Read below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Read below - Essay Example Such a status quo does not behove for a peaceful resolution of the issue of Taiwanese sovereignty or the Chinese ‘One China Policy’. Changes that have occurred in China in the last two decades that have the potential to propel it to the forefront in world economics and politics create a platform for China to be more accommodative to a peaceful resolution to the irritants that exist between it and Taiwan. Recent events, like the historic visits of the Head of State of Taiwan to mainland China add to the potential for. It is against this backdrop that the author lays down a possible political solution to the vexing issues of China’s insistence on only one China and the autonomy aspirations of China. The political solution suggested by the author is the â€Å"Greater China Union†, wherein the one China policy of mainland China is accepted on one hand and some of the autonomy aspirations of Taiwan are conceded by China. By worldwide acceptance of the fait accompli of a single state of China, the pride of China remains unaffected, which would find acceptance to the more realistic politicians in Beijing and also derive the benefit of concessions on autonomy aspirations of Taiwan. The author also lays out the status of Taiwan within the â€Å"Greater China Union† concept. The â€Å"Greater China Concept† calls for an asymmetric relationship between that of the federated state (Taiwan) and a greater larger federate power (China). The asymmetry lies in Taiwan maintaining greater internal autonomy and giving up some of its international autonomy in the potential Union of the two federations. The first element in the potential union is the demilitarization of Taiwan under international guarantees on the similar lines of the Finland-Aland model, already a real precedent in existence. The Aland Islands are demilitarized under international guarantees and Finland looks after the foreign affairs of the Aland

Quantitative Easing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quantitative Easing - Essay Example This act expands the excess reserves of banks and lowers the yield since the prices of the financial assets rise (Wieland & Research., 2009). Since this is a type of a monetary policy, it also includes expansionary and contractionary monetary policies. Expansionary policies include those in which the central bank purchases government bonds (short-term) in order to bring down the market interest rate. When interest rates are at zero and traditional monetary policy cannot be brought into play, quantitative easing is used to further boost the economy, and not only are short-term bonds purchased, but long-term bonds are purchased as well, and the yield would be most likely to increase. (Economist, 2005) This policy helps to keep inflation at the right percentage, neither too low nor too high. However, easing can become over-effective and result in deflation or be ineffective and lead to banks not lending out additional reserves (Economist, 2005). As aforementioned, the central bank imposes a monetary policy by a rise or fall in the interest rate. Then the interest rate target is also achieved by open market operations, which essentially involves the buying or selling of short-term government bonds from financial institutions including banks. The process involves the central bank lending out bonds, collecting the money from these bonds purchased, and this in turn changes the money supply in the economy and at the same time affects the price of government bonds, even though just the short-term ones. This entire process changes the interbank rates of interest (Fukasawa & Corporation, 2000). A liquidity trap occurs when the central bank cannot change the interest rate. Quantitative easing is then used to boost the economy without referring to the interest rate. The aim of quantitative easing is to affect the money supply and not the interest rate, which is impossible to reduce in any case. And this is referred to as a â€Å"last resort policy† in

