Monday, January 27, 2020

Niels Bohr Father Of Quantum Physics Philosophy Essay

Niels Bohr Father Of Quantum Physics Philosophy Essay Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist born in Copenhagen on October 7th 1885. His father, Christian Bohr, was a college professor at Copenhagen University. Bohr had one younger brother named Harald, who was a mathematician, and a sister named Jennifer (Niels bohr, 1992). Bohr married Margrethe Norlund in 1912 and had six children. Unfortunately two were lost, but the remaining four would become very successful like their father. Aage followed in his fathers footsteps as a physicist, receiving the Nobel peace prize in 1975 for his collective model of the nucleus. His other sons would become a chemist, lawyer and physician (the bohr model). Bohr began his education at Gammelholm Grammar School in 1903, later entering Copenhagen University where he received his masters in physics in 1909. Soon after, in 1911, he received his doctorate. His doctors disputation was a theoretical work on the explanation of the properties of the metals with the aid of electron theory. It remains a classic to this day. The same year he received his doctorate, Bohr traveled to Cambridge where he studied under JJ Thompson. Unfortunately, they did not get along, so in 1912 he traveled to Manchester to study under Earnest Rutherford. It was here that he completed a theoretical work on the absorption of alpha rays that was published in Philosophical Magazine in 1913. Working off some of Rutherfords discoveries about the atomic nucleus, Bohr was able to develop a working model of the atom (Niels bohr, 1992). Perhaps Bohrs most important work was that with the model of the atom. Bohrs model, sometimes referred to as the planetary model, was able to provide explanation for concepts that were previously indescribable. Working off Rutherfords previous work, Bohr was able to successfully explain the spectrum of the hydrogen atom. While Rutherfords model focused mainly on the nucleus, Bohr paid greater attention to electrons. The previous model of the atom stated an electron was an orbiting planet. The problem in this flawed model was that the electron, moving in a circular path, would be accelerating. Acceleration would create a change in magnetic field, which would in turn carry energy away from the nucleus. The electron would eventually slow and be captured by the nucleus. Bohrs model expanded upon Rutherfords and solved many flaws of the previous model (The Bohr model,). Bohr discovered that the atom consisted of a small, positive nucleus, with negatively charged electrons traveling around it due to the electrostatic force of coulombs law. (Matthews 2010). Bohr stated that electrons travel only in successively larger orbits. The outer orbits hold more electrons that the inner ones and its the outer orbits that determine the atoms chemical properties (Niels bohr, 1992). Although Bohrs model eliminated many problems of earlier renderings, it was not without its own flaws. Bohrs model violated the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle because it states that electrons have both a known orbit and radius. It also made poor predictions about the spectra of larger atoms, did not predict the relative intensities of spectral lines, provided an incorrect value for the ground state orbital angular momentum, did not explain fine structures and hyperfine structures in spectral lines and did not explain the Zeeman effect (Bohr model of the atom,). The Zeeman Effect is the splitting of a spectral line by a magnetic field (Foley). Even with these problems, Bohrs model was still important for laying a foundation for future study. Erwin Schrodingers electron could model, made possible by quantum mechanics, and would come to outdate the Bohr model in the 1920s (Niels bohr, 2009). Along with his structural model of the atom, Bohr was able to explain how atoms emit radiation. He suggested that when an electron jumps from an outer orbit to an inner one, it will emit light. His research found the wavelength of the emitted light is the same as the photon that carries the energy difference between the two orbits. This showed that atoms can only absorb and emit at certain wavelengths. This theory was later expanded into quantum mechanics (Niels bohr,). In 1930 Bohr changed his focus to the constitution of atomic nuclei along with their transmutations and integrations. He found that a liquid droplet would give a very good picture of the nucleus. He developed the liquid droplet theory which helped clarify and provide understanding of the mechanics of nuclear fission and the splitting of the uranium atom. This theory would provide an important basis for future studies in this field by Hahn and Strassmann (Niels bohr, 1992). Bohr was well known for his concept of complementarily. It helped to clarify some of the problems that he found in quantum physics. The theory stated that wave and particle aspects of nature are complementary and cannot both be true at the same time (Niels bohr,). In other words something must have either wave or particle like properties, not both. The concept of complementarity stated that