Who does not belong there Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Who does not belong there - Essay Example Thus it becomes obvious that a library is a utility facility for the people in a community for their academic, professional and personal development as well as a place where they can entertain themselves through television and other media. Also, the role of libraries as sources of information is very crucial in any civilized society and this is specially so in the case of students. College and university libraries house a lot of books besides those related to academic field. These include literature, general subjects, comics etc. It is a well known fact that books contribute predominantly in the emotional and intellectual development of students besides teaching them morals, values, ethics as well as giving them knowledge about other cultures and civilizations. Therefore, one can say that libraries have a pivotal role not only in the students' academic pursuits but also in their grooming as responsible individuals. I am a frequent visitor to my university library. This is a place whe re I find the necessary calm and serenity which afford me the ability to concentrate, and also, as an avid reader, I cherish the library's resources as an invaluable treasure. I am further a keen observer of my surroundings and this habit developed in me right from my childhood. Thus I happened to observe some of the people who visit the library and I know they are not coming there for basically for any purpose for which a library is intended. On the other hand, they had some ulterior motive for coming to the Library. These are the lot I would term as 'Who do not Belong' here! It was the weekend and I was so immersed with the literature text I was reading that I hardly paid any attention to the person who passed me onto the next shelf of books. After some time, I got distracted with the sharp metallic noise emerging from the next shelf of books. Piquing my curiosity, the tone of the music prompted me to investigate its source. There he was - gyrating his hips in tandem with the rhythmic beats of an orchestra by a popular musician. The headphone, forging an arch shaped dip in his curly, black hair, chimed in full blast as he danced and hummed the tune aloud. He was about twenty; a slender masculine youngster, with a clean-shaven face. He was simultaneously sifting through a book, occasionally straightening a dog-eared page, and then he moved to another in an automatic manner, sans no interest on the contents of the page. Of course, he was not serious either about the book or its contents and he seemed to derive his pleasure from just turning the pages. From the back cover I found the novel was Stephen King's it. This would have been an extremely bizarre experience for Mr. King, and he would have definitely written a book on the horror he felt, had he been on this macabre scene. In the next instant, I found the youngster moving onto another shelf, singing and making gestures with his hands, causing distraction to the people present there. No doubt, people like him did not belong to a library, and all they can do is defeat the entire purpose of a library's existence. The concept of libraries as places of serenity and calmness remain so only in the conceptual level as I could find many people using their cellular phones so indiscriminately in the premises of the library where their use was restricted. A college girl of around twenty two captured my special notice because of the peculiar

Information System Project Management Research Paper

Information System Project Management - Research Paper Example Week 10 Week 11 Testing Testing Testing Week 12 Week 13 Coding Week 14 Week 15 Testing Coding Week 16 Testing Testing Week 17 Coding Coding Coding Week 18 Testing Testing Testing Week 19 Week 20 Write a memo to Tom Jones explaining if john can or cannot meet Tom's goal of five Months. Inter office Memo From: Project Manager To: Accounts Manager I am attaching the project schedule with this IOM. Please go through it. Here I want to inform you that according to this project schedule we can complete this project in given time of five months. To complete this project within the time limit, we need your support and co-operation time to time. John Price Project Manager How Should John ensure that the project is completed on time as determine by the network Is there any way the time for the project can be shortened Using this project schedule john can easily ensure that project can be completed on time. For completing the project on time from networks point of view, John need to focus on the work done by networking department. Because in the project schedule only the network manager has a longer lead time to complete this project. Network manager is taking 13 weeks for completing its work. Any delay in networking work may cause delay of the project. To avoid delay in networking John has to ensure that each & every activity scheduled in project should complete on time. If there are some problem in completing an activity, then early decision are to be made to rectify the problem. John should make a grid on a paper and keep this paper on his table every time. After completing of activity John can tick on the grid and can have a overview on the complete project. Yes, the project time...Network manager is taking 13 weeks for completing its work. Any delay in networking work may cause delay of the project. To avoid delay in networking John has to ensure that each & every activity scheduled in project should complete on time. If there are some problem in completing an activity, then early decision are to be made to rectify the problem. John should make a grid on a paper and keep this paper on his table every time. After completing of activity John can tick on the grid and can have a overview on the complete project. Yes, the project time can shortened if the design the network changes can be completed in one week instead of two weeks, if the cabling can be completed in one week instead of two weeks, if the quotation open can be completed in 4 weeks instead of five weeks. So over all three weeks can be free if we shorten only three activities. So if we keep concentrate on each an every activity then only the project can be complete early. Raw Material: There should be some procedure of quality control to check the incoming material. If the incoming material is of good quality then obliviously the final product will be made of good quality. There may procedure to test the incoming material in quality control department. Machines: The maintenance of machine should be on time, so that they will not malfunction during the project work.

Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business Analysis - Essay Example My perspective of the mentioned learning outcomes is that the business environment is a complex setting with diverse factors that influence all the decisions that managers make concerning business. This work will seek to demonstrate the interrelations of the mentioned learning outcomes and their relevance to the performance of firms. The environment consists of both internal and external factors that interplay to affect the way businesses make choices regarding what to produce and what to sell on the market. For this case, the market place forms the biggest force in the external environment that affects the choices from within the internal environment. I understand that the government forms unit of regulation of business activities in both the micro and macroeconomic environments. Economics deals with the choices that people make because of the limited resources, which for this case, contains both the individual producers and consumers as well as the aggregate economy. Microeconomics is, therefore, the study of individuals within an economy while macroeconomic concerns the aggregate economy. Both firms and consumers within the economy have to make choices regarding the use of limited resources. For this case, the consumers form the market forces because they affect the levels of demand for the goods and services that the firms make within the economy. I understand that the choices that companies make concerning the production of their products constitute the market structures such as the oligopolies, monopolies, and perfect competition. Managers of the firms have to make choices of the best alternatives that will give the best returns after studying the activities of their competitors. Such decisions constitute the market curves, which are actual theoretical tools that predict the likely outcomes of a given decision concerning the production of goods and services. It is evident that the

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Example for Free

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Figure 1 the center of gravity model According to the requirement from City Council Members, the weighted of important places (included the Population Center) had ranked in the table above. The highest weight mean the important of that location. Therefore, according to the center gravity model, the best result of the training stadium site is the red dot in the figure 1. 2) Weighted Scoring Model Table 2 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (Considering the Cost) According to table, the best stadium site from all the candidate would be Site C, because the weighted score of Site C is the highest among all Sites. However, the weight ranked by the important of the issues in the future. On the other hand, the Site C does not include the Cost of the Land, because it is a wetland and preserve area, so that it is not fair to other sites, which they have the land cost. Therefore, I come up with the new Table that not consider the cost of the land. Table 3 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (without Considering the Land Cost) Therefore, it turn out to be that the Site D has the best score among all the sites. PS: The minus sign means the value is negative because it is a cost. 3) Combine the result from Center of Gravity Model and Weight Scoring Model Accord to the answers from Figure1 and Table3, the best result would be the Stadium Site A because it in between the â€Å"Best Point† and the weight scoring is nearly the same as site-D 4) Final Recommendation According to these analysis and modeling, the best site would be the Site A  for two reasons. First, Site A is closed to two major Shopping Malls, which this could provide the jobs in the area and generate more revenue in the area. Second, it is very close to the Interstate 75 (I-75) which means it is very easy to access the stadium from the Airport and the stadium would be the new landmark for the city, because the stadium would huge enough for seeing from the I-75. However, the cost of the utility is highest among those sites, but for the long-run with revenue that generate from the long lease with Red Sox team, it is a guarantee that the revenue will cover all the cost and generate a really nice profit for the city. Therefore, Site A is the best suite for the new Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium that generate the better economic in the local businesses in the shopping malls and area around there and also created the new landmark for the city that is very easy to access from the interstate 75.