Preparation of Recrystallization of Aspirin

Preparation of Recrystallization of Aspirin 1. Synopsis This experiment serves 2 objectives the production of Aspirin from esterification of salicylic acid with excess acetic anhydride and obtaining it in a purer state by recrystallisation, hence determines the melting point of the acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) that was synthesised and purified. To achieve this, salicylic acid is reacted with excess acetic anhydride in the presence of the sulphuric acid as the catalyst, which produces precipitate ASA and aqueous acetic acid. I applied suction filtration to collect the ASA as the residue having acetic acid as the filtrate. Pure aspirin is a white crystalline solid. The aspirin initially produced by synthesis may be light tan, indicating the presence of impurities. The ASA synthesis earlier is purified by recrystallization. In recrystallization, the impure solid is dissolved in a hot solvent (aqueous ethanol) and the resulting solution is allowed to cool slowly. As the solution cools, crystals of the product will form and soluble impurities will remain in solution. From this experiment, the percentage yield of ASA is around 49%, using capillary test the melting point of ASA falls in the rage of 137.9-140.5 0 C. The appearance of ASA is an odourless, white, needle-shaped and shiny solid. In conclusion, experiment is a success. Despite product had a low percent yield and was found to be impure due to its low melting point. 2. Introduction Aspirin is the trade name for the molecule acetylsalicylic acid. The earliest known use of this molecule has been traced back to the fifth century B.C. The Greek physician Hippocrates described an extract of willow tree bark, a bitter powder that could be used to reduce fevers. In 1829, Salicin was isolated from willow bark and used as a pain reliever. Unfortunately Salicin was not very popular since it was found to be very acidic and a stomach irritant. In 1897 Felix Hoffman, a German chemist, was working for the Bayer chemical company. Hoffman wanted to formulate for a less acidic pain reliever as his father could consume for his arthritis. His studies led to the synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or aspirin. Bayer patented the name and commenced to market the product in 1899. It was a huge success and sales grew rapidly. In fact, the company set up by Friedrich Bayer Company is generally considered to have been the first pharmaceutical company, and the production of aspirin has indisputably laid the base of the modern pharmaceutical industry. Only until the 1970s that scientists starts to comprehend the concept on how aspirin function as a pain reliever. Today 80 billion aspirin tablets are taken every year over the al the countries to reduce fevers, relieve pain, and even help prevent heart attacks. Bayer In commercial aspirin products, a small amount of ASA (300 to 400 mg) is bound together with a starch binder and sometimes caffeine and buffers to make an aspirin tablet. The basic conditions in the small intestine break down the ASA to yield salicylic acid, which is absorbed into the bloodstream. The addition of a buffer reduces the irritation caused by the carboxylic acid group of the aspirin molecule. 3. Theory Esters are organic compounds with the general formula RCOOR, where R and R can be an alkyl group or an aromatic group. Alkyl group is an alkane that is short of one hydrogen since it needs one bond to be branched from the parent chain. Aromatic compounds are a class of molecules containing benzene, a six-membered carbon rings with delocalized pi electrons. This type of group is found in salicyclic acid and ASA. Esters are readily synthesized by the reaction between a carboxylic acid, RCOOH, and an alcohol, ROH, as shown in the following reaction. The reaction above is also known as esterification. It is a condensation reaction, whereby two molecules combine to form one single molecule, while removing a small molecule (e.g. H2O) in the process. The reaction to I have used synthesis ASA is very similar to the one above. Salicylic acid a phenol consisting of a phenyl bonded to the hydroxyl (-OH) which is very much alike to alcohol and acetic Anhydride is a dehydrated carboxylic acid (acetic acid). In the below reaction we use concentrated sulphuric acid as the catalyst. After the warm bath to complete the reaction, we added cold water to quench the reaction (hydrolysis of acetic anhydride) to prevent further reaction to take place. The cold water must be added quickly as to allow fast crystal formations due to the drastic drop in temperature. Stir and rub the walls can create uneven surfaces hence inducing crystallization. ). As such, in this experiment, 2.4 grams of salicylic acid should yield 3.13 grams of Aspirin, it is stated that acetic anhydride is in excess. This is proven by the following calculation: Mol of salicylic acid in this experiment: 2.4(2d.p)/138 = 0.0174 (3 s.f.) Mol of salicylic acid : Mol of Aspirin 1 : 1 Therefore, Mol of Aspirin: 0.0174/1 x 1 = 0.0174 (3 s.f.) Expected mass of Aspirin: 0.017391 x 180 = 3.130 (3 dec.) The solid ASA formed contains impurities and should be recrystallised to achieve a purer state. Recrystallization is possible because most solids are more soluble in hot solvents than in cold solvents. The solubility of ASA increases as temperature increases. This means that if aspirin is dissolved in ethanol to produce a saturated solution and that solution is cooled, the aspirin will crystallize during the cooling. Ethanol has been chosen as the solvent because the polar nature of the hydroxyl group causes ethanol to dissolve many ionic compounds, moreover the ethanol molecule also has a non-polar end, and it will also dissolve non-polar substances. While cooling, crystallization takes place. In crystallization, there is a slow, selective formation of the crystal framework resulting in a pure compound. Instead in precipitation, due to the rapid formation it will trap impurities in the solids