Problem Set 6 and Car Buying Assignment Research Paper

Problem Set 6 and Car Buying Assignment - Research Paper Example f $8,143= ($1221.45+$750) =$1,971.45(deductible) Stop-loss feature policy=$3,000 =$3,000-$1,971.45=$1,028.55 Sarah’s friend was not right due to the fact that the stop loss policy was expensive (Ferenc, 2011). Solution to question 5 Coverage=80% out total expenses Deductible=$500 Medical expenses=$1,100 Amount paid by the insurance=? =$1100-$500=$600 80% of 600=$480 Problem Set 7 Solution to question 1 Total assets=$225,000,000 Total liabilities=$5,000,000 Total shares=$4,400,000 Net asset value= (total assets-total liabilities)/total number of shares Net asset value= ($225,000,000-$5,000,000)/4,400,000=$50 per share Solution to question 2 A Amount invested=$10,000 Interest rate =8.5% Mortgage=$90,000 Selling price=$120,000 Purchase price=$100,000 Gross profit= ($120,000-$100,000) =$20,000 B. Net profit/loss=gross profit-interest paid for the three years Interest paid for the three years= (8.5%x 90,000x3) =$22,950 Net profit or loss=$20,000-($7,650x3) =$20,000-$22,950= -$2,950 (loss) C. Rate of return= $(-2950/20,000) x 100% =14.75% Solution to question 3 Total assets=$108,000 Total liabilities=$16,800 Net worth=total assets –total liabilities Net worth= (108,000-16,800) =$91,200 Solution to question 4 Amount accumulated=$4,000,000 Period=45 years 3 children and 5 grandchildren A. According to objective 4 Barry and Mary can gift $13,000 each to anyone of their choice. Amount gifted to the three children= ($13000 x 2 x3) =$78,000 B. For grand children= ($13,000 x2 x5) =$130,000 C. Total amount of estate remove = ($130,000+$78,000) =$208,000 Solution to question 5 A Return on investment= ($240,000-$200,000)/200,000) x 100%= 20% B. Amount invested=$20,000 Amount borrowed=$180,000(interest free) Return on investment= ($240,000-$200,000) =$40,000 ($40,000/$20,000)100=200% Car Buying Assignment The new Mercedes M class that is ML350 sport utility is one of the recent models from Mercedes Benz in the market. The car is affordable and within the budget con straint hence creating an opportunity to individual the chance of ownership after considering a number of factors such as price, registration expenses ,taxes and the maintenance costs (www.cars.com)The choice of this car majorly depends on the market price, for instance in this case, the car is priced at 65,000 dollars when all the costs have been incorporated. The amount of tax payable by the buyer is also fair because if one was to buy this car then they will pay tax at the rate of 8 percent up to 60 months, this result into a reasonable monthly payment of 838.48 dollars. In this case, it is very important to consider the element of tax before one buys a particular car so as to enable the preparation of an appropriate budget which enables one conform to the right budget without straining financially (Paul and Champion, 2005). In addition, the costs such as fixing costs and registration will vary depending on the model of the vehicle that one wants to purchase. Therefore, factors o f price, tax, registration costs and fixing costs should be given a priority especially before an individual

E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

E-Commerce - Essay Example E-commerce has progressed from online billboards to a entirely functional, personalized shopping incidence over the past decade. This whole process was full of experiments and had lots of troubles along the way. The e-commerce technologies first came to sight in the late 1970’s when the implementation of electronic transactions between businesses, in addition to the exchange of information, which was done in the form of electronic purchase orders and invoices. The evolution period discussed is interesting which has allowed consumers to have online shopping experience and this is the concept which still applies. The example which we can relate here is Amazon.com which has spent years in reaching the position where it stands today (chagger, 2007). 3. (How to create a successful e-commerce Web site): What do you need to have/do? Use your own words, dont copy/paste from copyrighted material online (yes, everything online is copyrighted even if its free!) Starting an e-commerce business these days is easier than it has ever been. Now we have an abundance of tools, software, expert professionals and numerous resources which can easily teach us the exact path. Next it is required to choose a definite and targeted niche market. After selecting this it is suggested to go for ready-made e-commerce shopping cart systems that are web-based, which allows you to save time. You can use this time to market your site and get more traffic. The last thing which is required to focus is carefully designing and testing back end processes. If appropriate time is not spent on the front and back-end processes it may end up with a lot of irritable customers which will affect your brand or profitability in the long run. Example of a specific company which we can relate here is the ebay.com which has made long term investments in research and development and made a perfect online solution (Allbusiness.com, 2006). The apparent differences are the