Business Plan And Executive Summary For A Gym Business Essay

Business Plan And Executive Summary For A Gym Business Essay Executive Summary The location of the gym will be on a main road with good parking facilities. This will help the gym grow with members as it attracts people because of the location and give people advantages to join the gym with ample parking. There isnt much history about the gym because it is a band new business but the idea came to me about 5 months ago when i wasnt satisfied with what other gyms offered to customers. The business is situated in the retail sector because it provides gym equipment to people who dont have room at their houses or they cannot afford all the equipment themselves. The Prime function of the business is to provide gym equipment to people as well as help them achieve their fitness goals. The gym offers a wide range of products and equipment starting from bags, drinks and clothing to dumbells, treadmills and benches. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 269) Purpose of the Plan There can be many purposes for a business plan. The plan should provide a firm with a clear direction for the future and identifies the main goals of the business. / The goals of the gym would be social, financial and environmental goals. The social goals that the gym would like to achieve would be good service to patrons that use the facilities, helping the community through sponsorships of local sporting clubs and helping out schools through conducting sport lessons in the gym. Financial goals that the gym would like achieve would be to increase the owners wealth through increased market share, increased level of cash flow and increased level of liquidity. But increasing wealth is one of the objectives. The other financial objective would be to minimise the wastage of money on items or products that will not help the gym grow and not falling into heavy debt. Environmental goals that the gym would like to achieve would be to use electricity efficiently, install energy efficient appliances, minimise waste and disposing of the waste properly. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 269) v Situational Analysis Internal External ac4 Strengths (lob ortunities †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Good assistance provided by employees Great membership deals Cheap prices Good location r †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Weaknesses Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Not enough employees when business is busy Toilet facilities too small Security Poor Receptionist †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 248) Business Objectives and Strategies The business objectives and strategies section of the business plan outlines what the business aims to achieve, including overall strategic goals. These goals will be based on research from the situational analysis. The Objectives of the Gym are to try and eliminate the weaknesses in the business and make them one of the strengths by working on them with one another and also to improve on strengths and try to make them stronger. Another Objective would be to take every opportunity possible to help the business grow and try to work around keeping threats away from the business. The final Objective would be to improve financial wealth for the owner and to build a good reputation within the community so people feel invited and welcomed when they visit the gym. These objectives can be accomplished through employees and owner working together. This means that employees can help one another with weaknesses and improve on strengths each person has to offer. Also, the owner must be willing to spend money for the improvement of the business. These improvements will include things like renovations when needed, sponsorships and buying extra stock. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 271) Operations Description of the service The technology used will be modern. The use of big televisions near treadmills and cardiovascular equipment will help people enjoy themselves while exercising. Memberships, cash transactions, and general business will be done on computers set up on the front counter and in the main office. This will include eftpos facilities, printers, cash register connected to computer. If possible that all 3 computers be linked so memberships can be done on all 3 computers and make renewals, show current members, on these computers. This will make work more convenient. Equipment and materials required will be based on how big the gym is and how quickly the business grows. Equipment required will be: Medicine balls †¢ Accessories †¢ Boxing Gear Gym flooring †¢ Barbells †¢ Cable Attachments Weight plates †¢ Benches †¢ Dumbells Materials that will be required will be things that are needed for day-to-day operations. These materials are: Filing Cabinets . Noticeboard †¢ Paper Lockers †¢ Shop Fittings . Pens Fridges . Office Furniture †¢ Chairs Supplies that will be used will include: Supplements †¢ Gym Singlets . Membership Packages Gym Equipment †¢ Sports Drinks (Bag, Towel, Bottle) Staff Uniform Staff will need to have a Timetable/Roster to inform them when they are working. This roster will be completed every Saturday. For the Staff that do not work on the weekends or dont have a chance to see the roster, the roster will be emailed to all staff members on the Saturday. This will eliminate the excuse of not knowing when and what time staff are working. The testing and evaluating expenses would be high because of the large amount of equipment needed to start up and also the sophistication of the technology used in the gym. The supplies would cost a bit because of the never ending need for it. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 271) Personnel requirements and skills The gym should recruit staff according to their qualifications and experience. Staff that are recruited should all specialise in a target area which they occupy during their work times at the gym. Examples of this would be some workers may only be on the front counter, working on the computers. Others may be working on cardio and strength exercises. This will keep things running smoothly and be more convenient for patrons to benefit from these people. The staff would be qualified personal trainers with a certificate III and certificate IV in personal training. ersonal trainers have added qualifications in weight loss, strength training and fitness which are an added bonus. The employer should check to see if the possible employee is qualified because in that industry, there are unqualified people calling themselves personal trainers. Training new and present workers on new technology that gets installed into the gym. Things such as new exercise machines and equipment need to be used in the right way to ensure things are safe and that equipment is stored correctly for safety. Employees need to know what the expectations are when it comes to helping patrons and becoming a leader for new/younger employees. Also understanding what working at a gym involves in regards to how you conduct yourself in front of others, coming to work on time etc. Employees should be able to stay motivated and maintain a good standard of work. This will happen if there is a reward system put in place where workers would get rewarded for doing something extra or working longer. This will become an initiative to keep workers working at a high standard, keep patrons happy and ensuring they come back to the gym knowing they are going to get good service. A safe and healthy work environment is essential for workers to be able to work in a comfortable environment where they can feel relaxed and work to their full potential. This should include a workers office where they can sit and relax during lunch breaks, freshen up; keep all their belongings in a locker. This also shows them that you are thinking about how they feel and try to make things the best as possible. Measuring employee performance would come from 3 main places. One of their evaluations,Will come from their work mates. Other evaluations would come from patrons through a short evaluation sheet which is optional to fill out after a worker has completed a training session with them. The last evaluation will come from the manager/boss talking to the worker themselves. This shows how the workers feels and get their honest opinion on how things could be improved around the gym. / Challenges that would be experiences throughout the operations element would be the high costs in setting up the business and the first few periods where business is slow and not so busy. The equipment should be set out properly and this would be hard with a small area to work with. The qualified employees will be a challenge to find because they are already working or they are almost finished studying to become a personal trainer. This becomes costly because you have to offer the people that are already working a better pay per hour or better salary. Training them to work in a gym would be time consuming because it is based on being good around people and having confidence to talk to therm. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 272, http://en.wikipedia,org/wiki/Personal_trainer} C(.5 Marketing Market Analysis The target market the gym would aim at would be a various number of groups of people. One of these groups of people would be people looking to lose weight through proper exercises and having excellent to guide them through their weight loss journey. The other target market would be people looking to train and gain muscle size as well as muscular strength. The other group of people would be woman, men and teens that are looking for good cardio sessions with a qualified trainer. These sessions will be a combination of light weights, treadmills and bikes. The gym will aim to provide these groups of people with the facilities and good environment to exercise in. As the gym grows, it needs to develop new things to attract people. Something that should be done is to invite local schools for their sport time and take them through a cardio session or a weights session depending on what the majority want to do. These activities should be free of charge for the first term, and a small charge for the sessions after the first term. This attracts teens to become a member and in turn, they will tell their mates to become a member. This leads to a quicker growth and a positive outcome on first timers. Competitors are a very influential factor on your business. They are influential because they determine what you charge for your membership fees, visitor fees and for supplies like shirts and supplements. This means not only do your prices have to be competitive, but your products and services that you are offering have to be of high quality. This is because people are willing to pay a little extra for their good or service but know that they are spending that little extra for top quality. If your prices and quality of goods and services are better that your competitors, it ultimately gives you the competitive advantage over them. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 274) Sales Forecasting Sales forecasting is an analysis of a firms sales figures based on individual products, sales representatives, geographic locations, seasonal or annual trends in sales, cash sales or credit card sales. These statistics are used to predict how much profit is going to be made by the firm in the future. It would be hard to create a sales forecast with a newly opened business. This is because the statistics that are provided are short term. Statistics should be at least one year old to show trends in consumer spending. One statistic that can show a future boom in the gym business is the winter season. People tend to join gyms during the winter, work out so their body looks good for the summer seasons. Another figure that is constant is the sale of supplements. These supplements are in constant demand and this is why the sales are always up. One other statistic would be the sale of supplies including towels, bottles, drinks, shirts and singlets. With these statistics and overall plan, business owners will be able to predict when they need to get more supplies, hire or call in more staff, and prepare themselves for the times where business isnt very busy. This would give business owners an advantage because it can help them in deciding how much supply they need, and avoid over-hiring. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 276) Marketing Strategies Marketing strategies will be directed towards achieving specific objectives that support the strategic goals of the business. Some goals may simply be based on increased sales, increased market share, entry into and establishment in a new market area, such as overseas, diversification of the product base and increased profits. Marketing strategies must be consistent throughout the marketing mix and take into consideration product, promotion, price and place. Studies page 278)There are many products and services that the gym offers. The products that the gym offers include gym apparel, bags, bottles and towels. These products are all of high quality and made by Skins USA. The packaging of these products are of high standard. They all come in sealed plastic bags. The size of the bags, bottles and towels are all practical in size. Not too big and not too small. The warranty on the products last for an extended period of time which suggests the quality is high and producers are confident that products are durable. If the product does fail, the gym will happily replace it within reason. Example, the bottle breaks because of misuse. The price of the gyms products and services are all reasonable. The gym memberships are about $70 a month for adults and about $55 for people under the age of 18. This price also includes a free gym bag, towel and bottle when you first sign up. This price beats all other competitors by $10. The products that are offered are priced at $20 for a bag, $10 for a towel and $5 or a bottle. The cheap prices are a result of finding a supplier that has cheap prices on their goods with good quality. / The promotion of the gym plays a crucial part in influencing people to join and become members. The strategy of inviting schools for a couple of free circuit sessions influences young people and also their teachers to join. Advertising through the local newspapers would be a cheap and effective way to bring people to the gym with advertisements about new membership offers or coupons that can be used to enter as a guest for free or a discounted price. Also, sponsoring local sporting clubs bring people of all ages to the gym and also give the business a good reputation for helping young people. The place of distribution of our products would only be at the gym. This is because the products are exclusive to out gym only. The storage of the products would be in storage rooms located within the gyms premises; most likely in the office. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Finance Financial requirements New businesses need have a clear idea of the amount of funds they will need. This could come from debt financing, the original owners equity or a future partners equity. The business plan should provide a breakdown of how these initial or additional funds will be used. The financial requirements needed to support the gym would be very high. The reasons for this would be the start-up costs of the business which includes things like buying the space, renovating and designing interior and exterior, purchases of new gym equipment and the employment of staff. This would be challenging for a sole trader, but with careful financial management the business can run smoothly, begin its establishment phase and not fall into too much debt too quickly./ Once the business has established itself and is on its journey through the growth stage, it must be able to support itself or else liquidity problems will develop. It is important that the gym owner manages the income wisely. This means not spending money on things that wouldnt be useful or not saving up for the times where business might not be as busy as he/she would like. The income made should be spent on the business with things such as maintenance of the equipment, buying more products for new members. This would allow the gym to grow steadily. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 281) Financial Forecasts Planning must relate directly to the prime function of the business. It tells the owners if they can actually afford to produce the product or provide the service. The firm must make financial forecast based on information gained from market and product research. Financial forecasts can be made through one of the following: Forecasted cash flow statements, projected profit and loss statements, recent profit or loss statements if business is already established, projected balance sheet, break even analysis. Forecasted cash flow statements show how much money is needed, when it is needed and where it will come from. Also reflect time frames such as weekly, monthly or quarterly. The gyms forecasted cash flow statement would be based on the sales forecasting. This is because both statistics are based on predictions on future sales. These statements are useful for when the business is close to its establishment phase or into the phase. For a business that is starting up, a personal balance sheet will be the better option. This is because owner will need to be able to keep their personal commitments and still provide enough income for family to live on. The balance sheet will explain how much money the gym is earning, where money is being spent in the gym, bill payments, workers wages, money to purchase supplies, and keep the business running smoothly. This will indicate the stability of the business and calculate its net worth. This will provide future buyers or investors of the business information on risks JClthey would be taking. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 282) / Financial Records Small businesses need to keep accurate financial records for all transactions. They will need to have one of the following: Revenue statements Cash flow statements Balance sheets Funds statements Budgets marketing, operations, employment relations and accounting and finance. For the gym, I have decided to use a balance sheet because it is easier and more convenient due to being a new business. Balance Sheet Projected up to 1 July 2011 Current Assets Cash at bank Accounts Receivable Stock $ $ total 22 000 93 000 77 500 192 500 Non current assets Equipment Motor Vehicles 900 000 70 000 970 000 Intangible Assets Goodwill 20 000 Total assets 1 182 500 Current liabilities Bank overdraft Accounts payable 100 000 50 400 -†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢. 150 400 Non current liabilities Long term loan 350 000 350 000 Total liabilities 510 400 Owners equity Capital Undistributed profits Drawings 150 000 143 800 121 000 414 800 C938 266 Total liabilities and owners equity Gym Liquidity Current Assets divided by Current Liabilities which substitutes into $192 500 divided by $150 400 which equals 1.28. This means i have one dollar and twenty-eight cents to pay back every dollar of short term debt. It would be preferable if i had a ratio of 2:1 so that my payments dont take up the majority of my revenue. Gym Solvency Total Liabilities divided by total Owners equity which substitutes into $510 400 divided by $414 800 which equals 1.23. This means that for every one dollar of equity it has one dollar .1and twenty-three cents in debt. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 283) Financial Controls In each business, controls need to be set up to provide standards to which the firm can compare itself. Controls allow for corrective action to be taken to keep the business on a successful path. Without controls, a firms ability to achieve success would be questionable. Controls that the business would need to implement would be standards that will need to be met. These standards will be the basis for improvement. One standard would be that when the gym reaches a satisfactory number of members, that figure should be maintained/improved on. Another standard would be the service that staff offers to people using the gym facilities. The staff should always treat people with respect and provide assistance and knowledge to people that are in need or ask for it. e/ c ,ix The major control that the gym will use would be setting a budget. This control is decided by the owner of the gym because they should know how much income and expenditure is coming in and out of the gym. The budget should help the business grow but at the same time, not fall into major debt. The budget for the gym would be constantly changing to meet customer demands but the average budget would be about $5000 a week. (Cambridge Preliminary Business Studies page 283)

A Case of Murder by Vernon Scannel is a poem which deals with a very Es

A Case of Murder by Vernon Scannel is a poem which deals with a very unusual topic; the murder of a cat by a nine year old boy. The poet brings the poem alive by using different writing techniques e.g. line lengths. â€Å"A Case of murder† by Vernon Scannel Critical response to literature by Gregor Baird â€Å"A Case of Murder† by â€Å"Vernon Scannel† is a poem which deals with a very unusual topic; the murder of a cat by a nine year old boy. The poet brings the poem alive by using different writing techniques e.g. line lengths, no rhyme or pattern this holds my attention more and stops the rhyme merge into one tone. He also uses writing techniques such as Repetition, Figurative language, structure & rhyme. In the poem the boy has been left with a cat in a basement flat and the cat is just sitting buzzing away. This really annoys the boy and the hatred that has gathered up in the boy. This results in the boy hitting the cat then prodding the cat then crushing the cat in between the door. In result to this the boy cries and decides to get a shovel from the cupboard under the stairs and he shovels the cat into the cupboard under the stairs. Although the cat is dead he thinks the cat is growing in the cupboard and the cupboard is going to split. The boy in the poem is very annoyed about the cat â€Å"He hated that cat; he watched it sit a buzzing machine of soft black stuff† because the cat gets all the attention and he is left out, therefore the boy is jealous of the cat. From the poem it tells us that the boy is insecure with his parents â€Å"He was only nine, not old enough to be left alone in a basement flat† because they left a nine-year-old alone with a cat in a basement flat with no one. This also tells us that h... ...re isn’t something the poet wants to commit to in this poem. It doesn’t have an order of regular size in each stanza a variety of length of lines. Unclear pattern allows us to see the change in the boy’s emotions. The theme of this poem is all to do with guilt, which has been mentioned in the essay. Hate is the main emotion between boy and cat, conscience a thing, which the boy does have, power that has been swapped from cat to boy and anger which has built up in the boy. In conclusion to this critical response to literature I have 1covered the techniques in the poem, the emotions, the situation between the boy and the cat and the very unusual topic. It has been described how the poet brings the unusual poem alive for us. We have discussed the character and how he changed during the main incident and in depth about the emotion and feeling of the boy.

Osmolarity: Concentration and Sucrose Solutions Essay