crystal framework. For this reason, we should include crystallization to get a purer solid substance. The alternate way of synthesising the aspirin can be produced by replacing the acetylating agent from acetic anhydride to an even more acidic acid known as acetyl chloride CH3COCl. This can increase the percentage yield of ASA, since acetyl chloride is more acidic. The reaction of acetyl chloride with salicylic acid is showed below. However, the by-product is hydrochloric acid (HCl) instead of acetic acid. However, Acetic anhydride is preferred because it is less hazardous to use and less expensive than acetyl chloride. In industry, the acetic acid produced in this reaction can be recovered and converted back into acetic anhydride by the process known as dehydration: We may also create or Salicylic acid from Kolbes reaction whereby we start with a phenol: 4. Procedure Approximately 2.4 grams of salicylic acid is weighed and placed in a dry, 100ml conical flask. 6ml of acetic anhydride is added into the same conical flask, along with 3-4 drops of concentrated H2SO4 as catalyst. The conical flask is then heated at 80-100 degree C in a water bath for 10 to 15 minutes to hasten the reaction. 1ml of distilled H2O is added into the conical flask immediately after it is removed from water bath. 40ml of cold distilled H2O is then added to the conical flask. A stirring rod is used to gently rub the side of the conical flask. This is to scratch off crystals which have formed. Suction filtration is then carried out to remove the crystals from the solution. The crystals are removed from the filter paper. To ensure accuracy, cold distilled H2O is used to wash away remaining crystals from the filter paper. The crystals are then dissolved in 5ml of ethanol. 30ml of hot, distilled H2O is added into the solution, and slowly cooled. Crystallisation of Aspirin will take place as the solution is cooled to room temperature. Suction filtration is done to remove the Aspirin from the solution. The residue is then placed on a watch glass along with the filter paper. Aspirin is then dried by placing it in the oven for 20 minutes, along with the watch glass and filter paper. It will then be transferred to the desiccators for 15 minutes to further dry it. The crystals remained on the filter paper would be pure, dry, Aspirin. The following measurements are taken: Actual weight of salicylic acid is weighed at (1). Weight of filter paper and watch glass is taken. Weight of Aspirin, along with watch glass and filter paper, is taken after (15). After obtaining Aspirin, the melting point of Aspirin is then determined using the capillary method. 5. Results and Calculation Mass Mass of salicylic acid (a) = 2.39 g Mass of filter paper watch glass (b) = 33.11 g Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirin, filter paper watch glass (c) = 34.64 g Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirin (d) = (c) (b) = 34.64-33.11 = 1.53 g Percent yield Number of moles of salicylic acid used (e) = 0.0173 mol (Molecular weight of salicylic acid = 138) Expected number of moles of aspirin (f) = 0.0173 mol Expected mass of aspirin (g) = 3.12 g (Molecular weight = 180) Melting point Temperature range 137.9-140.5Â °C Appearance Needle shaped, white, and shiny. 6. Discussion My percentage yield ASA is relatively low since it is only 49%. This may occur due to several factors: While transferring the salicylic acid, some of the solid may stay at the side of the conical flask and even your spactula, and resulting in lesser salicylic acid participating in the process of esterification compared to what have been weighed earlier. Thus, this will result in lower yield of the crystal ASA. It will be advisable to wash the walls with distilled water to ensure more salicylic acid will participate in the reaction. When dissolving the initial amount of salicylic acid in the solution of acetic anhydride and concentrated sulphuric acid, it did not completely dissolve into the solution, even when it was heated. This could have a slight impact on the results of the overall yield of aspirin because it was possible that not all of the salicylic acid was synthesized. To determine if this affected the synthesis of aspirin at all, the experiment should have been ran a second time to see if the same thing occurred. The iron (III) chloride test also could have been ran to determine if any of the aspirin degraded to salicylic acid or never converted from salicylic acid. During the suction filtration we should rinse the solid ASA formed in the conical flask and the glass rod during the synthesis before pouring into the BÃ ¼chner funnel repeatedly. After the final suction filtration, another error causes the percentage yield to drop. This is due to the crystals not being fully collected on the filter paper, but rather, remains on the side of the Buchner funnel. This loss can be minimized by the crystals from the side of the BÃ ¼chner funnel to the filter paper moving using a metal spatula before collecting the filter paper and placing it on the watch glass. During recrystallization, one common error of adding too much solvent (ethanol) will result in less percentage yield while cooling. We should refrain from moving or shifting the solution while it is cooling as it will interrupt the crystal formation since the particles are generally held by weak dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen bond. We should also allow slow crystal formation as fast crystal formation will cause the trap of impurities and giving higher percentage yield. With the presence of impurities the melting point will decrease and vary in a larger range. 7. Conclusion In conclusion, the experiment is a success since I have managed to synthesis and recrystallise the ASA although we have relatively low percentage yield of 49% that may arise due to several factors as stated in the discussion. I was able to analysis the melting point of the recrystallised aspirin and it is generally low in temperature which implies the presence of impurities.

