Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Response paper - Essay Example In addition, it is sad that her son has nothing positive but he is a lazy kid. In fact, the son behaves like a pimp because he can do nothing and just benefits from the activities carried out by her mother. To make the matter worse, the son hates the mother for being a prostitute but still benefits from her prostitution activities. For example, the son gets money from the mother and also eats what is cooked by her. It is through this kind of laziness that the son reminds her mother of his dead father making the whole scenario of the movie to depict sadness. Of more significance, the movie is filmed like a documentary. This is because there are no fictitious scenes included in the movie. The story line of the movie revolves around the ordinary life of the characters involved. The story about the single parent in the movie reminded me of the kind of life that I fear leading in my future. In addition, the movie made me to think about why my mother has always told me not to live like her. However, I do not think my life will be much different from that of hers considering the nature of life exhibited in Asian countries. On the other hand, the movie made me nervous throughout the different scenes. Even though the movie was presented ordinarily, I became nervous while watching it because I could relate the different situations happening to the characters to my personal life. Different people undergo personal experiences that are kept as a secret to them and after watching this movie, I could not judge people anymore. Anyway, the movie has captured the theme of feminism effectively. The use of Jeanne Dielman in the movie demonstrated the role of women in the society and how they should advocate for equality with men. This explains why the movie is categorized as one of the best feminist movies in history. The director of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles was able to capture an image

Meeting the Challenge through External Audit Essay

Meeting the Challenge through External Audit - Essay Example To prepare the research paper, data has been collected from various secondary sources such as, internet journals and academic websites. The basic premise of the research is to generate an understanding about fraud and role of external audit; how frauds have taken place in Canadian organizations, its impact and the limitations of external audit to face the problems of fraudulent activities. Table of Contents Research Paper Outline 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 The Duty of External Auditor 5 Fraud in Canadian Organizations 7 Challenges of External Audit 10 Conclusion 13 Introduction Fraud can be defined as a planned activity which is intended to betray other party. It results in sufferance of the victim through loss and accomplishment of any gain by the doer. Fraud is any unlawful act characterized by dishonesty, concealment or breach of faith. However, fraud does not mean any threat of bloodshed or physical force to deceive. It is committed by human beings and organizations to acquire money, assets or services and to evade fee or protect individual or corporate benefits. From the auditor’s viewpoint fraud is the misrepresentation of a company’s financial statement. The misrepresentation can happen because of fraudulent financial statement or embezzlement of asset. ... France or revelation of data (Thornton, â€Å"Managing Fraud Risk: The Audit Committee Perspective†) The Duty of External Auditor The duty of external auditor is to manage the fraud. According to statement on Auditing Standard No. 99 (SAS 99) the external auditor needs to: Collect requisite information to recognize the risks of material misrepresentation Recognize the threat of material misrepresentation Evaluate the risks of fraud React to the consequences of evaluation Examine the audit verification Share any proof of fraudulent activity to interested parties, and File the reflection of auditor regarding fraud (Thornton, â€Å"Managing Fraud Risk: The Audit Committee Perspective†). It is the duty of external auditor to identify the fraud and detect any kind of unlawful activity by any organization. In order to detect the risk of misrepresentation the external auditor can apply professional decision and consider the elements of risk which comprises of kinds of risk, im portance of risk, probability of the threat, and pervasiveness of the risk. The external auditor’s evaluation does not act like an assurance that no fraud exists in financial report. The audit committee must acquire rational assurance on behalf of the external auditors that organization has taken the requisite steps to secure the assets of the unit. The audit committee needs to verify by proper analysis about the auditor’s vigilance to the likelihood of fraud (Thornton, â€Å"Managing Fraud Risk: The Audit Committee Perspective†). According to Companies Act 2006, an organization is required to employ an auditor who makes a report for investors with a view on whether the financial statement provides accurate and real value of company’s financial performance. I

