Open Book Paper essays

Open Book Paper essays Atomic spectroscopy is a chemical analysis technique and it is used to identify what elements are in a compound. It uses the idea of a photon being absorbed or emitted whenever an electron changes from one energy level to another. The diagram below shows sodium salt being sprinkled onto a flame and yellow light being emitted. Emission spectra are produced by thin gases in which the atoms do not experience many collisions (because of the low density). The emission of yellow light occurs because the electrons of the sodium salt have been promoted to a higher electronic energy state but have then fallen back down and emitted the energy as an electromagnetic wave, in the wavelength corresponding to yellow which is 600 nm. The more intense that the yellow band is the more abundant the sodium salt present. The diagram (left) shows an atomic excitation caused by the absorption of a photon and an atomic de-excitation caused by emission of a photon. In each case the wavelength of the emitted or absorbed light is exactly such that the photon carries the energy difference between the two orbits. This energy may be calculated by multiplying the Plank constant by the wavelength of the light. Thus, an atom can absorb or emit only certain discrete wavelengths (or equivalently, frequencies or energies). This diagram shows white light being shone through sodium vapour and the resulting spectra on a board. An absorption spectrum occurs when light passes through a cold, dilute gas and atoms in the gas absorb at characteristic frequencies; since the re-emitted light is unlikely to be emitted in the same direction as the absorbed photon, this gives rise to dark lines (absence of light) in the spectrum. Absorption spectroscopy can only be carried on a substance in solution or gaseous form. The presence of the dark band shows that the sodium vapour had absorbed t ...

Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers - Emphasis

Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers Five ways your web writing is annoying your readers Having a website is a wonderful thing: it allows you to confuse and  frustrate people thousands of miles away without ever having to hear their complaints. This makes it very hard to see what the problems are – and very tempting to pretend that they don’t exist. Your web pages don’t have to be like that. It all comes down to avoiding the five most common web-writing traps. Here’s how. Skip the happy talk Imagine stepping into a lift or elevator and hearing this announcement:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThank you for entering this building’s lift. We’re pleased you’ve chosen the number one lift provider in this building. To select your desired floor, please use the illuminated buttons.’ Clearly ridiculous – yet a similar thing happens on many web pages:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThank you for browsing our widgets. We are the market leaders in widgets and are dedicated to producing the best widgets for you. We’ve been making widgets since 1990. To browse our widgets, click on the links below.’ Web usability expert Steve Krug calls this kind of space-filling, meaningless text ‘happy talk’, and recommends a simple test to root it out: read it out loud. If you hear a quiet voice saying in your head ‘blah blah blah’, then it’s happy talk. In this example, the only potentially useful information is ‘To browse our widgets, click on the links below’. But if simple tasks such as browsing your site require instructions, there’s a very good chance that it’s not better phrasing you need, but more intuitive web design. Don’t be afraid of keeping text content to a minimum, if it makes things clearer. An excellent example of this is the Gov.uk site, which won the Design of the Year award in 2013. See the section for drivers as an example. There’s no happy talk or clutter, and all the links are self-explanatory. Answer the golden question Everyone visiting your web pages will have a need. This can range from the highly specific, such as a need to buy a particular product, to a vague need for distraction. You need to work out which of these needs also benefits your organisation, then tailor your website to meet them. This is hard because people can arrive in a bewildering variety of ways. Imagine a large shopping centre with an underground car park, an internal metro station, a bus-stop, a helipad, several pedestrian entrances – and, just for added complication, a few ladders leaning up against windows. Where do you greet the visitors, and how do you establish what they need? Website visitors can come from search engines, social media, reference by a friend, a link from a site, by directly typing the address into their browser after seeing an advert, or just from memory. You have no way of telling where the next one will come from, and no control over which page they see first. This means each page, by itself, needs to answer the golden question of web writing: ‘Am I in the right place?’ Within about five seconds. This is a hard test to pass. Try it for yourself: Get someone who isn’t familiar with your website to look at an important page. Ask them what they think that page is about after a few seconds. There’s a good chance you’ll be surprised by their answer. Go to FiveSecondTest.com (the free version is fine for this) and ask some anonymous people from the internet to do the same thing. If this all sounds too painful, try it on the sites of your competitors or similar organisations. You’ll be surprised at how many of them fail. This can be quite satisfying, but bear in mind that your site probably suffers from some of the same problems. People will tend to stay on your site if they think they’re in the right place – just as you’ll keep searching for what you need in a department store if you think you’re likely to find it. However, you’ll need to make sure they can find it reasonably swiftly, as anyone who’s ever stormed off in an empty-handed huff will attest. Be credible If Google is to be believed, the world is crammed full of ‘world leaders’, hundreds of thousands of them, all leading the world in something or other. A Google search for ‘world leader in the field of’ returns more than five million results. Phrases like this give no information and are not by themselves credible. They only take a few key strokes to type and anyone can claim them – and your readers know it. They will filter it out. This applies most obviously to marketing copy, where a handful of testimonials from satisfied people are worth more than anything, however wondrous, the company claims about itself. But it also applies in a more subtle way to non-marketing claims. For example, if you claim you are ‘always there to help’, then back it up by making your contact details easy to find. Make your headlines work The pressure on headlines is staggering, which makes writing them hard. But it doesn’t have to be, if you follow three rules: They must be informative. They’re the first thing the reader scans, and often the only thing they’ll bother to read, so they need to communicate essentially what the page is about. They need to be concise, to the point and short. And they have to be easy to understand for everyone in your target audience. So think twice before using industry-insider terms that a new customer may not understand. When writing a headline, keep in mind the golden question: ‘Am I in the right place?’ Your headline needs to answer that in as plain a way as possible. Gov.uk does well again here – its section covering areas as diverse as apprenticeships, school applications and university loans is summarised as ‘Education and learning’. It’s short, informative and easy to understand. The body copy (also very short) lets people know the detail. KISS with confidence Keeping it Short and Simple is a fundamental part of all professional writing, and it’s particularly important when you’re writing for the web. On the web, you’re always fighting to hold your audience’s attention (and to keep them away from the back button), so the shorter the sweeter. Also, your visitors will have different levels of English comprehension – some may have lower levels of literacy, including those for whom English is not a first language. Keeping it short and simple will help all the visitors to your site by making it easier to use and understand. This in turn increases trust, and helps your visitors achieve their goals quickly and simply. Bob’s your uncle Apply these five rules to your website, and you’ll soon see your communications becoming leaner, cleaner and more efficient. And while you may not be able to see your website visitors’ blood pressure lowering, you’ll soon start to witness the effects. When they realise they’re able to find what they’re looking for on your website quickly and easily, they’ll trust your organisation to be able to meet their needs with the same efficiency. To find out how to optimise your web writing for search engines, see  A beginner’s guide to keyword research.  For tips on how to keep it short and simple, see Three ways to tame your sentences and the  Power up with the active voice  video.