Summary of Emechetas The Bride Price :: essays research papers

The Bride Price Buchi Emecheta, the author of The Bride Price, illustrates the life of the Odia family and the hardships they go through together, and on their own. The character who stands out the most, however, is Aku-Nna Odia, the protagonist of the story. Because she is an unmarried teenage girl, life is additionally hard for her. Aside from the difficulties she has because of the death of her father, Aku-Nna is faced with the cultural mission as a female in society to get married so the family can receive a bride price. The author of this fictional story weaves in the theme of male dominance and women?s compliance to men. Life in Nigeria is hard at the time, and Aku-Nna is a character who demonstrates the difficulties of life as a female in this culture. It is clear that men play the dominant gender in Nigerian societies. They are expected to be strong, smart, and powerful. They act as the head of the family as they are the ones who make all the money and decisions. Ezekiel Odia, the father of the Odia family, works a full-time job at the ?Loco Yard.? When he dies, his family is left to fend for themselves. They move back to Ibuza where the mother, Ma Blackie, hopes to find help from her brother-in-law. In this African culture, it is believed that after a husband has died, a woman can no longer take care of herself or her family. ?A fatherless family is a family without a head, a family without shelter, a family without parents, in fact a non-existing family? (28). This statement just further illustrates that men are more important than women in society. In Nigeria, women are inferior to men. They tend to them and do tedious household chores that need to be done. At four o?clock, women work especially hard. ?Four o?clock was the time when all housewives stopped plaiting their hair, when they finished off their gossiping because their men folk would soon be home, hungry, tired, and irritable, so the women would rush to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal? (20). Whatever task men asked their wives to do, women were expected to complete thoroughly. Women were demanded to give birth to healthy males and do household work in society. They were also ?supposed to exhibit more emotion? (30) than men were to express.

China’s Three Philosophies Essay

China has one of the longest histories in ancient world history. As civilization developed, so did ideas about religion, knowledge, values, society, and the world. Three of the most famous ones were the Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. There are many different and similar ideas in these three philosophies. Confucianism has many characteristics and ideas for life and social order. It came from the teachings of a Chinese philosopher named Confucius, or Kongzi. His students recorded all his teachings in a book called the Analects, which mainly focused on social and family relationships (4). Confucius believed that respect for others was necessary for peace within society. Confucius thought that human nature is morally neutral, and it is peoples’ choices in their later lives that determine if they are good or bad (1). Two of Confucius’s students, Mencius and Xunzi, argued about whether humans are born good or evil. Mencius believed that humans are inevitably good (1). If one is bad, or â€Å"lacks a mind that knows right and wrong,† one would not even be considered human (1). Xunzi’s ideas were more similar to Legalists, who thought that humans were naturally evil. Confucius believed that everyone had his/her own Dao, the way to proper behavior (3). If everyone followed his/her Dao, and were respectful to others, social order would follow. Legalism had very different ideas from Confucianism. Instead of respect for others, Legalists believed that strict laws and harsh punishments were the key to social order. What’s different from Xunzi’s ideas and Legalism was that Legalists thought humans were born evil (4), while Xunzi thought that humans may be born good, but will always turn out bad (1). Legalists disagreed with many of Confucius’s ideas. For example, they didn’t think that the universe has a moral core and everything will end up good. Legalists thought that only firm action with strict laws from the government would bring social order (3). Legalists also disagreed with the Confucianists view of how society’s problems could be solved by a government with â€Å"superior men†, and wanted laws that made people afraid to do wrong, instead (3). Daoism (or Taoism) was founded by LaoZi (Old Master). Scholars don’t know for sure if he really existed or not. The Daodejing recorded all of his teachings. Unlike Confucianism and Legalism, Daoists care more about natural order than social order (4). They thought that the government should just leave people alone. They believe that if people can live in harmony with nature and their inner feelings, social order will naturally come (4). Daoists thought that arguments about right or wrong are pointless and people should just accept things as they are (4). Like Confucianism, Daoists also had to follow their own individual Dao, or way, though the concepts are a bit different. They believe that one must find their individual Dao to relate to nature and each other (4). Another important aspect of Daoism is the Yin and Yang. It is the concept of how there is no dark without light, and no light without dark. An excerpt from the Daodejing says â€Å"when they all know the good as good, there arises the recognition of evil† (2). Confucianists thought that that people had to work hard to make earth a better place, while Daoists thought that its isn’t action but inaction and letting nature take its course that will help people achieve harmony with the universe and to find the will of Heaven (3). Although there are many differences between Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism, there are also many similarities. They all want to have social order, though through different ways. All the philosophies’ ideas were recorded in a book. For Confucianism it’s the Analects. For Daoism it’s the Daodejing, and even though Xunzi was a Confucianist, his book, The Book of Xunzi, talks about Legalism ideas. Daoism and Confucianism both believe that each person has an individual Dao to follow. These three philosophies of ancient China have its own interesting characteristics and ideas. Although they have many differences, the three different philosophies are tied together by one goal: to have peace in society. These philosophies guided rulers in ancient China and helped them achieve social order. Even now, thousands of years later, you can still see some of their characteristics in the modern world. Bibliography The Essential World History pg. 63 â€Å"A Debate Over Good and Evil† The Essential World History pg. 64 â€Å"The Daoist Answer to Confucianism† The Essential World History pg 61-64 World History: Ancient to Modern Times Chapter 6 Section 2 (pg. 153-157).