Creating Anglo-America 1660-1750 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 194

Creating Anglo-America 1660-1750 - Essay Example His strong belief in one God that is universal drove him to argue that God dwelled in all people and, therefore, no people (including those with authority/government) had the right whatsoever to force people into a particular form of worship. Penn was also a strong believer in the equality of all people regardless of their race, gender, sex, color or sex. This in turn made him advocate for equality by arguing that â€Å"liberty is a universal entitlement† that was conflicting the pre-existing belief that liberty was a right to be entitled only to certain individuals. To put this in a practical manner, Penn found it necessary to buy Indian land and offered it to the Indian refugees who had been driven out of the other colonies. In his attempt to come up with a government that put into consideration the rights of all, Penn came up with a frame of government in 1982. In his charter Penn aimed at offering â€Å"Christian liberty† to all who affirmed a strong belief in God and expected them not to promote the liberty in promoting sexually immoral things. In this period, the government was responsible for regulating the people`s moral public behavior and some particular people such as the Jews were not allowed to be holding an office of any religious institution. The Quakers strict code of personal morality drove Penn into believing that by giving people religious freedom immorality would reduce as people would lead a life that corresponded to God`s expectations. This charter, however, didn`t prove sufficient to guide the growing population of Pennsylvania and was therefore replaced with a charter of liberties whose political system lasted up to the period of American Revolution.   

Structural analysing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Structural analysing - Essay Example Today, an SEM has become an indispensible instrument for any R&D or production set up dealing with advanced materials science. In the subsequent sections interaction of electrons with matter, basic principles of electron microscopy, architecture and working of scanning electron microscope, different attachments to an SEM and applications of SEM in materials science will be discussed in brief with special emphasis on specifications of a modern SEM. Interaction of Electrons with Matter Electrons as a probe are extremely versatile as they generate a wide range of signals which can be detected and processed to get useful and meaningful insight about surface topography, microstructure, microchemistry and micro-texture of the material being probed. Different kinds of signal generated as a result of interaction of electron probe are shown in Fig. 1 [1]. Fig. 1: Schematic Drawing Showing Electron – Matter Interaction When thickness of the specimen is less than ~ 100 nm only then the i ncident electron beam is able be pass through it and generate different kind of transmitted signals. However, the transmitted signals are relevant for Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and not for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM); therefore, we will not discuss about transmitted signals here. Among the reflected signals secondary electrons (SE) and Back Scattered Electrons (BSE) are relevant for SEM for imaging and characteristic X-rays are useful for chemical analysis in SEM. Besides, BSE is also useful in micro-texture analysis using Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) attachment. Therefore, we will limit our focus to these signals only. Secondary Electrons (SE) These are low energy electrons (less than 50 eV) generated after the incident beam hits the substrate. Back Scattered Electrons (BSE) These are high energy electrons (more than 50 eV up to beam energy) generated after the incident beam hits the substrate. Characteristic X-Rays When electron beam strikes the s pecimen, it knocks out the inner shell electrons and the vacancy thus created is immediately filled by an electron from higher shells. This electronic transition leads to generation of X-rays which are characteristics of the element. Thus these X-rays can be used for micro-chemical analysis using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and / or Wavelength Dispersive Spectroscopy (WDS). Basic Architecture of SEM Basic architecture of an SEM is presented in Fig. 2 [2]. It is a column always under vacuum consisting of different subcomponents. It consists of an electron gun or electron source. This can be different types, which will be discussed afterwards. This is followed by condenser lenses to focus the beam. There are apertures in the path to allow only and an aperture to allow only the useful (central) portion of the beam to the subsequent stages. The focused beam is double scanned and made to pass through an aperture to fall onto the specimen. The beam is scanned over the specimen in a raster and the generated signals – secondary or back scattered electrons are collected, amplified and again scanned in a raster onto a CRT screen in synchronized manner. Thus image is formed pixel by pixel. The magnification is ratio of

