Investigation into Stress Capacity

Investigation into Stress Capacity This physics experiment was conducted to investigate stress capacity or known as tensile strength. We had to determine the relationship between the force applied on an object and the extension of the elastic material. The link between the force applied and the extension of the spring is governed by Hookes Law. To establish this connection, we need to measure the relationship between the force applied and the extension. We did this by adding a series of masses, which builds the force on the spring (The Professor, 2016). Hookes Law: When an elastic object is stretched, the expanded length is called extension. The extension of the elastic object is directly proportional to the force applied to it also known as F=kx. F is Force and expressed in Newtons (N). k is the spring constant expressed in newtons per metre (N/m) x is the extension expressed in metres (m). (BBC Bitesize, 2016) A force causes an object to undergo changes, forces that are unbalanced change speed, shape or direction. Gravitational forces are only in effect if there are two or more masses while friction opposes motion (BBC Bitesize,2017). Forces that affected this experiment are: Gravitational Force, Applied Force, Tensional Force. Gravitational Force: A force of attraction between all objects, it depends on the masses of the object and the distance between them. The larger object, the stronger the gravitational force. Applied Force: A force when an object is being pushed or pulled by another object. Applied forces causes an object to undergo changes in acceleration, velocity and direction. The force equation is F=ma. Tensional Force: It is a force that is transmitted through a string, cable, elastic band, rope or a wire. Tensional force is directed along the length of the object when it is pulled by forces from opposite ends. The relationship between stress and strain is known as the stress-strain curve. It is different for each material and is found by recording the amount of deformation at distinct intervals of tensile or compressive loading. Strain is relative change in shape or size of an object due to externally applied forces. This means it becomes dimensionless and has no units. Stress is the internal force (per unit area) associated with strain. It is predicted that the two materials will show different conclusions. I believe that the silicon tube has higher capability of holding larger masses. It depends on the length and thickness of the material. The prediction is that the silicon tube will have the highest stress capacity and wont have a long extension while the elastic band will stretch the furthest but wons have much stress capacity. Equipment Retort Stand Clamp 1 Metre Ruler Mass Hanger Silicon Tube Elastic Band 50g and 100g Masses Notebook and Pen Procedure Setup Retort stand and clamp. To start with, place the material/object on without any stress. Measure the weight of the mass hanger. Measure the length of the material/object. Place mass on it and measure the length to figure out extension Record results on table Repeat step 5, three times for each weight to allow results to be reliable then find average. Keep repeating step 5,6,7 until enough data has been recorded for each material Milan Abraham Elastic Band Mass (kg) Force Original Length 1st Extension 2nd Extension 3rd Extension Average 0 0 14.9 0.061 0.60N 14.9 +1.1 (16) +0.9 (15.8) +1 (15.9) +1 (15.9) 0.161 1.58N 14.9 +1.5 (16.4) +1.4 (16.3) +1.5 (16.4) +1.5 (16.4) 0.261 2.56N 14.9 +1.8 (16.7) +1.7 (16.6) +1.9 (16.8) +1.8 (16.7) 0.361 3.54N 14.9 +2.1 (17) +2 (16.9) +2.2 (17.1) +2.1 (17) 0.461 4.52N 14.9 +2.4 (17.3) +2.3 (17.2) +2.6 (17.5) +2.4 (17.3) 0.561 5.50N 14.9 +2.9 (17.8) +2.9 (17.8) +2.7 (17.6) +2.8 (17.7) Milan Abraham Silicon Tube Mass (kg) Force Original Length 1st Extension 2nd Extension 3rd Extension Average 0 0 72.2 0.061 0.60N 72.2 +2.3 (74.5) +2.3 (74.5) +2.8 (75) +2.5 (74.7) 0.161 1.58N 72.2 +4.3 (76.5) +4.3 (76.5) +4.3 (76.5) +4.3 (76.5) 0.261 2.56N 72.2 +5.3 (77.5) +6.3 (78.5) +5.8 (78) +5.8 (78) 0.361 3.54N 72.2 +7.8 (80) +7.8 (80) +8.3 (80.5) +8 (80.2) 0.461 4.52N 72.2 +8.8 (81) +8.3 (80.5) +8.8 (81) +8.6 (80.8) 0.561 5.50N 72.2 +10.3 (82.5) +9.8 (82) +9.8 (82) +10 (82.2) 0.98 1.4 0.7 The Elastic band and Silicon tube was hung vertically with a mass hanger to the end of the material. Masses from 61g to 561g were added. The length of the elastic band was measured once it was at rest. In this structure, certain forces were in effect. Gravitational force directed the hanging masses downwards. The Applied Force in this case is the masses pushes the elastic material downwards with gravity supporting it.   Restoring Force directs the elastic material upwards, in the opposite direction of displacement. Tension is directed through each material pulling each end. Using Newtons Law the spring constant was calculated for each material. F=ma was transferred into W=mg to calculate gravity. To find the spring constant for the elastic band, mass was turned into dynes. Gravity times mass= dynes. 