of Montezuma's Death With Montezuma dead, Cortes realized that there was no way he could hold the city. On June 30, 1520, Cortes and his men tried to sneak out of Tenochtitlan under cover of darkness. They were spotted, however, and wave after wave of fierce Mexica warriors attacked the Spaniards fleeing over the Tacuba causeway. About six hundred Spaniards (roughly half of Cortes army) were killed, along with most of his horses. Two of Montezumas children - which Cortes had just promised to protect - were slain alongside the Spaniards.  Some Spaniards were captured alive and sacrificed to the Aztec gods. Nearly all of the treasure was gone as well. The Spanish referred to this disastrous retreat as the Night of Sorrows. A few months later, reinforced by more conquistadors and Tlaxcalans, the Spanish would re-take the city, this time for good. Five centuries after his death, many modern Mexicans still blame Montezuma for poor leadership which led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. The circumstances of his captivity and death have much to do with this. Had Montezuma refused to allow himself to be taken captive, history would most likely have been very different. Most modern Mexicans have little respect for Montezuma, preferring the two leaders who came after him, Cuitlahuac and Cuauhtà ©moc, both of whom fought the Spanish fiercely. Sources Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. . Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963. Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988. Levy, Buddy. New York: Bantam, 2008. Thomas, Hugh . New York: Touchstone, 1993.

Creative Ideas for Admissions Essays

Creative Ideas for Admissions Essays The key to a superior admissions essay is originality. Writing an admissions essay is your chance to distinguish yourself from all of the other applicants trying to get into the same university. Therefore, you should take time to make sure that the subject matter of your composition is unique and your grammar faultless. Since most colleges give applicants a topic on which to write their admissions essays, many individuals believe that it is near impossible to make their admissions compositions creative and/or unique. I am here to tell you, however, that this is positively not true. The purpose of a college admissions essay is to allow admission board members a glimpse of who you are. . .so feel free to be as creative as youd like! There are many ways to be creative with admissions essays. One way is to submit pictures and/or sketches with your composition, as personal artwork will almost certainly make your submission more interesting and memorable. So while you are putting the final touches on your essay, dont hesitate to copy a few personal snapshots from your photo album and include them in your admissions packet. With just a little extra effort, anyone can make their admissions essay a bit more imaginative! If you would like some additional tips on how to improve your admissions composition or if you would like to know more about admissions essays in general, please dont hesitate to contact me. I would love nothing more than to help make your admissions essay the best it can be!

StrategicHuman Resource Assessment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

StrategicHuman Resource Assessment 2 - Essay Example It is in this context that attracting the appropriate talent pool is often observed as a major challenge in the consumer goods industry, majorly due to the requirement of vast workforce and the persisting divergences in the targeted labor market. Correspondingly, organizations implementing SHRM policies and strategies realized the importance and need of flexibility with respect to change, anticipation, innovation and adaptation. In the consumer goods industry, SHRM strategies and policies differ from organization to organization in accordance to the external factors influencing the business such as the political environment, economic hazards, community culture and the socio-environmental structure of the market. Additionally, the organizational structure, its internal culture along with the SHRM policies applied within the company also imposes significant influence on its attractiveness as an ‘employer of choice’ (Boxall, Purcell & Wright, 2007). ... which the organizations must coordinate and recognize the most potential challenges that the organizations shall have to witness in growing as an attractive employer in the selected market. Furthermore, in order to obtain a critical view regarding the issue, this study will also take into account the example of a world renowned consumer goods brand, i.e. Procter & Gamble Australia & New Zealand (P&G). Elements of HR strategies that must be coordinated by consumer goods companies and the consequent challenges The need to bring about transformational modification in Australian job market is continuing to be determined by an economic plan that aims at improving the productivity as well as the flexibility within its labor force. This plan helps the organization to sustain in the middle of international competitiveness as an attractive employer. The rules and regulations of the Australian job market in accordance to the industrial relations have also expressively affected the HR strategie s being employed in various industries including the consumer goods industry as such elements attempts to bring about vital changes in the framework of employment relationship (Johnson, 2009). As stated by Pettigrew (1985), a planned procedure provides an organization an agenda through which it selects a sequence of action or optimal strategy to accelerate enhancement in accordance to its objective of competitive advantage as an ‘employer of choice’. Therefore, organizational vision and strategic aims can also be regarded as an influencing factor to create an affect over its development as an attractive employer. Based on this context, Glueck (1980) stated that strategy is a combined, inclusive and cohesive plan which is designed to confirm the achievement of the basic objectives of the