Gas Laws Essay -- Chemistry Gas Gasses Essays Science

Gas Laws Since the days of Aristotle, all substances have been classified into one of three physical states. A substance having a fixed volume and shape is a solid. A substance, which has a fixed volume but not a fixed shape, is a liquid; liquids assume the shape of their container but do not necessarily fill it. A substance having neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume is a gas; gases assume both the shape and the volume of their container. The structures of gases, and their behavior, are simpler than the structures and behavior of the two condensed phases, the solids and the liquids Pressure and the Law of Boyle Quantitative measurements on gases were first made in a rational manner by the English chemist Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691). The instruments used by Boyle to measure pressure were two: the manometer, which measures differences in pressure, and the barometer, which measures the total pressure of the atmosphere. A manometer is simply a bent piece of tubing, preferably glass with one end closed. When the liquid level in both arms is the same, the pressure of the sample of gas inside the closed end must equal the pressure of the external atmosphere since the downward force on the two columns of liquid is then equal. When the liquid levels are unequal, the pressures must differ. The difference in pressure can be measured in units of length of the vertical column of liquid. The mm Hg, or its modern version the torr, originated in this use of the manometer. Mercury is particularly convenient for use in manometers (and barometers) because at room temperature it has low vapor pressure, does not wet glass, and has a high density. Other liquids such as linseed oil or water have also been used in manometers. The barometer is a device for measuring the total pressure of the atmosphere. A primitive barometer can easily be constructed by taking a glass tube about a meter long, sealing one end, filling the tube completely with mercury, placing your thumb firmly over the open end, and carefully inverting the tube into an open dish filled with mercury. The mercury will fall to a height independent of the diameter of the tube and a vacuum will be created above it. The height of the mercury column will be the height which the atmospheric pressure can support. The standard atmospheric pressure, one atmosphere (atm), is 760 mm Hg but the actua... ... taking enough chemistry, you will see it showing up over and over and over. The Numerical Value for R R's value can be determined many ways. This is just one way: Assume we have 1.000 mol of a gas at STP. The volume of this amount of gas under the conditions of STP is known to a high degree of precision. We will use the value of 22.414 L. By the way, 22.414 L at STP has a name. It is called "molar volume." It is the volume of ANY ideal gas at standard temperature and pressure. (Siebring, Richard, Page 54) Let's plug our numbers into the equation: (1.000 atm) (22.414 L) = (1.000 mol) (R) (273.15 K) Notice how atmospheres were used as well as the exact value for standard temperature. Solving for R gives 0.08206 L atm / mol K, when rounded to four significant figures. This is usually enough. Remember the value. You'll need it for problem solving. Notice the weird unit on R: say out loud "liter atmospheres per mole Kelvin." This is not the only value of R that can exist. It depends on which units you select. Those of you that take more chemistry than high school level will meet up with 8.3145 Joules per mole Kelvin, but that's for another time.