Project Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Project Management Principles - Essay Example A typical project goes through a cycle. The standard cycle involves four phases – initiation, planning, execution and closure. In most cases changes are required to the initial plan and this involves a process of adaptation (See diagram of a six phase cycle in Appendix 2). The cycle starts with the initiation of the project during which time the scope and objectives of the project are determined. The Planning stage sets out the human resource plan, the financing plan, the communication plan, the risk management plan. After all the activities are determined and a schedule is prepared the project is implemented. If monitoring indicates that things are not going as planned then project manager needs to adapt, adjust the plan and implement the changes. The results are then checked against the project plan and if every thing is satisfactory and the objectives have been achieved then the project can be closed (RDI 2009). 1.1 Analysis of project phases This project involves the redesign of office space to accommodate new members of staff. Wysocki (2009) indicates that effective project management is not the product of a fixed set of steps to be followed in every project. However, effective project management requires that projects go through a series of steps that are clearly defined (RDI 2009). According to PM4DEV (2007) projects operate as part of a system and they involve a high level of uncertainty. Project phases are divisions within a project where additional controls are needed to effectively manage the completion of a major deliverable (PMI 2008, p. 18). By dividing the projects in several phases the project manager is able to integrate both internal and external factors in the planning process. It allows for proper control of the project and ensures that each phase is completed before moving to the next. The five major phases of a project are: identification of needs; formation of objectives and project definition; detaile d planning and scheduling; project activity management; and closure and feedback (RDI 2009). 1.1.1 Identification of n

Descartes Views on God Essay Example for Free

Descartes Views on God Essay From reading some of his works, one might assume that Rene Descartes does not believe in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. I do not believe this to be the case. I believe that Descartes is simply trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about do to inadequate explanations of such a supreme being. For Rene Descartes and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations on First Philosophy. What follows is a brief account of the third and fifth meditations, which provide Descartes response to the masked question, What is God? Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God? In order to determine the answer we must start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion ?the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the cause and effect profile. Descartes drills us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in ones intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the archetype in which all the reality that is found objectively in these ideas is contained formally. The only problem with Descartes argument is when the existence of God arises as a notion, for there is no sustenance or idea for the notion of God to originate from. Is it possible, then, to create the idea of a finite being from an infinite existence, outside of the physical and mental, in a state all of its own? Descartes quickly answers that the response would be that a finite being cannot completely, if at all, comprehend the ideas that would cause God to exist, and therefore the basis for doubt is lost in an intangible proof. Additionally, the mere fact that he believes that there is a God provides yet another piece of proof towards His existence. This must be true, according to Descartes, with the provision that the idea and belief must have been placed in his consciousness by an outside factor. The final factor that convinces Descartes that there is a God is the fact of his own existence, along with the fact that he, himself, is not a God. This belief stems from the theory that if a man is independent from all other existence and ideas about forms and matter, then he has the ability to become infinite. Descartes says that if he himself were the author of his own being and independent of all existence, then he would attain a Godly level of existence. Ultimately, it is his own dependence on another being that proves to him that there is a God. Many people are bred into religion, or borne into a set of ideas about a particular infinite being. The interesting problem with most types of faith in this manner is that the scripture that has been deemed to come from your god is also the proof that God exists. This is the type of circular definition that Descartes is trying to avoid at all costs. Basically, its like using a word in its own definition, or ? the definition of an apple is an apple. The argument begins to get a little bit ambiguous when he begins discussing the uncertainty of his beliefs. He is, as he claims, as certain of the idea of the sun, the moon, the earth, even his own rational thought, as he is certain of Gods existence.

Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict

Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict The Influence of the IRA and the Northern Irish Conflict (1970s to Present) on the Writing of Irish History Khalil Jetha It has been said that history is not an assortment of facts, but rather a recollection of instances taken in a certain context. Unlike pure fact, history is heavily reliant on the documenting party. The writing of Irish history has changed dramatically since the 1970s, altering the rhetoric in which the struggle has been presented. The crippling hold of the British Imperial machine has widely been recalled as an international symbol of oppression. However, recent developments in the Irish conflict have tempered something of a defeatist attitude among Ireland’s historians, earning the circumstance enmity and even garnering sympathy for the British government. Countries that won their independence from Britain such as the United States, India, and others share the common factor of clear-cut sides; in each case, the parties at odds were Great Britain and the colonial land in question. The Irish struggle, however, has evolved into broad acquiescence to subjugation and dominance, w ith a markedly diminished sense of outrage. What started out as a universal Irish struggle plunged into disarray, with splintering factions breaking away from a common struggle and eventually accepting the creation of two Irelands: a Catholic, Irish free southern state and a Protestant, British protectorate in the north. There are three events in the last thirty years that changed the face of the Irish struggle’s historiography, all three testaments to the waning sense of urgency shared in the Northern Irish conflict. First is the radicalization of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), second is the division of Catholics manifested in Colin Cruise O’Brien’s writing and push for leadership, and third is the evolution of Irish rebellion from 1970 from that of armed struggle to non-violent protest. The IRA has long been the strongest symbol of Irish nationalism, hotly contested by some as a partisan organization dedicated to little more than a consolidation of Catholic control. Some contend that prior to the 1916 establishment of the Irish Free State there was no Irish nation, and that the national identity was in its infancy at the onset of the British occupation. However, to the Irish people â€Å"the Republic was, for a few tense years, a living reality which dominated every aspect of their lives† (Macardle 29). The tumultuous 1970s are an accurate representation of how events in the Northern Irish conflict affected the writing of Irish history. The escalation of violence on British soil in the name of Irish nationalism, followed by growing Irish resentment of the IRA, and finally the disarmament of the IRA all reflect how events changed the conflict’s historiography. Though the IRA had existed in different forms since the early 19th century, the 1970s saw â€Å"violence against British rule increased, carried out in the name of the ‘Irish Republican Army’† (Kee 613). What originally began as carefully planned attacks against British armed establishments inside Ireland proper changed into â€Å"guerrilla warfare in which the majority of the Irish people, though originally opposed to violence, supported the IRA† (Kee 613). British brutality spawned Irish violent resistance, and support for such measures was widely supported as the Irish people perceived the British occupation as a series of events that could be universally and categorically condemned. As a result, history was written heavily in the favour of the Irish cause. Up until the escalation of IRA violence on British territory, â€Å"no one who knew the meaning of nationality found it difficult to understand that the Irish had, in past centuries, resisted conques t and absorption by another race; what caused astonishment, whether hostile or sympathetic, was the passion and tenacity with which the resistance had been maintained† (Macardle 30). Historians sympathized with the Irish plight, especially given that extent of the British occupation following the establishment of the Irish Free State. The world was already aware of British Imperialism and the extent of Irish civilian losses. Irish violence in the name of the IRA saw everything shy of complete support in the international stage, and history focused on â€Å"the weighty British Administration† that â€Å"continued to operate uncertainly and with violence, while, in its midst, there functioned another government, which commanded the allegiance of the people and whose decrees produced immediate results† (Macardle 29). The early 1970s saw unparalleled international sympathy with the IRA’s cause, especially following the exodus of Irish violence from Ulster and its manifestation on British soil. Though violence was not necessarily condoned, it was not wholeheartedly condemned. Northern Ireland evolved from a sectarian conflict to one that spanned national borders, a situation history saw repeated in every part of the world. British aggression in Derry soon became a rallying cry for IRA recruitment. What took place on January 30, 1972 became known as Bloody Sunday, the pinnacle of IRA domestic and international sympathy. In the â€Å"six months prior to that day, the [British] Army had increasingly brutalized the Catholic populace, but it had done so largely on a case-by-case, individual-by-individual basis†; â€Å"on that day, the Army launched a premeditated campaign of murder against unarmed demonstrators—a campaign whose ostensible purpose was to induce the IRA to stand and fight, force the demonstrators to flee, and enable the Army to kill or capture the bulk of Derry’s IRA gunmen† (Hull 48). Historiography could have taken one of two paths. Bloody Sunday could have been perceived as a hallmark of British imperialism, or it could have been shown in a sympathetic light to the British dilemma of protecting its previously sponsored Protestant ruling class. From Dublin’s standpoint, the â€Å"world undoubtedly would have concluded that British Army actions in Derry on January 30, 1972 violated international law†; however, popular support for the Irish victims was lost â€Å"in lieu of an objective investigation,† with â€Å"more British whitewash† spread over the whole affair (Hull 183). London saw the elicitation tactics of Bloody Sunday as a utilitarian decision to spare the most civilian lives. That so many civilians perished under British gunfire was a penultimate factor in the stabilization of the region. The ends justified the means in the British â€Å"peace†; the British-sponsored probe investigating Bloody Sunday dampened the immediate public outcry, and history’s favour weaned on the Irish side. This marked the end of the image of the British aggressor. The Close of Irish Violence in London and the Loss of Popular IRA Support The gruesome bombing IRA bombing campaigns led to two significant paradigm shifts in Dublin and abroad. On one hand, history began perceiving the Irish separatist cause as one that targeted all Britons, not just those occupying Ireland. Images of Britons of all racial and religious backgrounds swept across newspapers worldwide, and the Irish cause became less about foreign occupation and more about the stasis of British national security. Moreover, Irish domestic support waned among Catholic clergy as well as the Irish layman. People throughout the island were at odds with each other; prominent scholars such as Connor Cruise O’Brien not only opposed the IRA, but also began taking part in British politics, siding with political machination as opposed to armed insurgency. Historians took the side of O’Brien, depleting the IRA’s support, morphing their public image from that of popular resistance to one of horrific aggression. As a corollary, the Irish cause was mar ked as one not between the Irish and British or Catholic and Protestant. The conflict in Northern Ireland hence became one of armed struggle versus civilized politics. O’Brien’s writings against the IRA may have cost him leadership of the Irish Republic, but their influence dwindled what used to be unified armed struggle. The IRA attempted to counter this trend, calling in bomb threats hours ahead of schedule, causing panic and not violence. However, the writing of Irish history had already shifted, and the Irish people grew weary of the fighting. The new style of bloodless bombing campaigns was ironically reflective of the end of Irish political fervour; rebellion became one of tired horror, one that was less separatist and more about divisions few recognized on the international stage. Today’s Irish conflict is one of forgotten causes; in light of the British successes in quelling the whirr of public relations following Bloody Sunday, the IRA bombing campaigns inevitably led to their condemnation by Irish politicians and scholars such as O’Brien. By the early 1980s, the entire cause had lost the passion that fuelled its patrons for the previous two centuries. Today, the IRA has been reduced to a fading memory in the collective international conscience. What remains is defeatist acquiescence; the Irish conflict’s major events did not successfully portray the Irish as victims. Instead, history has viewed the Irish conflict in the same way many Irish have perceived it themselves: a hopeless political and military quagmire against a seemingly indefatigable foe. References Hull, Roger H. (1976) The Irish Triangle: Conflict in Northern Ireland. Princeton:Princeton U P. Macardle, Dorothy. (1965) The Irish Republic. New York: Farrar, Straus, andGiroux. Kee, Robert. (1993) The Laurel and the Ivy: The Story of Charles Stewart Parnelland Irish Nationalism. Middlesex: Penguin Group. Leon O Broin and Cian O H’Eigeartaigh (ed). (1996) In Great Haste: The Lettersof Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan. Dublin: St. Martin’s Press.