classical concepts such as space-time location and energy-momentum, which in classical physics were always combined into a single picture, cannot be so combined in quantum physics (Complementarity principle,). In certain situations, the use of one certain classical concept will exclude the use of another classical concept. Bohrs views on the Principle on Complementarity were represented in a number of different essays he wrote from 1933-1926 (Niels bohr, 1992). Bohr was equally famous for his correspondence principle, formulated in 1920(Niels bohr,). This principle states that the behavior of systems described by the theory of quantum mechanics reproduces classical physics in the limit of large quantum numbers (Parker, 1983). In simpler terms, this principle is the idea that a new theory should be able to reproduce the results of older theories in the domains where those older theories work (Apply quantum principle, 1999). During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Bohr being half Jewish, fled the country to escape persecution. He and his family left the country by fishing boat and went to Sweden. Bohr then traveled to England to discuss the invention of the atomic bomb. In 1943 he traveled to Los Alamos New Mexico to work on the Manhattan Project. He, along with other scientists, helped to develop the first atomic bomb. Because it had such a potential to cause catastrophic damage, Bohr viewed the bomb as a device that could unify nations. When the war was over, Bohr returned to Copenhagen and promoted the peaceful use of atomic weapons and energy. Niels bohr, 1992). Bohr gave back to the community by sharing his knowledge. In 1913 he held a lectureship in physics at Copenhagen University and did the same in 1914-1916 at Victoria University in Manchester. He was a professor of theoretical physics at Copenhagen University and from 1920 until his death; he was the head of the Institute of Theoretical Physics. Along with educating future scientists, Bohr was President of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and the Danish Cancer Committee, Chairman of the Danish Atomic Energy Commission and a member of the Royal Society and the Royal Institution (Niels bohr, 1992). Throughout his lifetime, Bohr received many different awards for his work in a variety of disciplines. The most prestigious being the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his work on the atomic model. He also received the Hughes Medal in 1921, Matteucci Medal in 1923, Copley Medal in 1938, United States Atoms for Peace Award 1957 and the Sonning Prize 1961(Niels bohr,). Bohr had many other honors apart from theses medal and trophies. The institute of physics in Copenhagen was renamed the Niels Bohr Institute in his honor. On November 21st 1963 in Demark, the Bohr model semi centennial postage stamp was commemorated featuring Bohr, the hydrogen atom, and his formula for determining the difference in any two hydrogen energy levels. The atomic elements Bohrium and Hafnium were named for him along with asteroid 3948 Bohr. Towards the end of his life, Bohr began to show an interest in molecular biology. His final work, Light and Life, proposed an idea that life might not be reducible to atomic physics. It was unfinished and published after his death (Niels bohr,). Bohr passed away in Copenhagen on November 18th 1962 due to a stroke (Niels bohr, 1992). His work had an enormous impact on the scientific world of both his time and today. His extreme strides in developing the model of the atom led to the creation of an accurate model necessary for study in modern physics. His numerous formulas solved many existing problems and would lay the groundwork for future studies. If it were not for Bohrs passion and dedication to science many modern concepts would not exist today.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Case Stud Powell Logistics

Assignment #3: Powell Logistics Case Study A. Defining the issue The immediate issue is to make a decision on the future of the family company. B. Analyzing the Case Data * The truck transportation industry is a vital part of the Canadian economy with $43 billion in sales annually and employing 400,000 people * The for-hire sector accounts for 40% of the transportation industry in Canada * The for-hire sector has 2 service offerings: TL – Truck load, only full load between 2 locations and LTL – Less than load, pick up from various locations reorganize then deliver to end customer.Traditionally LTL charge more. * Trucking industry experiencing 3 major issues * Cost of fuel, increased operating costs forced to implement fuel surcharge * Canadian dollar value increase over US dollar, affected cost advantage of Canadian manufactured goods, decreasing transfer of goods between Canada and US * Shortage of qualified truckers with aging workforce, increasing wages * Strong comp etition in trucking: Traveller’s Transportation Services, long standing same market as Powell, service offering included small customer orders using vans which Powell did not offer * Yellow Transportation, global competitor, publicly traded with large financial resources, high technology using online tools