Christianity and Native America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christianity and Native America - Essay Example However, what is often overlooked and unasked is that whether those who rabidly defend political correctness, and attack those who disagree with their perspective could have refrained from the same kind of evangelistic fervor if confronted with a people who were savagely killing each other. One can only wonder if the politically correct missionaries (or police) would have made it any farther than the shores of the new land. The Spanish missionaries sent forward by the catholic church of Europe, although they were met with resistance, did forge relationships with the Indian tribes, and assist them in transitioning into a lifestyle that was more advantageous for them. These missionaries also were some of the forerunners for the settlers who would follow. Their work opened the doors for European settlers to establish working relationships with Indian peoples, if only in limited areas and with limited success. But missionaries measure there success not in terms of states and land mass, b ut rather in terms of the number of individuals touched and benefiting from their work. On the other hand, the Catholics' missionary zeal directed toward the new world was misguided in more than one instance. These missionaries did not understand the concept of evangelizing and spreading their faith without including a secondary goal of changing the evangelized people's culture as well. Arriving to their new "mission field" the missionaries only had their own experience to draw from. The catholic missionary work across the European continent was performed within a people group that had, for the most part, arisen from the same culture roots. All of Europe had grown out of, and out from under the influence of the Greco - Roman Empire. The continent had been conquered and re-conquered a number of times, and each time, the victorious nations would sew into the culture more of its own world view and belief system. So, while the nations and regions had different traditions, languages, etc, the continent was, as it is today, a product of a Greco-roman belief system which had been strongly influenced by Christianity for 1400 years. Upon arrival in the new world, the catholic missionaries had only their own experiences to draw from. They did not understand the concept of teaching a faith in Jesus Christ without including the effort to transpose their culture upon the new converts as well. According to the Marquette University studies of Christianity in North America: "Catholic evangelization of the Americas' aboriginal Indian peoples is a story of epic proportions. It is a saga on spreading the Gospel for over 500 years and it is a struggle for peace and justice, cultural accommodation, and the development of indigenous Christian faith communities." (2003) Today, the Catholic Church understands the goal is to create indigenous communities within the local people groups who embrace the catholic faith. However, at the time of the settlement of North America, this theory was not in place. The Roman Catholic Church viewed itself as the repository of civilized culture, and their goal was to bring local native peoples into their faith and culture regardless of the means necessary. For example, one of the most famous settlements of catholic missionaries which still exists for examination today are the set of five missions built in the

Trading Financial Risks and Jobs & Crossing Borders Essay

Trading Financial Risks and Jobs & Crossing Borders - Essay Example the US government must relax its rules on immigration and welcome more foreign skills into our land because these immigrant skilled workers create jobs in America and even for Americans. It is a very interesting idea, indeed. The aforementioned proposition was the theme of the two articles which are the subject of rhetorical analysis in this paper. The first article is Thomas L. Friedman: The open-door bailout, written by Thomas L. Friedman in Bangalore, India and published by the New York Times on November 1, 2009. The second article is Bill Gates: Testimony before the Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, a transcript of the testimony given by the Chairman of Microsoft before the US Congress on March 12, 2008 and published in the Microsoft website. After a thorough evaluation of the two articles, the formal and technical arguments made by Bill Gates proved to be more convincing and more effective than the conversational and layman line of reasoning presented by Thomas Friedman. Both authors addressed their papers to the US government because the solution that they are proposing involves a shift in US immigration policies from that of protectionism to free access to foreign skilled labor. If indeed the US government decides to relax its stringent rules on immigration and issues more of H-1B visas, Bill Gates would have the better right to claim credit for the change in policy than Friedman. Gates would be in a better position to assert that his voice was heard and seriously considered by the government’s policy-makers. Gates can validly declare that his presentation have influenced, in whatever degree, the decision-making in US immigration policies. Foremost, Gates was invited by and was directly addressing the US Congress. The Committee on Science and Technology was interested in what Gates had to say. As a matter of fact, after his speech, the members of the committee took turns in asking questions and Gates had the