9836.07 times 0.561 = 5518.04 dynes. Then it is dynes divided by extension(cm) which is 5518.07 divided by 2.8 = 1970.74 dynes/cm which is 1.97N/m. The spring constant for the silicon t ube was which is 0.55N/m. The intercept for the best fit straight line is close to the origin and is also consistent with Hookes Law. To minimise errors, we should have viewed the ruler from specific angles to make sure it was vertical. The scale should be viewed at eye level to avoid parallax error. There were some issues with the retort stand so some equipment was not fit for the experiment and were faulty. In some instances, we needed to make sure that when the person was adding mass, he didnt stretch the material while he was doing it so the results could be accurate. We reduced the decimal places to two so that results could be easy to substitute while being accurate. The hypothesis was predicted to be that the elastic band while have a longer extension than the silicon tube and the silicon tube would be stronger than the elastic band. The prediction wasnt correct as from results it says that silicon tube had a bigger extension which was a surprising result as the material was much thicker. The elastic band had the best result because it showed results that were somewhat predicted and accurate. Through this experiment investigated stress capacity, Hookes Law and certain forces which have influenced the experiment. The hypothesis wasnt as predicted. For this experiment, we determine the spring constant and Youngs Module, we had to interpret the behaviour of two different materials. The results will be analysed to determine what is happening to the materials physically and which one is more capable of the masses. The two types of materials used for this experiment were an elastic band and a tube of silicon rubber.

Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Essay

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs has become common place in today’s society. Every household with a television is aware of DTC advertising as they interrupt their nightly programs. Every national magazine or local newspaper offers advertising on the latest drug remedy for what ails us. This multi-media approach is relatively new for pharmaceutical companies as previously such efforts were directed only at physicians who were the sole decision makers when choosing medications. With the 1997 change in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guidelines along with patients desires to be more involved in their own care and treatment, drug companies have expanded their promotional efforts to include the consumer. This essay will look at some of the current regulations concerning DTC advertising, pros and cons of these ads, and the ethical issues that arise from DTC advertising. Regulations Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is the â€Å"promotion of prescription drugs through newspaper, magazine, television and internet marketing.† (Direct-to-consumer advertising, 2010) These ads are directed towards the end user, the consumer, and not the prescriber/physician. Prescription drug advertising has been regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1962. Their Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) is responsible for ensuring that companies that directly advertise to the public are providing â€Å"information that is truthful, balanced, and accurately described.† (FDA, 2010) Even though the FDA has oversight on DTC advertising, it should not impose unnecessary restrictions on them as they fall under the category of commercial speech protected by the first amendment (Evans & Friede, 2003, p. 387). The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires that anyone who makes, packages, or sells prescription drugs for hum ans must disclose information in their advertisements about the products uses and risks (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 3). This information disclosure is called the brief summary. Contrary to its name, the brief summary is rather lengthy as it must contain every risk associated with the drug’s approved use. Prior to regulatory changes made in 1997, these disclosures had to be included in every advertisement making television commercials impractical due to the restricted amount of time available. Now there is a distinction between print and broadcast advertising so that only print ads must contain this brief summary. The DDMAC’s 1997 revisions now only require audio and/or visual ads to disclose two things. The drugs major risks in consumer-friendly language, the major statement, and give adequate provision for the consumer to access the full product labeling (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 5). This can be achieved by providing a toll free number to call, referencing the full advertisement in a print ad, or making sure brochures are easily accessible outside of a physician’s office, like a pharmacy or grocery store. By decreasing the amount of information required in these ads, commercials suddenly became a viable form of marketing. Advertisements seen on television or in magazines are not required to be submitted to the FDA for approval prior to their release; however, companies must submit their ads to the FDA when they first appear in public. The FDA is available to offer their advice to pharmaceutical companies when asked for help (FDA, 2010). Once they see the ad and if they feel that it violates the law, they will send a warning letter requesting that the company stop the ad immediately. These letters are posted on their web site for public inspection. The drawback to this process is that an ad that violates the law may be aired without oversight. If the warning letters do not rectify the situation, â€Å"the FDA can work with the Department of Justice to seek injunctions against companies, or criminally prosecute firms.