Life Span Perspective

The process of human development starts as early as the embryonic stage and continues to progresses throughout life. These changes have been examined by leading theorist in the Psychology field who were looking to establish guiding principles and concepts. There have been a number of developmental theories that seek to explain the questions that we have related to human development. I will examine these theories, as well as, provide backgrounds for the most influential theorist for each.I will also examine the life span perspective and how heredity and the environment influence the human development. One of the most leading theories of human development is the psychoanalytic theory. Many contemporary theories of counseling or psychotherapy are extensions, variations, or responses against psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic theory examines the factors that motivate behavior by focusing on the role of the unconscious. Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson are examples of theorists who suppo rt this approach.Freud was an innovator, his psychoanalytic theory of personality and his psychosocial placement theory lead to his predecessors' development of their own philosophies. Erik Erikson expanded on Fraud's theories in many ways and created his own theory of psychosocial development. â€Å"Psychoanalytic theory's strength lies in its awareness of unconscious motivation and the importance of early experiences on development. † (Rounds, 2010) Since there is a lack of concrete evidence to support the claims of psychoanalytic theory, psychologists became increasingly interested in developing a more scientific approach.In order to do this, some researchers began to study only those things that could be measured and quantified. This led to the beginning of learning theories. Learning theories focus on how behavior is learned. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist who discovered the term classic conditioning. Classic conditioning is a learning process that occurs through as sociations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Pavlov conducted his experiment by using mammals, he observed the digestive process in dogs and the relation between salvia and food.His study was extremely influential in establishing triggers (conditioned responses) that stimulated the salvia when feeding the dogs. He name to realize that the dogs began to salivate not only when they saw food but when they saw the scientist in lab coats. The dogs associated food to the white lab coats which triggered the salvation. He also conducted an experiment with the use of a bell. He would ring a bell when it was time to eat and subsequently the same conditioned responses were stimulated and the dogs reacted in the same manner as in the lab coat experiment.His developments influenced American psychologist John Watson experiment on a nine month old baby named Albert. He wanted to prove that classic conditioning work on humans as well. His famous study for this wa s called the Little Albert Experiment in which he theorized that children have three basic emotional reactions: fear, rage, and love. He wanted to prove that these three reactions could be artificially conditioned in children. Watson used Albert to test his theory.He repeatedly presented Albert a rat in conjunction with a sudden, loud noise to classically condition fear of the rat. He went on to prove that humans can be conditioned as well. His worked formed ideas that would become a whole branch of psychology called behaviorism. (Watson, 1913) Behaviorism operates on the principle f stimulus- response, the subject whether human or mammal can have his/her behavior shaped through positive or negative reinforcements.Behaviorism conclude that any being can be trained to perform any task, subsequently internal stimulus such as; genetic background, personality traits, and internal thoughts are no- factors when considering this school of thought. Many critics of behaviorism argue that it is, a one dimensional approach to human behavior. Many say that it misses the mark when it comes to other factors such as free will and internal influences like moods, thoughts, and feelings. Lifespan perspective is in relationship with human development, and is lifelong. This study within psychology is continuous.Lifespan perspective has three developmental domains. These domains are physical domain, cognitive domain, and social domain. Physical development refers to the growth of the body, organs, physical systems, signs of aging, change in motor abilities, and all physical changes (Salesman & Rider, 2009). The next development has problem- solving, mental process, memory, perception, language, and learning from the cognitive development. The last developmental stage is psychosocial stage; this stage endless the personal and interpersonal aspect of development.The developmental aspects for psychosocial are: emotions, personality traits, interpersonal skills, motives, family roles, relationships, and society. Lifespan development also has five characteristics useful for understanding any age of human development (Berger, 2008). Multidimensional characteristics accounts for change in every direction, as change does not have to be in a straight line. Embedding in lives of humans context can include constraints, family patterns, and historical conditions this characteristic offers to multi-contextual characteristics.The last of the five developmental characteristics is plasticity, which states that every person has traits that can be altered at any point in life, and change is ongoing (Berger, 2008). In conclusion, human development is continually changing its guidelines and principles. As we evolve so does the techniques and developmental theories. The human personality can be trained and cultivated to be whatever the influencer desires. We have also learned that the impact from the environment as well as heredity plays an important role in each individual's li fespan development.