What Literacy Means to Me Essay Example for Free

What Literacy Means to Me Essay What literacy means for me and the impact that it has had on my life. Literacy refers to the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. The primary sense of literacy still represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. Key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Literacy is taught through parents by making reading to your child a regular part of your daily schedule, just as my mother did when I was younger. She would read both early readers and chapter books to me. When reading, she would point to the words as she said them and read slowly. This allowed me to read along with her. Once she noticed that I understood certain words, such as the word the, my mother would let me say that word a few times when it appears in the story. This method taught me to be quite an advanced reader by the age of 5 and was heading into kindergarten. The definition of literacy is a difficult one to answer. When the word literacy comes to mind I think of it first in basic terms of just being able to read, but I know it contains more elements of being just able to read. In my mind literacy as a whole defines the relationship that people have with literature. Just like the way my mother taught me the love of reading, which has continued to grow as Ive aged and encouraged me to develop a love for chapter books and the stories depicted in them. I find myself becoming engrossed in these stories and sometimes even comparing them to my own life experiences. Literacy as a whole means the relationship with different types of literature and how well people can comprehend them. There is the basic standard of literacy which would be reading. Then the next step would be how well the reader could comprehend what is being read. Understanding the words written and know most of their meaning. After that it would be how well the reader could analyze the text. The next step from there would be if the writer could then analyze the text well enough to point out anomalies, binaries, patterns, strands, and any repetition that the literature being read may have. After the interpretation of reading and understanding the literature one should be able to write about it. When writing on the literature the reader should be able to communicate clear decisive thoughts about the text that isn’t already spelled out in the literature. With a sharp focused analytical claim. This shows that the reader understood the literature and is capable of translating it to others without retelling the literature that has already been read. For me literacy is very important and has a really strong impact in my life. When I was a kid I remember my mother always telling me â€Å"the more you know the better it is†. I never really understood what she meant nor did I pay that much attention. Society has proven time and time again, it will reward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whether expressed in terms of employment opportunities or just on a social level. One needs look no further than their everyday activities in order to realize how important literacy is. Without adequate literary skills one may not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give a child, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case of a fire. These two examples bring perspective to literacys importance. I discovered that I mainly use text or literacy to communicate with others for maintaining family connections or for work related information. I use text or literacy for entertainment as well, but I spend far less time using it for work than I do for entertainment. Overall, I think literacy is a very fluid concept—it is ever changing and evolving as we change and as our way of life changes. A generation or two ago, it was merely important to be able to read and write. Now, one must be able to read and write and use technology to be successful in the world. And for this necessary ability, I have my mother to thank for all her hard work teaching me these skills as a young child.

Recycling Aluminium into Alum Crystals

Recycling Aluminium into Alum Crystals This experiment was designed to recycle aluminium into alum crystals which have uses in industry. The aluminium was converted to alum by heating the metal samples with potassium hydroxide solution. The product was then reacted with sulphuric acid followed by crystallization. Overall, five trials were conducted with the only variable being the mass of aluminium used. The mass of crystals produced increased until the trial of 0.9g, when excess aluminium was observed. These different aluminium masses consisted of 0.3g, 0.5g, 0.7g and (2x) 0.9g. These particular research questions will be answered throughout this EEI: How the mass of the scrap aluminium related to the final mass of the alum crystal? How can stoichiometry of a sequence of chemical reactions be used to calculate the percentage yield of alum synthesized from aluminium scrap? How can scrap aluminium be chemically converted into a crystal? How does converting aluminium to alum make a worthy recycling process (make use in society, is it financially sustainable?). 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Background Information Alum is a salt that in chemistry is a combination of an alkali metal, such as sodium, potassium, or ammonium and a trivalent metal, such as aluminium, iron, or chromium. The most common form, potassium aluminium sulfate, or potash alum, is one form that has been used in food processing. Modern beverage containers are usually composed of aluminium, in the form of aluminium cans. Australians consumed over 3 billion aluminium cans in 2005. Additionally, approximately 300 million aluminium beverage cans are produced each day in the U.S. Recycling has the benefit of reducing litter from discarded cans and a number of states have passed laws requiring a deposit on aluminium cans to encourage recycling. In this experiment, instead of recycling scrap aluminium into new metal cans, a chemical process will be used that converts scrap aluminium into a useful chemical compound, potassium aluminium sulfate dodecahydrate, KAl(S04)2 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · 12H20, commonly called alum. Alum is widely used in the dyeing of fabrics, in the manufacture of pickles, in canning some foods, as a coagulant in water purification and waste-water treatment plants, as well as in the paper industry. In an aqueous solution of KAl(SO4)2 ,the K+, Al3+, and SO22- are surrounded by molecules of water (they are hydrated). These ions do not have an orderly arrangement in solution. When the compound is forced to crystallize, the ions must begin to join each other in their characteristic order. This process of nucleation may occur spontaneously when the ions of alum collide with appropriate orientation and with sufficiently low kinetic energy to permit them to stick to each other and prevent them from rebounding. Occasionally, some foreign solids (irregularity on the wall of the container, dust particles) will serve as nuclei (or starting points) for the formation of crystals. Once a tiny crystal has formed, ions in their random motion through the solution will hit the faces of the crystal, join the orderly array of ions, and make the crystal grow. There is ionic bonding, covalent bonding and intermolecular attractions, plus hydrogen bonding, which is the attraction between water molecul es. The only type of bonding not present in potash alum is metallic bonding.CAS_GIF_7784-24-9.gif Aluminium, like almost all metals exhibits metallic bonding. It can be oversimplified by saying that metallic bonding is like having positive metal ions in a sea of mobile electrons. The mobile electrons are the loosely held valence electrons that can easily move from atom to atom. In fact, metals behave more like atoms which share orbitals to form delocalized covalent bonds. Orbitals from adjacent metals atoms overlap side-to-side to form pi- bonds. For example, in this diagram, each iron atom, (and the same is true for aluminium) exhibits side to side overlap of the orbitals making pi bonds. Only one axis is shown in the diagram, but overlapping of the atoms in front of and behind this line also occurs. The beauty of this is that the electrons can move along the pi-bonds, from atom to atom, allowing the metal to conduct electricity. Potassium alum is hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate KAl(SO4)2*12H2O. Since all chemical bonds are essentially covalent in nature, then this compound contains covalent bonds as well. The potassium-sulfate bond is the most polar, and the most ionic-like of the bonds. The substance crystallizes in a face-centred cubic arrangement of hydrated K and Al atoms alternating with SO4 radicals. Despite being a vast oversimplification of a complex structure, there are ionic bonds between K and SO4 and Al and SO4, and there are covalent bonds within SO4. This allows an electrostatic attraction between the polar water molecules and the ions. Although aluminium is a reactive metal, it reacts only slowly with dilute acids because its surface is normally protected by a very thin, impenetrable coating of aluminium oxide; such metals are referred to as self-protecting or passivating metals. Alkaline solutions, or bases, (containing OH-) dissolve the oxide layer and then attack the metal: AL2O3(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + 3H2O(l) > 2NaAl(OH)4(aq) 2AL(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + 6H2O(l) > 2NaAl(OH)4(aq) + 3H20(g) Thus, in aqueous alkaline medium, aluminium is oxidized to the tetrahydroxoaluminate anion which is stable only in basic solution. Aluminium is obtained from a raw material called bauxite predominantly in Latin and South America, Africa, and Australia. Recent technological improvements have seen the energy cost of producing one tonne of aluminium drop to 15,000 kW, but that is still a lot of energy on top of which must be added, the energy of transporting the metal obtained around the world. Therefore aluminium recycling is extremely important and very easy for everyone to do. Because of the energy used during extraction of aluminium from bauxite, aluminium is the only commonly used packaging material with a value that exceeds the financial costs of recycling it. To recycle an aluminium can, it costs only 5% of the energy used to create it in the first place. Additionally, aluminium can be recycled many times without any loss in quality. 2.2 Aim The aim is to investigate the effect of the amount of scrap aluminium on the amount of alum crystal produced when the amounts of potassium hydroxide and sulphuric acid used are kept constant. 2.3 Hypothesis It was hypothesized that if the weight of the scrap aluminium is increased or decreased then the amount of the alum crystal will adjust accordingly, when potassium hydroxide and sulphuric acid are kept the same. 3.0 Materials 3.1 Chemicals Potassium hydroxide, KOH, 1.0 M solution Sulphuric acid, H2SO4, 6 M solution 3.2 Apparatus Aluminium beverage can Sandpaper Scissors Ruler Beakers: 3x 50-100mL, 3x 250mL, 3x600mL Bunsen burner Buchner funnel Filter paper Stirring rod Spatula Graduated cylinder 4.0 Method 4.1 Variables 4.1.1 Independent Variables Independent Variables are those that are changed on purpose. The Independent Variables of this experiment are: The mass of the scrap aluminium 4.1.2 Dependent Variables The Dependent Variables are the factors that change according to the independent variables. The Dependent Variables of this experiment are: The amount of alum crystal produced The size of the alum crystals 4.1.3 Controlled Variables Controlled Variables are the variables that are kept constant during the entire experiment. The controlled variables of this experiment are: Amount of potassium hydroxide poured into the beaker Amount of sulphuric acid poured into the beaker Same size beakers for all five experiments 4.1.4 Uncontrolled Variables The uncontrolled Variables are those that cannot be kept regular and may affect the validity of the experiment. The uncontrolled variables of this experiment are: The impurity of the scrap aluminium 4.2 Procedure 4.2.1 Risk Factors Before the procedure can be commenced, certain safety precautions must be implemented prior to the beginning of the experiment. First of all Alum is non-toxic, although alum solutions can cause eye irritation (potassium hydroxide solutions are caustic). Therefore it is crucial to wear goggles or safety glasses when working with the solution. It is essential that the growing solutions are stored in a safe environment and not be disturbed. In the event of contact with skin or eyes (with any of the solutions especially sulphuric acid which is highly corrosive), the affected area must be washed immediately with lots of water. If necessary, medical assistance should be obtained. Sulphuric acid is corrosive. The aluminium metal may have sharp edges, so it must be handled with care. Before handling any beakers, they must be inspected for any chipped or sharp edges, which may cause injury. Bunsen burners can be very hazardous due to its roaring flame so it must be used with caution. The fla me must not be anywhere near the rubber hose because it can be easily melted. As long as all chemicals are kept distant from the human body, the Bunsen burner, and any other dangerously reactive materials, safety will be optimized. 4.2.2 Method A piece of aluminium was scraped with sandpaper to eliminate the strong, thin aluminium oxide layer. The mass of the clean piece of aluminium was carefully measured; 0.300g (+/- 0.001g). The aluminium piece was then cut into smaller pieces, allowing larger surface area for the following reaction.C:UsersGeorgioDesktopSchoolChemistryMaterials Assignment Yr 11Photos18052010030.jpg These smaller pieces of aluminium were then placed in a 250mL beaker, with an added 50mL of 1M KOH (potassium-hydroxide). A Bunsen-burner was then used to heat up the solution to boiling point, to completely dissolve the aluminium (a stirring rod is useful for enhancing the rate of reaction). Once the aluminium was completely dissolved, the solution was then filtered using filter paper, removing insoluble impurities. After being filtered, 20mL of 6M H2SO4 (sulphuric acid) was then added to the solution. Immediately white crystals began to form in the solution. The alum was removed from the liquid by filtration. The alum was then left for 24 hours to crystallize.C:UsersGeorgioDesktopSchoolChemistryMaterials Assignment Yr 11Photos18052010039.jpg The filtration paper was then placed under a heat lamp to rid any condensation or leftover moist on the paper. The weight of the final alum crystal was then able to be defined by subtracting the original weight of the filtration paper from the weight of the filtration paper with the alum. This resulted in a final given amount of produced alum crystal. REPEATED STEPS 1-13 (x4) with weights of scrap aluminium; 0.5g, 0.7g, 0.9g (2x) 5.0 Results 5.1 Tables Amount of alum produced: Beginning Amount of Aluminium Amount of Alum Crystal 0.3g 3.769g 0.5g 4.913g 0.7g 7.878g 0.9g 8.763g 0.9g 4.437g At temperature, 100 parts of water dissolve (g/100ml): Temperature Potash Alum 0oC 3.90 10oC 9.52 50oC 44.11 80oC 134.47 100oC 357.48 5.2 Graph Beginning weight of aluminium piece Amount of alum produced (g) Starting weight of aluminium Percentage Yield for alum experiments Solubility of potash alum in water: alum_solubility_chart.gif Amount of books containing alum:an17-4a.gif Consumption and Recycling of aluminium can beverages in the world: 5.3 Experiment Yield Theoretical Yield: 2Al(s) + 2KOH(aq) + 4H2SO4(aq) + 22H2O(l) > 2KAl(SO4)2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢12H2O(s) + 3H2(g) According to the chemical reaction, 2 moles of aluminium will react to form 2 moles of alum. Formulas: Theoretical yield = Mass of aluminium used = Mass of Alum obtained Molar mass of aluminium Molar mass of Alum Percent yield = Mass of alum obtained x 100 Theoretical yield of alum 0.3g Aluminium: 0.300 = X 3.769 x 100 = 71.6 27 474 5.26 = 5.266 The percentage yield is 71.6% 0.5g Aluminium: 0.500 = X 4.913 x 100 = 56% 27 474 8.77 = 8.77 The percentage yield is 56% 0.7g Aluminium: 0.700 = X 7.878 x 100 = 61.55 27 474 12.8 = 12.8 The percentage yield is 61.55% 0.9g Aluminium (trial 1): 0.900 = X 8.763 x 100 = 55.46 27 474 15.8 = 15.8 The percentage yield is 55.46% 0.9g Aluminium (trial 2): 0.900 = X 4.437 x 100 = 28.08 27 474 15.8 = 15.8 The percentage yield is 28.08% 6.0 Discussion From the results obtained, it can now be determined how the mass of aluminium affects the alum crystal mass and size. After making all recordings, different qualitative and quantitative results were questioned. As seen from the results obtained in 5.0 Results, there were two trials for the experiment with the mass of 0.9 grams of aluminium. This was decided because it was apparent that at around 0.9g of aluminium, it would begin to cause the solution to be saturated. Therefore the procedure for these two experiments differentiates in the following way; as with the other experiments, one was filtered after adding the sulphuric acid (creating the alum), and the other was left to crystallize with no further process. These both resulted in a successful and an unsuccessful result, which provided qualitative results. The one that was filtered had completely crystallized within 24 hours. The one that was left in a solution with aluminium was left to crystallize. The alum did not precipitate from this solution. This result was an anomaly for the experiment for it gave dissimilar results which were discarded. The same procedure was successful until 0.9g due to the fact that the aluminium was acting as the limiting reagent. At 0.9g the potassium hydroxide became the limiting reagent allowing the aluminium to serve as the excess reactant.C:UsersGeorgioDesktopSchoolChemistryMaterials Assignment Yr 11Photos19052010040.jpg These were all the chemical equations step by step during the procedure: When sulphuric acid is slowly added to an alkaline solution of this complex anion, initially, one hydroxide ion is removed from each tetrahydroxoaluminate anion causing the precipitation of white, gelatinous aluminium hydroxide, Al(OH)3 2K[Al(OH)4](aq) + H2SO4(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2Al(OH)3(s) + K2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) The excess potassium hydroxide is neutralized by some of the sulphuric acid to form potassium sulfate. 2KOH(aq) + H2SO4(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ K2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) On addition of more sulphuric acid, the aluminium hydroxide dissolves forming the hydrated aluminium cation 2Al(OH)3(s) + 3H2SO4(aq) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 6H2O(l) Addition of alkali to the Al(OH)3 precipitate will also bring about dissolution by reforming [Al(OH)4]. A hydroxide, such as aluminium hydroxide, that can be dissolved by either acid or base is said to be amphoteric. When the acidified aluminium sulfate solution is cooled, potassium aluminium sulfate dodecahydrate (Alum) precipitates. Al2(SO4)3(aq) + K2SO4(aq) + 24H2O(l) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2K[Al(SO4)2]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢12H2O(s) The overall reaction that takes place is the sum of the previous reactions. 2Al(s) + 2KOH(aq) + 4H2SO4(aq) + 22H2O(l) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2KAl(SO4)2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢12H2O(s) + 3H2(g) All of the filter papers that were to be used were weighed, and an average filter paper mass was recorded for later purposes. For each of the alum solutions that were produced, once filtered (excluding the one that wasnt filtered), were then given 24 hours to crystallize before data and measurements were recorded. It was apparent that in the beaker that contained the solution of the filtered alum, there were small crystal seeds that had formed. This was due to the saturated solution which still contained alum, therefore in the 24 hours it was able to grow into bigger alum seeds. The remaining liquid in all the beakers was decanted leaving only the crystals; they were placed under heat lamps for 10 minutes to evaporate any adhering water. Some final results from the measurements were now conductible. Knowing the beaker mass, the beaker mass with alum, the filter paper mass and the filtration paper mass with alum, the amount of alum produced was established. These final crystal masses were: 0.3g = 3.769g (+/- 0.004g) 0.5g = 4.913g (+/- 0.004g) 0.7g = 7.878g (+/- 0.004g) 0.9g = 8.763g (+/- 0.004g) (with filtration paper) 0.9g = 4.437g (+/- 0.002g) (without filtration paper) It is quite obvious to state that a trend in this experiment was recognized after noticing that (as stated in the hypothesis) when more aluminium is used, more alum crystal is produced, so long as the aluminium remains the limiting reagent. As the aluminium mass increases, the alum product remains at a fairly relative mass for all four scenarios. In reference to the results obtained from 5.3 Experiment Yields, it was found that the percentage yield for all experiments (excluding the non-filtered one) were relatively impressive, but predictable. In practice, getting 100% yield is incredibly difficult if not essentially impossible. Often reactants or products can be lost to the environment, not all of the reactants could react or other factors could impede the reaction. Although in this experiment, a different factor was the cause of the loss of yield percentage. The manufacturers of aluminium cans use an aluminium alloy when making the cans, therefore causing the aluminium to have impurities. This was also noticeable when the reaction of the aluminium with the potassium hydroxide took place; the black residue which was produced was the sign of impurity. A procedure which could have helped prevent this error would have been to soak the aluminium in NaOH (sodium hydroxide) which would get rid of the oxide layer that the aluminiu m contains and any other impurities. Another possible solution to increasing the percentage yield would be to immediately put the beaker in water and ice, straight after adding the sulphuric acid to the solution; allowing it to chill thoroughly for about 15 minutes. Considering this solubility data, some product will not precipitate from the solution. Considering this table and graph (shown in Results), an improved result would be obtained by precipitation in ice water. This would cool the solution down much faster allowing the crystals to grow at a much greater reaction rate. Whereas when it isnt iced, but filtered immediately, much of the alum saturated solution will fall through into the beaker losing some content. Furthermore, when the alum crystal was being handled (transport to filter paper from beaker, etc.) alum would have been eluded. The consequence of this would result in less alum. 7.0 Conclusion This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of the amount of scrap aluminium on the alum crystal, when potassium hydroxide and sulphuric acid were kept constant. Regarding the outcome of each trial, the results were supported by the theory stated in the hypothesis: It was hypothesized that if the weight of the scrap aluminium is increased or decreased then the amount of the alum crystal will adjust accordingly, when potassium hydroxide and sulphuric acid are kept the same. It was found that the aluminiums mass had a definite effect on the amount of alum produced. It can be concluded that when the potassium hydroxide is kept constant as well as the sulphuric acid, the outcome will be relatively similar and will adjust accordingly to the weight of the scrap aluminium. The crucial errors which were encountered in this experiment, which had a vast impact on the percentage yield, was the impurity of the scrap aluminium, the imprecision of handling the alum, and the improper cleaning procedure which was undertaken with each of the scrap aluminium pieces. The results obtained prove the hypothesis correct which stated that if the weight of the scrap aluminium is increased or decreased then the amount of the alum crystal will adjust accordingly. 8.0 Bibliography Alum Crystals. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2010, from Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/alum-crystals.html Alum Synthesis. (2005, June). Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Chemistry 111 Laboratory: http://employees.oneonta.edu/kotzjc/LAB/Alum_Expt.pdf Aluminium Potassium Sulphate. (n.d.). Retrieved May 05, 2010, from Chemical Land: http://chemicalland21.com/industrialchem/inorganic/aluminum%20potassium%20sulfate.htm Aluminium Sulphate. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2010, from Bisley: http://www.bisley.com.au/industryzones/zonesub.asp?industry=5id=94 Bentor, Y. (2010, May 31). Periodic Table: Aluminium. Retrieved 14 May, 2010, from Chemical Elements: http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/al.html Chemical of the Week. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from Science is Fun: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/Aluminum/ALUMINUM.html Growing Crystals of ALum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2010, from Princeton University: http://www.princeton.edu/~pccm/outreach/scsp/mixturesandsolutions/activities/growingcrystals.htm Helmenstine, A. M. (n.d.). Aluminium or Aluminium Facts. Retrieved May 08, 2010, from About: http://chemistry.about.com/od/elementfacts/a/aluminum.htm Katz, D. A. (2000). Alum from Waste Aluminium Cans. Retrieved April 22, 2010, from chymist.com: http://www.chymist.com/alum.pdf Katz, D. A. (2000). Growing Alum Crystals. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from Chymist: http://www.chymist.com/alum%20crystals.pdf Potash Alum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2010, from Encyclopedia The Free Dictionary: http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/potash+alum Potassium Alum. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2010, from Pauls Lab: http://www.paulslab.com/crystals/potassium-alum.html POTASSIUM ALUMINIUM SULFATE. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2010, from The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Incorporated: http://www.raci.org.au/sa/ChemEd/XAL/AlumMSDS.pdf Preparation of Alum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2010, from http://wwwchem.csustan.edu/archive/alum.htm Winter, M. (n.d.). Aluminium. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from Web Elements: http://www.webelements.com/aluminium/

The Seven-Years War :: American America History

The Seven-Years War The word "privateer" conjures a romantic image in the minds of most Americans. Tales of battle and bounty pervade the folklore of privateering, which has become a cherished, if often overlooked part of our shared heritage. Legends were forged during the battle for American independence, and these men were understandably glorified as part of the formation of our national identity. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of these men were common opportunists, if noteworthy naval warriors. The profit motive was the driving force behind almost all of their expeditions, and a successful privateer could easily become quite wealthy. In times of peace, these men would be common pirates, pariahs of the maritime community. Commissioned in times of war, they were respected entrepreneurs, serving their purses and their country, if only incidentally the latter. However vulgar their motivation, the system of privateering arose because it provided a valuable service to thecountry, and inde ed the American Revolution might not have been won without their involvement. Many scholars agree that all war begins for economic reasons, and the privateers of the war for independence contributed by attacking the commercial livelihood of Great Britain's merchants. It is ironic that the entire notion of privateering began in Great Britain. In 1649 a frigate named Constant-Warwick was constructed in England for a privateer in the employ of the Earl of Warwick. Seeing how profitable this investment was, a great many of the English peerage commissioned their own privateers. The Seven-Years War saw the proliferation of privateering on both the English and French coasts as each attempted to disrupt their opponent's colonial trade. American investors quickly entered this battle, commissioning ships to prey upon cargo vessels coming to and from French colonial holdings in the Americas. Here began the American privateer heritage, and when the American Revolution began many of these same men viewed the opportunity to profit, and resumed their ventures. The American privateer vessel was a ship "armed and fitted out at private expense for the purpose of preying on the enemy's commerce to the profit of her owners". Not just anyone could be a privateer, however. What distinguished a privateer from a common pirate was a commission, or a letter of marque. These were granted by the government, and were quite easily obtained. The government's benefit was twofold. First, the revolutionary government took a share of the profits from the sale of any cargo captured by a commissioned privateer.