My group and I conducted the experiment that estimates osmolarity by change in weight of potato tubers, this was conducted in order to explore the process of diffusion and osmosis and more importantly to investigate the question of â€Å"Does different concentrations of sucrose solutions have an effect on the final weight for the potato tubers?† In this experiment we estimated the osmolarity of potato tuber cores by submersing different potato cores into sucrose solutions of 0.0-0.6M, and weighing the potato. The results showed the weight of the potato tubers had the highest percent change in weight meaning that they weighed more than the initial weight in sucrose solutions from 0.0-0.3M; it also showed that sucrose concentrations from 0.4-0.6M the weight of the potato tubers decreased. My group and I concluded that the osmolarity of the potato was about 0.4M since the weight of the potato decreased by about -1.3%, which was the closest value to the initial weight of the potat o tuber. We also found that the potato was hypertonic to sucrose solutions of 0.0-0.3M and hypotonic to 0.5-0.6M. Introduction: Diffusion and osmosis are two types of passive transport. Diffusion is a random movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. According to the book Biological Sciences, â€Å"Osmosis is a type of diffusion that occurs when solutions are separated by a membrane that is permeably to some molecules but not to others, that is, a selectively permeable membrane† (Scott 2011). To further explore the process of diffusion and osmosis, we conducted an experiment that would demonstrate these processes and also investigate the question of â€Å"do different concentrations of sucrose solutions have an effect on the final weight for the potato tubers?† In my group’s experiment our goal was to estimate the osmolarity of potato tubers from weight change. The hypothesis for this experiment was, â€Å"if the concentration of the sucrose solutions in which the potato cylinders are in is changed, then I hypothesize that the final weight o f the potato will also change.† And the prediction that my group and I formed was â€Å"if the weight if the potato tuber changes when submerged in different sucrose concentrations, then I predict the weight change will decrease as the sucrose concentration increases.† In my group’s experiment, several potato tubers were tested in different sucrose solutions ranging from 0.0-0.6 M. The potato tubers were then submerged into all the solutions to test osmolarity and to see what would happen to its mass if they were in different sucrose solutions. To fully understand the purpose and understand the results obtained there were three major concepts important to know, they are hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic. According to the journal The American Biology Teacher, â€Å"An isotonic solution is when the solute concentration inside a system is equivalent to the solute concentration outside of a system, thus resulting in no net change of diffusion. In a hypertonic solution, the solute concentration outside of a system is larger than the solute concentration within a system, so water diffuses out of the system to attempt to even out the ratio disparity; this results in the system shrinking in mass† (Marvel, Kepler 2009). In a hypotonic solution however, the solute concentration is greater within the system than outside of the system, so water diffuses into the system; this results in the system being â€Å"bloated†. Materials and Methods: The materials that my group and I used in our experiment was 1 large potato, a cork borer this is necessary to obtain seven potato tuber cylinders. Forceps were needed and a balance that weighs to the nearest 0.01g, a Petri dish, razor blade, paper towels, ruler, calculator, and also necessary for the experiment to work was sucrose solutions from 0.1-0.6 molar. Deionized water was used to represent 0.0 molar in our experiment and seven 250ml plastic cups. First, my group and I obtained 50ml of deionized water and 100ml of each of the sucrose solutions and put each solution in separate and labeled 250ml paper cups. Then by using a cork borer we obtained seven cylinders form the potato by pushing the borer through the length of the potato and removing the potato from the borer. Making sure none of the cylinders were damaged, we modified the length of each cylinder to 5ml and repeated this step seven times until we had a total of seven undamaged cylinders of equal length with the peels removed from each length using a razor blade. We then placed all seven cylinders into a Petri dish and kept them covered to prevent from drying out. Before weighing each of the cylinders we placed each one between folds of a napkin to blot out the sides and ends and then weighed them individually to the nearest hundredths of a gram on the balance. After doing this step we recorded the results in our table. After weighing the potato cylinders we immediately placed each in different molar solutions starting with 0.0M through 0.6M. After the cylinders were submersed in the cups we recorded the time witch was 3:20 pm. We then took the cylinders out of their solutions at 4:30pm and calculated the incubation time to be 1hour 10 minutes. The instructions said to leave for 1.5 hours to 2 hours but due to time constraints we took them out a little earlier. After removing the cylinders from each sample we blotted each with a paper towel to remove excess solution only. After doing this my group and I recorded the final weights of each of the cylinders in the chronological order in which they were initially placed, and recorded it in our table. After recording our data we finally calculated the percent weight change for each of the cylinders. Our group then decided what the variables were and agreed that the independent variable was the concentration of the sucrose solution and the dependent variable was the percent change in weight. This experiment was repeated only once in the given time we had. Results: The osmotic concentration was determined by measuring the percent change in mass of the potato cylinders. Change in mass was measured of seven solutions, each containing different levels of concentration 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6M. The percent change in mass decreased as sucrose concentration increased, therefore, relative osmotic concentration also decreased as sucrose concentration increased. However, the osmotic concentration of 0.3 M sucrose