Performance Management and Executive Compensation Essay

Introduction In the history of modern economies, from the late 1800s to today businesses have faced ethical challenges regarding compensation for executives and its relation to job performance. In response to major economic crises during the 20th century, the United States enacted broad-based legislation measures as attempts to prevent what were seen as ethical challenges and agency conflicts surrounding both performance management and executive compensation. To understand the current issues facing businesses and regulators, it is important to look at three of most significant legislative acts Congress has passed. The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934, as well as the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 represent legislative interventions regarding corporate financial accounting toward the goal of curtailing the ethical challenges and the conflict of agency problems that can arise from performance management and executive compensation. Yet even after these laws were enacted, ethical conflicts can and still do arise when it comes to the compensation for employers and executives. Securities Act of 1933 The Securities Act of 1933 was born in response to the stock market crash of 1929. Just as it was then, companies who issue securities to raise money for funding new investments or to expand operations have an inherent incentive to present their company and its plans in the rosiest light possible to investors (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 serves the dual purpose of ensuring that issuers of securities to the public disclose material information to investors as well as ensuring that any securities transactions are not based on fraudulent information or practices (Sarkar, 2013). The Securities Act of 1933 affects public disclosures through a mandatory registration process for sellers and brokers and applies to the sale or trade of any regulated security type (Sarkar, 2013). Securities Act of 1934 (a.k.a. the Exchange Act) The Exchange Act primarily regulates transactions of securities that take place after its initial offering by a company (Sarkar, 2013). These transactions often take place between parties other than the issuer, such as through trades that retail investors execute via brokerage firms (Sarkar, 2013). The biggest effect of The Exchange Act was the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a federal agency responsible for regulating the securities markets (Sarkar, 2013). Since 1934, the SEC has taken on the role of mitigating fraud, abuse, and other ethical issues in the financial reporting of publicly traded entities. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 was the most significant legislation passed since the 1930s and came in the aftermath of the corporate scandals at companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen (Amadeo, 2013). Sarbanes-Oxley created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a new organization whose purpose is to help oversee the accounting industry (Amadeo, 2013). To prevent the sort of conflicts of interest that had led to the Enron fraud, SOX established new prohibitions for auditors when engaging in consultation work for their auditing clients. It also banned company loans to executives and gave increased job protections to whistleblowers (Amadeo, 2013). Performance Management and Executive Compensation Even after the passing of the Securities and Exchanges Acts of 1933 and 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, there are reasons to be concerned about ethical violations in financial accounting. Two areas where there still exist possibilities for unethical activity which could harm the supply of reliable information to investors are the performance management within a company and the compensation packages of executives. Current Ethical Challenges When evaluating situations to support ethical decision-making, one must first identify the ethical problems as they arise (Eldenburg, 2005). Performance measurements are most often measured in terms of time or financial figures – â€Å"how long† or â€Å"how much.† When selecting a new CEO, the board of directors is required to offer a financial package that is both lucrative enough to attract the most qualified individual and yet also appears fair to other ranking executives of the company. Such financial packages need to be approved by the major shareholders when the salary will impact the company’s financial reports. During an economic recession, firms may significantly downsize their workforce as well as benefits and labor rates employees receive, yet often find themselves contractually obligated to hand-out large bonuses and increasing salaries for their executives. This is potentially a major ethical issue for a company and its executives, with the fibers of the company being reduced while executives are earning more and more – even though the firm is struggling. â€Å"CEOs at the country’s 200 largest companies earned an average of 20 percent more last year than in 2009, according to recent corporate filings. By comparison, average pay for workers in the private sector rose just 2.1 percent last year—nearly the smallest increase in decades† (Harkinson, 2011). It is also not unheard of for CEOs to be forced to step down while still receiving their lucrative compensation packages only to also be given a generous â€Å"golden parachute† as they leave. Excesses like this can have detrimental effects on employee morale as the majority of the company often consists of those earning the least. Boards of directors should take into consideration the financial standing of the firm before they offer an over-the-top compensation package to a CEO. As an illustration of the contrary, Steve Jobs volunteered to work at Apple for a salary of only $1 per year: â€Å"A regulatory filing shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ compensation package remained the usual $1 in fiscal 2010†¦ as is customary, Jobs got no bonus or perk† (â€Å"Steve Jobs,† n.d.). In terms of ethical challenges and executive compensation, Jobs proved by his example that it is possible to put the company first – even if that meant earning a salary of $1. CEOs do not often have to settle for such low salaries to show leadership and camaraderie; however, accepting less exorbitant amounts can help avoid accusations of greed and impropriety altogether. Current Agency Issues â€Å"Principals hire agents to make decisions for them and to act in their behalf† (Eldenburg, & Wolcott, 2005, pp. 591). Often, agents may go on to hire agents of their own, delegating authority and establishing sub-units known as responsibility centers which can decentralize decision-making and accountability. A particularly special case of the principal-agent relationship involves the executives of companies who are effectively agents of the shareholders selected to run the company. â€Å"Four common types of responsibility centers are cost centers, revenue centers, profit centers, and investment centers.† (Eldenburg & Wolcott, 2005, pp. 595) Those agents who possess decision-making authority over a responsibility center use demographic financial data provided by the accountants for budgets and reviews of sales, profits/losses, value appraisals, and costs. Accountant and audit provided information is used to evaluate and measure performance, monitor the effectiveness of managers, reward performance, and influence decisions. (Eldenburg & Wolcot, 2005) The audit information accountants prepare and present is vital to the principal/agent relationship and performance measurement, but also has its costs. The primary challenge presented by the principal/agent relationship concerns the high level of pressure to perform that an agent can experience in the form of the agent’s compensation. Money, as well as other forms of compensation such as bonuses and stock options, increased authority, and ownership expectations are direct motivators of challenges to the ethical foundation of agent performance. When principals evaluate the performance of agents, their decisions are likely to be based on the same accounting information their agents also used. This common use provides a potential incentive for an agent to alter, falsify, or otherwise misrepresent certain data that principals receive. As decision-making authority is granted from a principle to an agent, the agent’s performance is evaluated to some degree from each authority level. Evaluating the effectiveness of the decisions made in each agency level or responsibility center is the core of measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance. Poor performance leads to a loss of decision-making authority, responsibilities, compensation, and other benefits within the entire principal-agent structure. Conversely, outstanding performance has the opposite effect and benefits everyone up the principal-agent ladder. Conclusion The Securities Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934 are essential because of their transparency as spelled out in their objectives, and for providing prospective investors detailed information about investment decisions. Their main purpose was to protect shareholders from misrepresentation and scam in the selling of security. The Acts mandated that securities sold to the public within the United States of America must be listed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Later, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was established to make sure that CFOs and CEOs authenticate and approve the financial reporting of their companies. Despite these monumental pieces of regulation, which resulted in the creation of two separate oversight agencies, there are still situations susceptible to ethical challenges and agency issues; particularly concerning performance management and executive compensation. References Amadeo, K; 2013. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Retrieved from http://useconomy.about.com/od/themarkets/p/sarbanes-oxley.htm Eldenburg, L. & Wolcott, S. (2005). Cost management: Measuring, monitoring, and motivating performance, (1st ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Harkinson, J. (2011). America’s 10 Most Overpaid CEOs. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/10-most-ridiculously-overpaid-ceos McConnell, C., & Brue, S. (2005). Economics: principles, problems and policies (16th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Sarkar, D; 2013. Securities Act. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/securities_act_of_1933 Steve Jobs again earned $1 for work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.timesleader.com/stories/Steve-Jobs-again-earned-1-for-work-at-A,115771

Alcohol And Its Effects On Society - 1647 Words

Books, commercials, billboards, restaurants, clothing shops, grocery stores, and even children’s cartoons all often feature the everyday menace commonly known as alcohol. Most people do not consider alcohol a threat to society.or think that it should be a controlled substance. They feel that as long as they do not drink too much, there is no harm in it, but they are wrong. Alcohol should be categorized as a controlled substance because it causes health problems, impairs judgment, contributes drastically to accidents, is extremely addictive, increases abuse and crime, escalates divorce rates, and is especially harmful to teen drinkers. Alcohol causes a sundry of health complications. Over time, drinking more than recommended, which is 2-3 units (1 unit =  ½ pint of beer) per day in women and 4-3 units per day in men, can cause fatal liver diseases, ulcers, cancer, nervous system issues, and malignant melanoma – a skin cancer that kills over 9,500 people in the United States per year (â€Å"Melanoma†). Long-term drinking has also been linked to â€Å"psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial personality disorder† (Alcohol (Ethanol) Effects†). Even moderate alcohol use during pregnancy can result in spontaneous abortion, and neonatal mortality - death during the first 28 days of life (United States). Kidney disease is another possible result, which, if not diagnosed early, can lead to complete kidney failure. As of now, total kidney failure can only be treated byShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Alcohol On The Society2170 Words   |  9 Pages Alcohol, or more accurate ly identified as ethanol, is the type of alcohol in alcoholic beverages. 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Alcohol is a licit drug that many people have tried; in the United States, 86.8% of people reported to drinking alcohol at least once in their life. When people abuse alcohol, it is known as alcoholism. Not only does alcohol have aRead MoreThe Effects Of Drugs And Alcohol On Society1552 Words   |  7 Pages everyone tells me I am happy, I help others in need, I am respectful, and I am imaginative. My parents have always been positive influences in my life. They have helped me in being the person who I am today. I have been shown that drugs and alcohol are not needed at a young age, or at all. When you are older and your brain has fully developed maybe then you can start drinking. Drugs can harm you and put you down a terrible path. By this, it has helped me make positive choices in my life. 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Alcoholism is a physical or psychological need for an alcoholic beverage, which is taken for non-medical reasons and produces a noticeable effect on the body (Sheen 93). People develop the need for alcohol for many different reasonsRead MoreThe Effects of Alcohol Abuse1472 Words   |  6 Pagesdoing things they should not. Alcohol is one of those things. Alcohol is extremely easy to get ahold of. It can be attained from anywhere; there are bars and liquor stores on every corner. One can get alcohol in grocery stores, gas stations, people can even brew it themselves if they know how. Alcohol that is commonly abused comes in a large variety ranging from weaker alcohols like wine and beer to stronger substances like tequila and vodka. When one abuses alcohol it taints the minds of even theRead MoreEffects Of Alcohol During Athletic Activities816 Words   |  4 PagesAlcohol has many negative effects on those who participate in athletic activities. The NCAA warns â €Å"Excessive alcohol can lead to loss in balance and coordination, reduced reaction time, and increased appetite. The decline in cognitive function can lead to an increase in sports-related injuries† (SCAN Registered Dietitians, 2013). This only scratches the surface of negative effects. Drinking alcohol prior to an athletic event often leads to dehydration which causes problems such as â€Å"increased coreRead MoreThe Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age to 181126 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Woodward Rhetoric and Composition 15 December 2012 Lowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college