reducing costs * Powell in operation since 1979, with steady growth, with a fleet of straight trucks, tractor trailers and brokerage services. * License to carry general freight throughout Canada and the US. Midsized company showing significant profitability, focusing on LTL services for higher margins even though more effort and expertise was required to manage the loads * Advanced technology including dispatch and satellite tracking in place as well as extensive trucking experience * Family business with eldest son acting as Vice President of Operations with many years of experience and no formal business training, daughter with formal education heading up the Human Resou rces section of the business and the youngest son responsible for Sales and customer relationships. Current operations included year round business with little seasonal fluctuations * 80 drivers working 5 days per week * Loads were picked up from location A and delivered to one of 5 warehouses, placed on another truck with optimized route for location B (software driven route optimization) * Sales growth would trend the same for the next year as the previous. C. Generating Alternatives 1) Buy New Warehouse and Combine Operations Pros: Reduction in costs including rent, labour, fuel, and administration salary costs.Cons: A total $10 million investment was required to cover $2 million for the land and $5 million loan financed at 5% annually. 2) Sell the Business Pros: There is interest, business is overall doing well and the timing is right in order to get as much value through selling. Cons: Direct access to cash flow stops and the family members work future is jeopardized. 3) Pass t he business on to his children Pros: The 3 Powell children are and have been heavily involved in the family business each having their own expertise. Cons: Who to select as the CEO from the 3 Powell children.D. Selecting Decision Criteria: * John Powell wants to retire * The family’s interest is of utmost importance * Improve financial position of PLI * Decrease operating expenses through streamlining operational costs * Decrease liabilities and pay down on debts to improve leverage. * Maintaining their competitive advantage/specialty in the LTL transport service. * Provide continued employment for the Powell children. * Maintaining their loyal customers. E. Assessing Alternatives: 1. Buy New Warehouse and Combine Operations STRENGHTHS| WEAKNESSES| Industry experience * Decrease operating costs| * Long term debt * Some additional long term debt from other Powell companies still outstanding throwing off debt ratio| OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * Streamline Operations| * Economic do wnturn * Competition| 2. Sell the Business STRENGHTHS| WEAKNESSES| * Interest from 3rd party * Pay off all Powell Debt | * Family member work future questionable * Cash flow| OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * Partnership possibility| * Economic downturn| 3. Pass the business on to his childrenSTRENGHTHS| WEAKNESSES| * John Powell retires * Powell children available and able to take on the family business * Customer base remains * Restructure and plan to streamline and gain on debt ratios | * Multi site inefficiencies still exist| OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * Plan to achieve financial position to support new warehouse in the future * Restructure plan development| * Economic downturn| F. Selecting the Preferred Alternative Passing the business on to his children is the preferred alternative. Financial Analysis Although PLI is forecasted for continued growth with revenue expected to reach 28 million dollars in 2010, PLI still faces the problem of shrinking net income due to significant increases in their operating expense. * Closer examination shows that PLI’s expenditures in Administrative Wages and Benefits are rising dramatically, and they’re the main contributor to the increase of Operating Expenses. Operating Expenses as a percentage of Total Revenue is out pacing the growth of Gross Revenue, and it won’t be much longer before Operating Expenses negate Gross Revenue and put PLI in the red. The Balance Sheet shows the asset values for ‘related companies’ has decreased by 19. 9% from 2006 to 2007, but the debt these ‘related companies’ have incurred has increased dramatically by 93. 1%, This is obviously putting a tremendous strain on PLI’s financial health. * A combined warehouse/main office will reduce salary costs with savings projected at $60,000 per year. If PLI were to take a 10 million dollar loan amortized over 25 years to realize an increase of $60,000 per year to their Operating Income, they would be well sh ort of their $400,000 annual principle payment. Additionally, PLI would most likely only be able to obtain a high risk interest rate a lending institution would not approve this loan given the slim profit margins of PLI in an extremely competitive market. * When reviewing the financial ratios, we find PLI highly leveraged, and they will be in a very precarious position if there was a margin call on their debts. * The increasing debt of PLI will most likely negate any possibility of a leveraged expansion. G. Developing an Action and Implementation Plan Who| What| When|John Powell| Frank Powell named as successor and President of PLI| Nov 2007| Frank Powell| Corporate restructure announcement to reduce staff, wages and/or operating expenses| Jan 2008| Frank Powell| Sell Powell related businesses that are increasing debt burden on PLI. Sales proceeds pay down debt and any costs associated to restructure| Dec 2008| Frank Powell / Ryan Powell| Review and implement new rates and service o fferings to ensure these compete with competition| Jan 2009 to July 2010| Frank Powell| Revisit $10 million expansion project| July 2010|