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nutrition - Essay Example A closer look at my daily diet showed that I was not consistent in meeting the food requirements that are set in the basic food pyramid guide (health.stateuniversity.com, 2009). My diet varied highly from day to day, with very high-energy intake on day 2, followed by day 1. On day 3, there was a very drastic reduction in my food and energy intake to less than half of what I normally take. This was due to my busy school workload, which made me neglect the preparation of food for that day. The third-day food intake was sufficient to lower my daily average to 2200 cal day-1. However, my food intake was much higher than what I really needed considering my very low level of physical activity. Being relatively young, I still do not have a medical condition that will require an immediate change in diet, however there is a major discrepancy in my diet compared to the set guidelines. The food pyramid sets the minimum and maximum levels of food servings that are required from each of the different food groups namely cereals, vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy and sweets and oils. Servings were calculated based on standard recommendation (Healthy Eating Guide, 2001). The average number of servings was calculated from my diet and is presented in Appendix Table 2, Table 1, and Figure 1. On a weight basis, the meat group contributed the most to the daily energy intake, followed by the cereals group. The least contribution came from the vegetables (Figure 2). This was in agreement with the very large number of servings obtained from meat. Figure 3 presents the percentage of contribution of the different major nutrients to my diet. Carbohydrates make up more than half of my nutrients, while proteins and fats have almost equal contribution to the other half. Analysis of foods and how they affect our metabolism and health should be done by taking an overall picture of the whole. However,

Culture Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture Concept - Essay Example In his exposition of the role of anthropology in the communication and explication of culture, Geertz emphasises the imperatives of cultural relativism. As he quite explicitly states in his Interpretation of Culture, the role of the anthropologist in the communication and exposition of culture is that of the ethnographer whose responsibility is to "first grasp and then render" (p. 10). Engagement in the "thick description" of culture is predicated on the anthropologist's assuming the role of an ethnographer and within the context of that role, to understand the culture's codes and symbols from the inside. The point here is, according to Geertz, that loci of culture are the hearts and minds of its natives and this imposes the imperatives of entering the hearts of minds in order to understand culture and communicate it, not from the anthropologist's subjective point of view but, "from the native's point of view" (Geertz, Local Knowledge, p. 56). Cultural relativism is the optimal approach, not just to the study of cultures but, to their accurate comprehension. Geertz's "thick description" of culture, which translates into understanding culture "from the native's point of view" implies the comprehension of cultures from an internal perspective.

Early Christian Architecture Essay Example for Free

Early Christian Architecture Essay Early Christian Architecture We have spoken of how one style of architecture develops from another, and we are now to look briefly at a form which is chiefly important as being a link in the chain of styles. There are not many important buildings of the Early Christian style. It came into being at a time when not much building was going on that is, during the early centuries of Christianity, and what good examples there are, are nearly all churches. During the first three centuries of the Christian era Christianity was under the ban of persecution, and there was not much chance for it to manifest itself in great architecture. But, early in the fourth century, Constantine became Emperor and was converted to Christianity. He made Christianity the State religion. Constantine founded three large basilicas in Rome, all of which have been buried or destroyed. The chief objects to be thought of in these churches was to build without too much cost, to do it quickly, and to accommodate large congregations. A great structural principle which they used in roofing, or spanning spaces, is the truss. This is a frame of beams, or of beams and rods, so disposed and fastened as to make a continuous support or bridge across an open space. The truss was used by the Romans in roofing their basilicas. CHIEF FEATURES As the great Romanesque style grew out of this early Christian architecture, let us look at the main features of the earlier and simpler style. Some of the most important of these features are preserved also in the Gothic church and we shall wish to see, as we very easily can see, how they grew out of this first early Christian style. The buildings of this style were simple in form, but of noble proportions, and, though very plain without, they were often gorgeous within. A notable circumstance about the early Christian work is the fact that its monuments were built largely from ruins and fragments quarried from earlier Roman work. No doubt much beauty was ruthlessly destroyed in this way. Before the Christian era Cato borrowed from the Greeks their hall of justice; the first one being erected in Rome about 190 years before Christ. These basilicas usually had a large hall connected with a portico, and encircling galleries often enclosed the whole. When Christianity became a State religion these buildings came to be used for religious purposes. The basilica always had a central aisle; and this nave or central portion was usually separated from the side aisles by rows of columns. At the further end of the nave was the sanctuary or apse, in front of which stood the altar. In front of the whole was usually an atrium or fore-court, surrounded by a covered arcade. The exterior was extremely plain, and the interior resplendent with marbles and mosaics. A wooden roof covered the edifice. Figure 29 is the ground plan of a basilica which will show us the general arrangement, although this basilica does not happen to be an old Roman example. Above the columns that surrounded the nave there usually arose another story called the clerestory (clear story), the walls of which were pierced with windows. This is a feature which persists through later styles, and it is interesting to see its simple and plain beginning. Some of the Egyptian temples had clerestories, but the European examples date back only to early Christian architecture.

Neurotheology: Which came first, God or the brain? :: Chemistry Neurotheology Papers

Neurotheology: Which came first, God or the brain? à ¬It feels like a loss of boundaryÃâ€"Ità ­s as if the film of your life broke and you were seeing the light that allowed the film to be projectedÃâ€"à ®: Michael Baime describes the sensations he experiences during Zen meditation. Michael is a subject of the brain imaging study performed by scientists Newburg and Dà ­Aquili to track neural activity during Zen meditation. Newburg and Dà ­Aquili wanted to find out which brain sections were most active during the meditative states achieved by Michael and his fellow subjects. (2). Which regions of the brain are most active during spiritual or mystical experiences? Can an understanding of the neuroscience of spirituality prove the existence of God? It can be difficult to unobtrusively track the neuronal activity of those in intense states of meditation or prayer without jolting them back into everyday perception. However, using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, or SPECT, scientists Newburg and Dà ­Aquili were able to track neuronal activity in skilled meditators without disturbing them. With an intravenous tube in their arm, each meditator focused intently on a single, usually religious image until they achieved their familiar meditative sense of à ¬onenessà ®. When each meditator felt this sense, they tugged on a string to alert the researchers, who then injected a radioactive tracer into the intravenous line. The tracer bound to the brain regions where blood flow was highest. A scanner then made a snapshot showing the regions with the most blood flow, which indicates neuronal activity. (3). Since the meditators were focusing intently, the Prefrontal Cortex, associated with attention, lit up. But more strikingly, the parietal lobes showed very little activity. Part of the cerebrum, the parietal lobes are associated with the orientation of the body in space and processing information about time and space. More specifically, the left superior parietal lobe creates the perception of the physical bodyà ­s boundaries. The right superior parietal lobe creates the perception of the physical space outside of the body. (3). Blocked off from neuronal activity, the parietal lobe cannot create a sensation of boundary between the physical body and the outside world, which may explain the meditatorsà ­ sense of à «onenessà ­ with the Universe. Since the parietal lobes were also unable to perform their usual task of creating our linear perception of time, meditators achieved a sensation of infinity and timelessness.

Justice vs Mercy

Justice is the most fundamental requirement of a properly functioning, civilized society. An unwavering system of cause and effect that apply to all members is exactly what human beings need to ensure peaceful living. As the events and characters of Shakespeare’s King Lear clearly indicate, mercy is extremely important in dealing with problems in society, but justice should be the standard by which people are governed in dealing with crimes, however harsh it may seem.Man needs to fear the consequences of his actions because if there are no undesired repercussions, he will follow his baser desires to no limit. When there is a strict system of justice in place that applies to all members of society, fewer crimes will be committed as a result of public punishments. Also, there is a system of karma that we already see in place. If justice is not served by the law, some form of justice comes around to the perpetrator from a higher power. Therefore, in dealing with crimes in society as a whole, the use of justice should dominate the use of mercy.I believe that human nature is to be content with virtue. However, there is also a part of us that is desirous of evil. It is that lower, deeper part of our desires that gives us pleasure in doing things that we know are harmful to ourselves and those around us. Most people will tell you they follow a certain moral conduct because of the virtue of their character, but only a certain percentage of those people actually speak the truth. The rest, only do so for fear of consequences.This is exactly the reason why people behave well in front of others, while they do many undesirable things when they are alone. If there is no fear of the legal repercussions of one’s actions, the majority of the population will not be able to control that inner monster who is only satiated with evil and destruction. As Albany, the son-in-law of King Lear so eloquently puts it: â€Å"If that the heavens do not their visible spirits | Send quickly down to tame these vile offences, | It will come,| Humanity must perforce prey on itself, |Like monsters of the deep. (IV, ii, 46-49). He is saying that if some form of justice is not dished out, the world would turn into a wild and savage place. Therefore, a system of justice that allots punishments that are equal in degree to the crimes committed is needed to keep people in check. Also, the system of justice that we just spoke about should be unwavering for each and every individual in society, no matter the rank or position of that person. King Lear himself says, â€Å"†¦Through tattered clothes small vices do appear; /Robes and furred gowns hide all.Plate sin with gold, /And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks; / Arm it in rags, a pygmy’s straw does pierce it† (IV, vi, 167-169) Here, he is complaining of the sad state that the justice system is in. There is a huge amount of unfairness that happens when judging the rich and the poor for the same offence. Poor people suffer a lot more for their petty crimes, while the rich can get away with the worst things by paying off the right people. What King Lear concluded hundreds of years ago, is still the sad state of our society today.The justice system is so corrupt that people in higher positions of power that are tried and proven guilty of horrendous crimes sometimes get the same amount of prison time as a small scaled armed robbery. An example of this is when pictures leaked of physical and emotional torture and sadistic killings conducted by a certain general and the 6 other people on his team in a prison in Iraq. A lot of the people that were there were taken from the streets and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and had no knowledge of the terrorist forces.These people were detained and every time they were to be ‘questioned’, they would be taken to a room, stripped naked, beaten, put into stress positions and have a number of other thin gs done to them that are too gruesome to speak of. These American soldiers took pictures of all the things that went on. These pictures were ultimately how they got caught. Even with all that proof, the largest sentence that was given out was for 10 years to the general and sentences ranging from 6 months to a couple of years to the 6 other members that were involved.This is how unfair the justice system is in North America. If a society was to be created where all members are actually treated the same, there would be less crime in that society as a whole as everyone would know they cannot get away with anything. Lastly, justice is such that what goes around, comes around. I believe in karma as it is often apparent in life. Sometimes, the return is not of equal degree to the action, but in the end, you reap what you sow.This is what Albany means when he says, â€Å"This shows you are above,/ You justicers, that these our nether crimes/ So speedily can venge†. (IV, ii, (78-80) He is expressing his gratitude to the Gods for the death of Cornwall for his horrible crimes. I am also of the opinion that God will even out the forces of evil when He sees fit. Therefore, we should establish the ideal system of justice and stick with it in the correct manner. If crimes are committed by us, we should accept the punishment agreed on by the society or a stronger and worst punishment may come our way from someone else.In conclusion, to ensure a society in which crime is curbed as much as possible, a proper, strict justice system needs to be established that is equal in its dealings with all classes of people. This is the only way to ensure the control of human desire as there is no telling what a person might do to harm themselves and others without rules to govern them. References: 1)Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Toronto: Signet Classic Shakespeare, 1998. 2)Ghosts of Abu Ghraib. dir. Rory Kennedy, 2007.