† (Vogt, 2005, p. 26) The FDA also has the authority to seize drugs that it deems as misbranded and can even reverse approval for the drug. Pros There are numerous arguments on the benefits of direct-to-consumer advertising. Supporters of DTC advertising contend that ads can be educational, provide important health information, and generate sales to further necessary research and development (R&D). One of the most commonly heard reasons is that DTC advertising has assisted consumers in â€Å"identify(ing) disease conditions and engage(ing) in more informed conversations with their health care providers.† (Pfizer, 2011) Supporters uphold that this advertising helps the doctor/patient relationship by being a conversation starter allowing discussions on disorders and options that a patient may not have known how to talk about earlier. Most patients today are educated and desire a greater level of involvement in their healthcare choices. DTC advertising gives the consumer power through knowledge. Important health information can be delivered in DTC advertising. These ads have the ability to reach millions of consumers rela tively easily. Through print and media advertising, pharmaceutical companies can play a useful role in raising awareness of certain conditions and disorders. Raising the public’s awareness can promote consumers to seek medical attention when they otherwise may not have. Seeing these conditions on television or in a magazine can lessen the stigma associated with them. Large pharmaceutical companies use the money made from DTC advertising to fund their R&D. This research and development plays an integral part in ensuring a drugs safety which in turn saves generic companies from needing to repeat R&D on the same drug. This makes generic manufacturers another supporter of DTC ads. By advertising new, name brand drugs, companies are causing a demand for the medication. Once the drug has lost its patent, physicians can begin prescribing the less expensive generic alternative. The generic manufacturer has benefited by default on the large pharma’s campaign. Cons There are an equal number of allegations on the negative effect of direct-to-consumer advertising. Opponents of DTC ads argue that ads can be detrimental to the physician/patient relationship, increase medication costs, and harm public health. Those against DTC ads feel that they have the potential to change the way doctors and patients interact with each other. A patient may see a particular advertisement and be convinced that they have a certain condition or that they need a specific drug. The patient may then present to their doctor feeling that they have diagnosed themselves and request prescriptions even if not needed. The physician may then feel pressured to oblige the patient rather than discussing other, possibly cheaper or drug free, treatment options. This scenario can lead to over-prescribing and over-use of a particular drug based on the effectiveness of the advertisement. Others have argued that advertising is expensive and the pharmaceutical companies have to recoup the ir cost somewhere. This leads to the cost being passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prescription costs. The amount of money spent on DTC ads has increase dramatically from 1997 to 2005 from $1.1 billion to $4.2 billion (GAO, 2006, p. 12). This increase expenditure could create higher healthcare costs across the board. Another cost of DTC advertising could be at the expense of public health. Most consumers lack the specialized knowledge required to evaluate the content of these ads and therefore take them at face value. They may not be fully aware of the harmful side effects or interactions of the drug. DTC ads can be seen as misleading since they are not required to mention other alternatives like diet, exercise or other preventative measures. These alternatives could treat the advertised condition without medication. By not including the alternatives, companies are advocating drug use as a primary response to medical conditions. Ethical Issues Pharmaceutical companies have a substantial obligation to ensure that their direct-to-consumer advertising is ethical. Their products not only have the ability to help consumers but they may also cause potential harm. Advertising of a drug is not like advertising of any other product where you are trying to convince the consumer to buy something they don’t need. Drug advertising needs to educate the consumer while still promoting their product. Persuasion tactics therefore should be ethical. How does one go about knowing if DTC advertising methods are ethical? In the book Persuasion: Theory and Practice, ethical persuasion is defined as â€Å"a communication activity that †¦ permits maximum individual choice† (Anderson, 1978, p. 3). The key is that the consumer must be able to make a voluntary choice without feeling coerced. DTC ads should not rely on deceptive or manipulative tactics. As previously stated, the consumer can be viewed as a vulnerable audience if the y are being spoken to at a level that is beyond their ability to understand (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 166). Ethical marketing requires that these audiences not be unfairly targeted because of this vulnerability. DTC advertising ethics is concerned with what drug companies ought or ought not to do. Lying is morally wrong and therefore considered unethical. Using lies or false impressions in a DTC ad distorts the information a consumer receives and can alter the choices they may make (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 160). Therefore DTC ads should not create false impressions or omit pertinent information just for the sake of the ad. The point of DTC advertising should not be increased sales but be more of a means to an important social end which should be consumer education. An example of an ethical advertisement would be one that utilizes those messages that demonstrate respect for the consumer to whom they are directed. Respecting the consumer means that their needs are placed before the needs of the advertiser. Currently, the DDMAC does not regulate the ethicalness of pharmaceutical advertising. Their mission statement is, â€Å"To protect the public health by assuring prescription drug information is truthful, balanced and accurately communicated.† (FDA, 2010) â€Å"Ethical ads tell the truth about their product and do not try to distort its capabilities or hide its defects.† (Vaux) Unfortunately an ad can be truthful and still be considered unethical. Ads that play to â€Å"base† human emotions such as fear can be considered unethical as they are just trying to promote emotions that would cause the consumer to seek relief through the advertiser’s product. Conclusion Direct-to-consumer advertising has been integrated into our culture and is likely not going to go away. Just as there are those who lobby against these ads, there are an equal number of proponents who support them. Regulations have been changed to allow the advancement of these ads to their current place in our society. As such, the DDMAC is constantly monitoring DTC ads and will need to be the ones to set ethical boundaries and ensure they’re being adhered to. Consumers must evaluate pharmaceutical ads critically so as not to be persuaded as much as they are educated. Although proponents of DTC advertising argue they provide important consumer information, too frequently the ads can operate dysfunctionally by â€Å"providing misinformation and inducing the consumer to make purchases that are not in either their short or long term interest.† (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 151) Ethical DTC ads should serve an educational purpose first and a promotional purpose second. They should offer consumers information on alternatives along with true representations of the risks their medications may have. Unethical ads are those that may try to point out your flaws, i.e. depression, and then tell you they have the answer, i.e. Prozac. These unethical ads will use your emotions to cause you to believe you are in need of a fix when in reality you may not be. I believe there is a place for direct-to-consumer advertising. Consumers are constantly looking for more and more information to help them make better informed decisions. DTC ads, when done appropriately, can be used to provide this information not only about medications but health conditions as well. Decreasing public stigma around certain health issues is another advantage advertising can bring; especially if it opens doors for patients to have difficult discussions with their doctors. That being said, I believe that a balance lies with the FDA needing to take a more proactive role in how they manage DTC ads. I think that all ads should be required to go through a pre-approval process rather than the current release and retract method. It is hard to take back something that has already been seen and that may cause damage to the consumer. References Direct-to-consumer advertising. (2010, June 11). Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Sourcewatch: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Direct-to-consumer_advertising Anderson, K. E. (1978). Persuasion: Theory and practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Baker, S., & Martinson, D. L. (2001). The TARES test: Five principles of ethical persuasion. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 16(2), 148-175. Evans, G. W., & Friede, A. I. (2003). The Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of prescription drug manufacturer speech: A first admendment analysis. Food and Drug Law Journal, 58(3), 365-437. FDA. (2010, April 4). Drugs. Retrieved March 4, 2012, from FDA: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/PrescriptionDrugAdvertising/ucm071964.htm GAO. (2006). Prescription drugs: Improvements needed in FDA’s oversight of direct-to-consumer advertising. Pfizer. (2011). Ethical Sales and Marketing. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Pfizer: http://www.pfizer.com/investors/financial_reports/annu al_reports/2010/ethics-sales.jsp U.S. Department of HHS. (1999). Guidance for Industry Consumer-Directed Broadcast Advertisements. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vaux, R. (n.d.). What is the

Plantation Management in the Old South Essay

William Scarborough’s, The Overseer, examines the importance and the daily duties of the plantation overseer and how they influenced and contributed to the production and efficiency of slaves in the â€Å"Old South†. This position was unarguably, the most important position in the southern plantation system as they determined the success or failure of a plantation. In some small plantations, but mostly larger ones, the overseer was in charge of the supervision of enslaved Africans, care of the land, planting, farm tools, and harvesting. The overseer has been especially known in history as the handler of harsh disciplinary actions against slaves for breaking heavy or mild rules. The emergence of job advertising stormed through the south with higher number of individuals owning slaves. Over time leading up to the Civil War, the position of overseer has been professionalized with some planters even requiring letters of recommendations from their applicants. The goal of the author is to gather facts and accurate evidence that demonstrate how overseers effectively completed their task set forth by plantation owners and were less concerned about the torture and harsh beating of the enslaved Africans. The writer focuses more on the profession itself as opposed to examining the individual’s social class or morals in society. He also attempts to provide a valuable interpretation of one of many groups that made up the white middle class of the Old South. The book is divided into three sections with the first concerning the history and role of the overseer in the plantation establishment. It also gives key details on contract negotiations between the overseer and the plantation owner. Lastly, this section shows the view of the overseer by the general public. The second section examines the managerial duties and responsibilities and some of the disagreements between the plantation master and the overseer. The final section shows the occupation and the importance of the plantation supervisor during the Civil War and how the loss or reduction in available overseers affected the surviving plantations after the war ended. The overseer system was first introduced in the United States by the Virginia Company of England with the primary job function of upholding gained territory. When Africans were shipped to the Louisiana Territory as slaves, this very system was implemented. The vast majority of overseers during the colonial period were indentured servants whose terms of service had expired. One major reason for the increase in overseers in the antebellum south, during the 18th century were the cultural change that demanded plantation owners to indulge in the arts and other cultural pursuits. The profile of many of the men that went into this profession were most likely either the son of a planter, white lower class men, and men who actually saw the economic benefits of being an overseer. One distinctive feature of the overseer system during the colonial period was the practice of leasing developed plantations with slaves as stock. With this agreement the overseer was in charge for maintenance of the s lave force, and in return received one-third of the net proceeds from the selling of the crops. This profession would soon become highly profitable when cotton became the forefront of agriculture in the United States although to some had a negative view of the position. Although most of the overseers were originally poor and uneducated, they still gained enough respect by their employers to be acknowledged as a semi-elite professional with a very profitable position. Whatever may have been the view of the planter class regarding the step on the â€Å"social ladder† occupied by slave managers, the overseer himself had no feeling of class inferiority and showed little resentment toward the proprietary group. One of the major duties of the overseer was the welfare and discipline of the slaves, the care of livestock and other agriculture implements, and the production of staple and subsistence crops. The overseer assigned certain task to specific slave groups and supervised the labor of slaves in the field. The overseer was expected to have basic medical understanding to be able to examine the slaves and make note of any who actually needed professional treatment to treat certain physical hinders. The slave manager was obliged to make periodic inspections of slave cabins and was responsible for the distribution of clothing for the slaves. Lastly, and most importantly, the overseer was expected to ensure the security of the whites against uprisings of slaves, which was to some, inevitable. Depending of the plantation, there were also a second set of rules that were handed down from the planter to the overseer to instruct to the slaves. Some plantations had very harsh working conditions and required long hours, regardless of age or gender, while other were pretty mild with less work demanded from pregnant women and children under the age of seven. Some planters stated that â€Å"a happy slave is a productive slave† and the overseer had to abide by the wishes of the planter although they may have had different views on the use and managing of the slaves. The relationship between the overseer and the planter became pivotal leading up to the Civil War in 1861. As the Civil War began to run its course, the production of agriculture (with slave labor) was extremely important in the surviving and continuity of the south. The role of the overseer became even greater than ever with the departure of healthy white men leaving to join the Confederate Army. In many areas in the south, the only remaining security against insurgencies from the slaves was the overseers. It was no surprise that the drafting of plantation managers to the Confederate Army, angered many planters knowing that there would not be enough qualified managers to keep the slaves productive and fearful. There were even laws put into place in states such as Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana that limited the number of overseers that could be drafted into the army. The south also made a rule stating that any wounded soldier who is able must return and oversee a plantation in order to contribute to the production of goods in the south. With this reduction in overseers, many slaves were able to escape and a number of large plantations fell due to the absence of the â€Å"slave Manager†. Scarborough’s The Overseer, examines the life and impact of the plantation overseer and how it shaped the working system of slavery and production in the United States. The author’s uses key facts to back his thesis on the importance and professionalism of the overseer. Scarborough did extensive research by exploring primary sources such as the memoirs of planters, public records, legal documents, and advertising posters. He incorporates a number of different employment contracts between planters and overseers and compared them based on the size of the plantation, state and region, and number of slaves. The author seemed to look at this job description from a professional standpoint as opposed to the ills and negative view that society and some historians have placed on the managers of plantations. He mentions that some overseers who were uneducated or inexperienced greatly affected the outlook for this profession and shadowed the somewhat complex job of managing an entire plantation.

Writing Avoiding Overused and Tired Words

When writing an essay, a term paper, or a report, always try to use words that convey your meaning both vividly and accurately. Very often, students fall into the trap of relying on so-called overused or tired words, instead of adding in some variety. Can you just imagine your poor teacher at her desk reading, The book was interesting, a hundred times or more? That cant be good for creating a friendly grading environment. How to Write Well Skillful writing is not easy; it is a tricky endeavor that involves a fine balance between extremes. You shouldnt have too much fuss or too much dry fact in a term paper, because either can be tiresome to read. One way to develop more interesting writing is to avoid tired or overused words. Youll find that  substituting excessively used verbs with more  interesting ones  can bring a boring paper to life. Use What You Know You may be surprised at the extent of your own vocabulary, and the fact that you dont use it for your own benefit. You probably know the meanings of many words, but  dont employ them in your speech or writing. Word usage is a good way to insert your personality, and some life, into your writing. Have you ever met someone new and noticed the difference in their use of words, phrases, and mannerisms? Well, your teacher can see that through your writing. Rather than adding long, outlandish  words to make yourself sound smart, use words you know. Find new words you like and that suit your writing style. Anytime you read, think about the words, highlight ones you don’t know, and look them up. This is a great way to beef up your vocabulary and become more conscious of what words you use and how you use them. Practice Read over the following sentence: The book was very interesting. Have you used  that sentence in a book report? If so, you may want to explore other ways to convey the same message. For example: The book covered fascinating information.This work, which was actually one of Mark Twains first endeavors, was captivating. Never forget that your teacher reads many, many papers.  Always  strive to make your paper special and not boring. Its a good idea to make your own paper stand out from the others with effective word use. To exercise your vocabulary powers, read over the following sentences and try to think of alternate words for each tired word that appears in italics. The Colocasia is a  big  plant with  lots of  leaves.The author used  funny  expressions.The book was supported by  many  sources. Tired, Overused, and Boring Words Some words are specific enough, but they are so overused they are just plain boring. While it would be awkward to avoid these words all the time, you should take care to substitute more interesting words whenever appropriate. Some tired and overused words: amazing awesome awfully bad beautiful big fine good great happy interesting look nice quite really said so very well Why not try using some of these instead: absorbing avid bold candid compelling distinguished dubious empowering intuitive empowering intuitive irrelevant motivating novel predictable questionable While  writing a paper, you might find yourself occasionally using the same words over and over. Especially when you are writing about a specific topic, it can be difficult to find a variety of words to express the same ideas. If you have trouble, don’t be afraid to utilize a thesaurus. It can be a great way to expand your vocabulary.