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Marijuana Should Be Banned

Marijuana is a type of harmful drug that is made from the plant called cannabis, and it’s the illegal in most areas around the world. It’s usually smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. Many people believe that marijuana should be banned because it has bad effects on brain and body. However, others think that everybody deserves the freedom to use marijuana. Whether or not marijuana should be banned is one of the most controversial topics. First of all, many people argue that marijuana can be use as a type of medicine to treat cancer or AIDS.However, marijuana can be very addictive. When the users are addicted to marijuana, it is very hard to quit. It begins to control their lives. In order to overcome the addiction, they have to practice abstinence, which is extremely difficult because it causes sleeplessness, anxiety, or depression. Therefore, it’s better not to use marijuana than practicing abstinent. Also, it increases heart rate and bad for our lungs. Secondly, people support marijuana because it is a very popular agricultural product.The countries that sell marijuana will have more money. However, many Americans believe that the use of drugs is morally wrong. If marijuana is known as a type of drug, the use of marijuana is immoral. In some religions such as Buddhism, taking drugs is against the religious codes as well. Next, it is individuals’ choices and rights to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government has no right to prohibit the use of marijuana as long as it doesn’t harm other people except those that use marijuana.People who want marijuana to be banned strongly believe that crime and violence in America increase due to the illegal buying and selling of this substance. If the government prohibits it, there will be less crime, and it will be safer for the society. In conclusion, after looking at both sides, I think marijuana should be banned. Therefore, it is safer for everybody. In my opinion, th e use of drug is never right. It makes the users happy, but it can destroy their lives if they can’t quit. It’s the effect after taking marijuana that matters.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Biography of Charles Sheeler, Precisionist Artist

Charles Sheeler (July 16, 1883 - May 7, 1965) was an artist who received acclaim for both his photography and painting. He was a leader of the American Precisionist movement which focused on realistic depictions of strong geometric lines and forms. He also revolutionized commercial art blurring the lines between advertising and fine art. Fast Facts: Charles Sheeler Occupation: ArtistArtistic Movement: PrecisionismBorn: July 16, 1883, in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDied: May 7, 1965, in Dobbs Ferry, New YorkEducation: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine ArtsSelected Works: Crissed Crossed Conveyors (1927), American Landscape (1930), Golden Gate (1955)Notable Quote: â€Å"I favor a picture which arrives at its destination without the evidence of a trying journey rather than one which shows the marks of battle.† Early Life and Career Born and raised in a middle-class family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charles Sheeler received encouragement from his parents to pursue art from an early age. After graduating from high school, he attended the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art to study industrial drawing and applied arts. At the academy, he met American impressionist painter William Merritt Chase  who became his mentor and modernist painter and photographer Morton Schamberg who became his best friend. During the first decade of the 20th century, Sheeler traveled to Europe with his parents and Schamberg. He studied painters from the Middle Ages in Italy and visited Michael and Sarah Stein, patrons of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, in Paris. The Cubist style of the latter two had a significant impact on Sheelers later work. When he returned to the U.S., Sheeler knew that he could not support himself with income from his painting alone, so he turned to photography. He taught himself to take photos with a $5 Kodak Brownie camera. Sheeler opened a photography studio in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1910 and earned money photographing construction projects of local architects and builders. The wood stove in Sheelers house in Doylestown, Pennsylvania was the subject of many of his early photographic works. In the 1910s, Charles Sheeler supplemented his income by photographing works of art for both galleries and collectors. In 1913, he participated in the landmark Armory Show in New York City that exhibited the works of the most noted American modernists of the time. Painting After the tragic death of his best friend Morton Schamberg in the influenza pandemic of 1918, Charles Sheeler moved to New York City. There, the streets and buildings of Manhattan became the focus of his work. He worked with fellow photographer Paul Strand on the 1921 short film Manhatta. Following its exploration of the urban landscape, Sheeler created paintings of some of the scenes. He followed his usual technique of taking photographs and drawing sketches before committing the image to paint. In New York, Sheeler became friends with poet William Carlos Williams. Precision with words was a hallmark of Williams writing, and it matched Sheelers attention to structure and forms in his painting and photography. They attended speakeasies together with their wives during the Prohibition years. Another important friendship developed with the French artist Marcel Duchamp. The pair shared an appreciation of the Dada movements break from concern about traditional notions of aesthetics. Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images Sheeler considered his 1929 painting Upper Deck a powerful representation of all that hed learned to that point about art. He based the work on a photograph of the German steamship S.S. Majestic. To Sheeler, it allowed him to use the structures of abstract painting to represent something entirely realistic. In the 1930s, Sheeler painted celebrated scenes of the Ford Motor Company River Rouge plant based on his own photographs. At first glance, his 1930 painting American Landscape appears peaceful like a traditional pastoral landscape painting. However, all of the subject matter is the result of American technological might. It is an example of what was called the industrial sublime. By the 1950s, Sheelers painting turned toward abstraction as he created works that featured parts of larger structures like his bright-colored Golden Gate showing a close-up portion of San Franciscos iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Photography Charles Sheeler worked for corporate photography clients throughout his career. He joined the staff of the Conde Nast magazine publishing firm in 1926 and worked regularly on articles in Vogue and Vanity Fair until 1931 when he was offered regular gallery representation in Manhattan. In late 1927 and early 1928, Sheeler spent six weeks photographing Ford Motor Companys River Rouge production plant. His images received strong positive acclaim. Among the most memorable was Crissed Crossed Conveyors. By the late 1930s, Sheeler was so prominent that Life magazine ran a story on him as their first featured American artist in 1938. The next year New Yorks Museum of Modern Art conducted the first Charles Sheeler museum retrospective including over one hundred paintings and drawings and seventy-three photographs. William Carlos Williams wrote the exhibition catalog. Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images In the 1940s and 1950s, Sheeler worked with additional corporations such as General Motors, U.S. Steel, and Kodak. He also worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the 1940s photographing items from their collections. Sheeler cultivated friendships with other renowned photographers including Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. Precisionism By his own definition, Charle Sheeler was part of the distinctly American movement in the arts called Precisionism. It is one of the earliest modernist styles. It is most often characterized by a precise depiction of the strong geometric lines and forms found in realistic subject matter. The works of precisionist artists celebrated the new industrial American landscape of skyscrapers, factories, and bridges. Influenced by Cubism and presaging Pop Art, Precisionism avoided social and political commentary while the artists rendered their image in an exact, almost rigid style. Among the key figures were Charles Demuth, Joseph Stella, and Charles Sheeler himself. Georgia OKeefes husband, photographer, and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz was a strong supporter of the movement. By the 1950s, many observers considered the style outdated. Later Years Sheelers style in his later years remained distinctive. He abstracted subjects into an almost flat plane of lines and angles. In 1959, Charles Sheeler suffered a debilitating stroke which ended his active career. He died in 1965. Legacy Charles Sheelers focus on industry and cityscapes as subjects for his art influenced the Beat movement of the 1950s. Author Allen Ginsberg, in particular, taught himself photography skills to emulate Sheelers groundbreaking work. Sheelers photography blurred the boundaries between commercial and fine art when he eagerly embraced industrial corporations and artistic depictions of their production plants and products. Source Brock, Charles. Charles Sheeler: Across Media. University of California Press, 2006.