solution was relatively greater than that of 0.2 M sucrose solution. In sucrose concentration 0.6 M, the osmotic concentration decreased almost double from that of 0.5, and significantly from those of all other sucrose concentrations. The osmotic concentrations were greater than zero in sucrose solutions of 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 M; these cells were hypotonic, meaning the potato had more solute. The osmotic concentrations were less than zero in sucrose solutions of 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 M; these cells were hypertonic, meaning the solutions had less solute. Osmotic concentration decreased as sucrose concentration increased and cells became more concentrated. Table 1: Data for Experiment Estimating Osmolarity by Change in Weight Sucrose Molarity (M)|0.0|0.1|0.2|0.3|0.4|0.5|0.6| Final weight (g)|2.57|2.43|2.48|2.24|2.21|2.05|1.82| Initial weight (g)|2.23|2.18|2.28|2.03|2.24|2.19|2.06| Weight change (g)|0.34|0.25|0.20|0.21|-0.3|-1.4|-0.24| % change in weight|15.2%|11.5%|8.8%|10.3%|-1.3%|-6.3%|-11.7%| Discussion: When starting this experiment my group and I formulated and agreed upon the hypothesis of â€Å"â€Å"if the concentration of the sucrose solutions in which the potato cylinders are in is changed, then I hypothesize that the final weight of the potato will also change.† My group and I also agreed upon the prediction of â€Å"if the weight of the potato tuber changes when submerged in different sucrose concentrations, then I predict the weight change will decrease as the sucrose concentration increases.† After conducting the experiment and obtained our results, we found that our results support our hypothesis and prediction. The experiment supported our prediction because the sucrose solution diffused from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration, thus affecting the final weight of potato cylinders when submerged in varying amounts of sucrose concentrations. According to the article Diffusion, Osmosis and Cell Membranes,†There are two ways that th e molecules in a solution move: passive transport and active transport. Active transport requires that the cell use energy that it has obtained from food to move the molecules (or larger particles) through the cell membrane. Passive transport does not require such energy expenditure, and occurs spontaneously (Mccandless 1998). Because the molecules in the sucrose solutions in our experiment were moving with the gradient meaning they were moving form areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration we found that the movement of the molecules was passive transport. The principle means of passive transport is diffusion. Diffusion is the movement of molecules from a region in which they are highly concentrated to a region in which they are less concentrated. In the solutions ranging from 0.0-0.3M the potato acted as the ‘system’ and the solution concentration inside the system was greater than outside which was the sucrose solution, so water diffused into the system (potato) and caused it to become bloated. In the sucrose solutions 0.4-0.6 it was hypertonic because the solution concentration was larger than the system’s concentration so the cylinder decreased in size. This experiment allowed us to take a closer look at the biological process of life and how and why it works the way it does. This experiment allowed us to a take a deeper look into the mechanisms of diffusion and osmosis and apply it real life examples. According to the book, Cell and molecular biology: concepts and experiments,† When a diluted solution and a concentrated solution are separated by a membrane, there is a net transfer of the solvent from the diluted solution to the concentrated one. Entry of water into root hairs and movement of water within the plant body are good examples of osmosis† (Karp 1991). Osmosis plays a significant role in life first, â€Å"the entry of water in to the roots from the soil takes place by this process, cell to cell diffusion of water is controlled through this process, young cells require turgid condition for their growth which is fulfilled by osmosis, and last turgidity of cells is maintained by the process of osmosis† (Karp 1999). A few errors were made in the experiment but none were significant enough to heavily affect our results. For example, the lengths of the individual potato cylinders may have differed slightly; we may have made mistakes when measuring a specific amount of the sucrose concentrations. We also believe that the potato cylinders should have been incubated longer, ours incubated for 1 hour 10minutes and the instructions said to incubate for at least 1.5 hours. For the most part these mistakes seemed to be small and not significant because in the end our prediction and hypothesis was supported. I thought that this was an interesting lab to participate in especially because this experiment has been conducted several times by other biology labs, I don’t really believe there were any significant weaknesses to our experiment except maybe the time. It would have been better to have more time to further explore our results. This experiment was conducted smoothly and without complications, and even better supported our prediction. Some questions that would be interesting to be answered by further research is would temperature affect the rate of diffusion in sucrose concentrations? Works Cited Freeman, Scott. â€Å"Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells.† Biological Sciences. 4th ed. Vol. 1. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2011. 90-91. Print. Karp, Gerald. Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments. New York: J. Wiley, 1999. Print Marvel, Stephen C., and Megan V. Kepler. â€Å"A Simple Membrane Osmometer System & Experiments That Quantitatively Measure Osmotic Pressure.† The American Biology Teacher 6.7 (2009): 355-62. Print. Mccandless, John. â€Å"BIOLOGY.ARIZONA.EDU.† BIOLOGY.ARIZONA.EDU. University of Arizona, 27 Feb. 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .