Tang Dynasty Essays - Tang Dynasty, Dynasties In Chinese History

Tang Dynasty Essays - Tang Dynasty, Dynasties In Chinese History Tang Dynasty The fall of the Sui in the early 17th century led to a new power, one that revolutionized the social and empirical structure. At its height, the Tang Empire stretched from what is now Manchuria in the northeast into what is now Vietnam in the southwest. Building on the reunification of northern China and the southern China by the Sui dynasty. The Tang Empire established a strong, centralized state system, which brought together the aristocratic clans of all regions, finally ended four centuries of division between northern and southern China. The Tang dynasty was a time of great prosperity, many religions such Buddhism, and Daoism (Taoism), and the literature, scholarship, and arts of the Confucian flourished. The Tangs capital took place in Changan, which became one of the richest and most populous cities in the world, with two million people living there. The Tang dynasty was the time of great inventions, great poets, technologies, which not only influenced China itself in the futu re, but Asia as a whole. Although Li Yuan founded this incredibly long-lived powerful dynasty, ruled as Emperor as Gaozu, but the real powers were in the hands of his son, Li Shih-min. Who later came to power, and assumed the title Tai-tsung. He was an energetic emperor and was determined to solve the internal problems that had destroyed past dynasties. He recreated the Chinese government. At the top of the hierarchy was the emperor; below his were three administrations; Council of the state, Military Affairs, and the Censorate. The most import of these three administrations was the council of the state, which drafted policy, reviewed policy, and implemented policy. The military affairs directed the military under the control of the emperor. The censorate watched over the government and government officials to prevent misgoverning, and corruption. This System that Tai-tsung had brilliantly came up with, led to the result of the central state system working more efficient than ever. The political greatness of the Tang Empire was due in majority to the group of Confucian scholars that advises the Emperor. These scholars were chosen through an indiscriminate civil service examination. The test meant as a competition to bring the among all the most talented people into the government. Past dynasties was due to their reliance on aristocratic families, nobles, and warlords. China flourished in part due to the new economic and trading ties with different regions. Trade was possible because the Tang maintained a good foreign relation. The emperor and his court kept close attention to the power and possible threat of nomadic non-Chinese tribes along the northern border. During the 640s and the 650s, the Tang Empire established its dominance over the Turkish tribes in the north and west and the central Asia. In the 670s China once again gained control over the Tibetan peoples in Turfan. The Tang Empire traded with, India, Middle East, and Byzantium in the west. This was possible because the Tang maintained relative peace among the different races that traded along the Silk Road. Foreign merchants were welcomed in Changan. Foreign religions such and Manichaeism, Nestorian Christianity, and Zoroastrianism, were allowed by the Tang to built churches in Changan. Foreign merchants from Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, came by sea to the port of Canton. Then travel north to a large trading city at the southern end of the Grand Canal, and then proceeded along the canal to Changan. The trading ties with India brought Buddhism to china and gave it a place in Chinese culture. One of the most important institutions in the Tang society were the Buddhist temples, which succeeded in their independence from government attempts to control them. The Buddhist Monasteries played many important roles in the Chinese society. Many held amounts of tax-free lands, which led it to be the most important economic institution in a local community. When there were problems, the Monasteries were the place to go for help. Farmers in need of money, or grain for planting borrowed from the monasteries; travelers lodged at the monasteries, local children went to the monasteries to learnt to read. Chinese pilgrims, and foreign monks brought doctrines and texts form India and central Asia to China to be translated. Monks from Japan, Korea,

When I Grow Up - Planning My Future essays

When I Grow Up - Planning My Future essays By: xxxxxxxx Submitted to: Prof. xxxxxxx English 101-118 xx April 2xxx When I Grow Up Occupational therapist and zoologist are two professions that appeal to me; they both have qualities and options that I desire in a career. I. Brief narrative describing careers I had considered in the past and the two I have now narrowed it down to. II. Zoologist and occupational therapist both do work I would enjoy A. Zoologist are biological scientist that study animals 1. Zoologist may study one animal or groups of 2. Zoologists may study the effects animals have on the ecosystem or vice-versa 3. Zoology is interesting to me because I like B. Occupational therapist help people regain or improve 1. Occupational therapists may work to improve psychological, social or physical aspects in 2. Occupational therapy would be a rewarding career III. Both professions offer a variety of work places and areas to A. Zoologists have many options to specialize in. 1. I have listed areas a zoologist may specialize in. 2. Many jobs are available to a zoologist. B. Occupational therapist may also specialize by what type of people they work with. 1. The different types of people a occupational therapist may choose to work with 2. I have listed some places that an occupational therapist works IV. I need to consider the education required to wor...

The current level of government regulation of business is detrimental Essay

The current level of government regulation of business is detrimental to our economy(the first paper you wrote that was unusable) - Essay Example Liberalization, deregulation, and privatization are a large part of the push for a neo-liberal economic agenda by its proponents to get â€Å"official authorities [to] create an enabling environment for markets and then let the private sector supply the social good with (according to the theory) maximum efficiency† (Scholte 2000, p.285). Krugman (1995) states in spite of possible and actual negative outcomes, governments have been eager to adopt the programs outlined by the leaders of the Washington consensus at the same time markets have been busy dumping money into reforming economies for two main reasons. The first is the speculative bubble in the financial markets. The second has more to do with sociological rather than economic perceptions in that the seemingly endless number of meetings, negotiations, and press releases concerning financial and related markets converged into a commonsense understanding of economic opinion. In addition, governments adopted the prescribed programs because markets were rewarding those who adopted and embraced these programs. According to Krugman (1995, np), â€Å"[p]eople believe certain stories because everyone important tells them, and people tell those stories because everyone important believes them. Indeed, when a conventional wisdom is at its fullest strength, one’s agreement with that conventional wisdom becomes almost a litmus test of one’s suitability to be taken seriously.† It became difficult to question or stand against, and easier to support this common wisdom, thus further reinforcing it. Hence, the Washington consensus has been embraced even if its program results have had devastating effects on many countries and eventually on the United States in the year 2008. In 2008, the collapse of key American financial organizations sent the global financial system into free fall as credit began to freeze and trillions of dollars in shareholder value were wiped out.

Stock Market Cycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stock Market Cycles - Essay Example Although the political world affects the stock market in the short term the market recovers quickly. What drives the stock market the most are interest rates, inflation, and corporate profits. Interest rates are set by the Federal Reserve. Federal policy is set through the raising or lowering of interest rates. Interest rates help dictate the demand for goods and services. This in turn affects corporate profits and inflation. Interest rates set by business and industry are set according to what people believe the Federal Reserve will set long term interest rates at. This forecasting of interest rates is driven by what the Federal Reserve is projected to do in the future. High interest rates alter borrowing costs. This has the effect of changing the availability of bank loans and household wealth. Lastly, interest rates affect foreign exchange rates (Federal Reserve San Francisco). Corporate profits drive the stock market either up or down depending upon whether corporations have a gain or a loss. Large corporate profits give corporations more to spend or reinvest in the corporation. The gains are passed on to investors through increase in value of the company's stocks and larger dividends. Most dividends are reinvested into the corporation thus increasing growth potential of the corporation. Corporate losses have the opposite affect. Losses are passed on to corporate stock holders in the form of decreased stock value and lower dividend payments. What also drives stock prices is corporate reporting. A corporation that has had a positive growth fiscal year tends to prompt a rise in the value of its stock. Likewise fiscal reporting that falls short of forecasts has the effect of lowering stock value. In addition to reporting results, a corporation's non-compliance with reporting requirements or late reporting has the affect of lowering its stock value. Mainly, t his is because non-compliance is most associated with problems within the organization or reports of an external investigation by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Corporate earnings have the trickle down affect of the raising or lowering of purchasing power of its stockholders and employees. Employees often benefit from owning company stock through a corporate stock option program that awards stock to employees as retirement compensation. A company seeing losses passes that loss of value on to its employees by lowering of the stock price. This has the affect of lowering the value of the employee's retirement plan. A win-win situation would be employees working hard to assist the corporation in making profits because both the corporation and the employees benefit from higher stock values. As long as corporations and individuals have buying power they will exercise that power by purchasing more stocks. That, in affect, gives the corporation more money to spend on operations that make money for the corporation. Thus stock market values rise (Bull market). The inverse lowers stock values and reinvestment and the stock market experiences a bear market. Lastly, a war has an interesting affect on the stock market. Initially, the announcement of a conflict serves to drive the market downward. But, once war production begins and corporations begin to make money because of the conflict the stock market is driven up. Works Cited: Federal Reserve

Recreation and Sports Essay Example for Free

Recreation and Sports Essay While it may be true that the Mason City government ought to devote more money to riverside recreational facilities, this authors argument does not make a cogent case for increased resources based on river use. It is easy to understand why city residents would want a cleaner river, but this argument is rife with holes and assumptions, and thus, not strong enough to lead to increased funding. Citing surveys of city residents, the author reports city residents love of water sports. It is not clear, however, the scope and validity of that survey. For example, the survey could have asked residents if they prefer using the river for water sports or would like to see a hydroelectric dam built, which may have swayed residents toward river sports. The sample may not have been representative of city residents, asking only those residents who live upon the river. The survey may have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions dedicated to river sports. We just do not know. Unless the survey is fully representative, valid, and reliable, it can not be used to effectively back the authors argument. Additionally, the author implies that residents do not use the river for swimming, boating, and fishing, despite their professed interest, because the water is polluted and smelly. While a polluted, smelly river would likely cut down on river sports, a concrete connection between the residents lack of river use and the rivers current state is not effectively made. Though there have been complaints, we do not know if there have been numerous complaints from a wide range of people, or perhaps from one or two individuals who made numerous complaints. To strengthen his/her argument, the author would benefit from implementing a normed survey asking a wide range of residents why they do not currently use the river. Building upon the implication that residents do not use the river due to the quality of the rivers water and the smell, the author suggests that a river clean up will result in increased river usage. If the rivers water quality and smell result from problems which can be cleaned, this may be true. For example, if the decreased water quality and aroma is caused by pollution by factories along the river, this conceivably could be remedied. But if the quality and aroma results from the natural mineral deposits in the water or surrounding rock, this may not be true. There are some bodies of water which emit a strong smell of sulphur due to the geography of the area. This is not something likely to be afffected by a clean-up. Consequently, a river clean up may have no impact upon river usage. Regardless of whether the rivers quality is able to be improved or not, the author does not effectively show a connection between water quality and river usage. A clean, beautiful, safe river often adds to a citys property values, leads to increased tourism and revenue from those who come to take advantage of the river, and a better overall quality of life for residents. For these reasons, city government may decide to invest in improving riverside recreational facilities. However, this authors argument is not likely significantly persuade the city goverment to allocate increased funding. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 6 This insightful response identifies important assumptions and thoroughly examines their implications. The proposal to spend more on riverside recreational facilities rests on three questionable assumptions, namely: †¢THAT THE SURVEY PROVIDES A RELIABLE BASIS FOR BUDGET PLANNING †¢THAT THE RIVER’S POLLUTION AND ODOR ARE THE ONLY REASONS FOR ITS LIMITED RECREATIONAL USE. †¢THAT EFFORTS TO CLEAN THE WATER AND REMOVE THE ODOR WILL BE SUCCESSFUL By showing that each assumption is highly suspect, this essay demonstrates the weakness of the entire argument. For example, paragraph 2 points out that the survey might not have used a representative sample, might have offered limited choices, and might have contained very few questions on water sports. Paragraph 3 examines the tenuous connection between complaints and limited use of the river for recreation. Complaints about water quality and odor may be coming from only a few people and, even if such complaints are numerous, other completely different factors may be much more significant in reducing river usage. Finally, paragraph 4 explains that certain geologic features may prevent effective river clean-up. Details such as these provide compelling support. In addition, careful organization ensures that each new point builds upon the previous ones. For example, note the clear transitions at the beginning of paragraphs 3 and 4, as well as the logical sequence of sentences within paragraphs (specifically paragraph 4). Although this essay does contain minor errors, it still conveys ideas fluently. Note the effective word choices (e. g. , rife with . . . assumptions and may have swayed residents). In addition, sentences are not merely varied; they also display skillful embedding of subordinate elements. For example, note the sustained parallelism in the first sentence of the concluding paragraph. Since this response offers cogent examination of the argument and conveys meaning skillfully, it earns a score of 6. Essay Response — Score 5 The author of this proposal to increase the budget for Mason City riverside recreational facilities offers aninteresting argument but to move forward on the proposal would definitely   require more information and thought. While the correlations stated are logical and probable, there may be hidden factors that prevent the City from diverting resources to this project. For example, consider the survey rankings among Mason City residents. The thought is that such high regard for water sports will translate into usage. But, survey responses can hardly be used as indicators of actual behavior. Many surveys conducted after the winter holidays reveal people who list exercise and weight loss as a top priority. Yet every profession does not equal a new gym membership. Even the wording of the survey results remain ambiguous and vague. While water sports may be among the residents favorite activities, this allows for many other favorites. What remains unknown is the priorities of the general public. Do they favor these water sports above a softball field or soccer field? Are they willing to sacrifice the municipal golf course for better riverside facilities? Indeed the survey hardly provides enough information to discern future use of improved facilities. Closely linked to the surveys is the bold assumption that a cleaner river will result in increased usage. While it is not illogical to expect some increase, at what level will people begin to use the river? The answer to this question requires a survey to find out the reasons our residents use or do not use the river. Is river water quality the primary limiting factor to usage or the lack of docks and piers? Are people more interested in water sports than the recreational activities that they are already engaged in? These questions will help the city government forecast how much river usage will increase and to assign a proportional increase to the budget. Likewise, the author is optimistic regarding the state promise to clean the river. We need to hear the source of the voices and consider any ulterior motives. Is this a campaign year and the plans a campaign promise from the state representative? What is the timeline for the clean-up effort? Will the state fully fund this project? We can imagine the misuse of funds in renovating the riverside facilities only to watch the new buildings fall into dilapidation while the state drags the river clean-up. Last, the author does not consider where these additional funds will be diverted from. The current budget situation must be assessed to determine if this increase can be afforded. In a sense, the City may not be willing to draw money away from other key projects from road improvements to schools and education. The author naively assumes that the money can simply appear without forethought on where it will come from. Examining all the various angles and factors involved with improving riverside recreational facilities, the argument does not justify increasing the budget. While the proposal does highlight a possibility, more information is required to warrant any action. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 5 Each paragraph in the body of this perceptive essay identifies and examines an unstated assumption that is crucial to the argument. The major assumptions discussed are: †¢THAT A SURVEY CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT BEHAVIOR †¢THAT CLEANING THE RIVER WILL, IN ITSELF, INCREASE RECREATIONAL USAGE †¢THAT STATE PLANS TO CLEAN THE RIVER WILL ACTUALLY BE REALIZED †¢THAT MASON CITY CAN AFFORD TO SPEND MORE ON RIVERSIDE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. Support within each paragraph is both thoughtful and thorough. For example, paragraph 2 points out vagueness in the wording of the survey: Even if water sports rank among the favorite recreational activities of Mason City residents, other sports may still be much more popular. Thus, if the first assumption proves unwarranted, the argument to fund riverside facilities — rather than soccer fields or golf courses — becomes much weaker. Paragraph 4 considers several reasons why river clean-up plans may not be successful (the plans may be nothing more than campaign promises or funding may not be adequate). Thus, the weakness of the third assumption undermines the argument that river recreation will increase and riverside improvements will be needed at all. Instead of dismissing each assumption in isolation, this response places them in a logical order and considers their connections. Note the appropriate transitions between and within paragraphs, clarifying the links among the assumptions (e. g. , Closely linked to the surveys †¦ or The answer to this question requires ). Along with strong development, this response also displays facility with language. Minor errors in punctuation are present, but word choices are apt and sentences suitably varied in pattern and length. The response uses a number of rhetorical questions, but the implied answers are always clear enough to support the points being made. Thus, the response satisfies all requirements for a score of 5, but its development is not thorough or compelling enough for a 6. Essay Response — Score 4 The problem with the arguement is the assumption that if the Mason River were cleaned up, that people would use it for water sports and recreation. This is not necessarily true, as people may rank water sports among their favorite recreational activities, but that does not mean that those same people have the financial ability, time or equipment to pursue those interests. However, even if the writer of the arguement is correct in assuming that the Mason River will be used more by the citys residents, the arguement does not say why the recreational facilities need more money. If recreational facilities already exist along the Mason River, why should the city allot more money to fund them? If the recreational facilities already in existence will be used more in the coming years, then they will be making more money for themselves, eliminating the need for the city government to devote more money to them. According to the arguement, the reason people are not using the Mason River for water sports is because of the smell and the quality of water, not because the recreational facilities are unacceptable. If the city government alloted more money to the recreational facilities, then the budget is being cut from some other important city project. Also, if the assumptions proved unwarranted, and more people did not use the river for recreation, then much money has been wasted, not only the money for the recreational facilities, but also the money that was used to clean up the river to attract more people in the first place. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 4 This competent response identifies two unstated assumptions: †¢THAT CLEANING UP THE MASON RIVER WILL LEAD TO INCREASED RECREATIONAL USE †¢THAT EXISTING FACILITIES ALONG THE RIVER NEED MORE FUNDING Paragraph 1 offers reasons why the first assumption is questionable (e. g. , residents may not have the necessary time or money for water sports). Similarly, paragraphs 2 and 3 explain that riverside recreational facilities may already be adequate and may, in fact, produce additional income if usage increases. Thus, the response is adequately developed and satisfactorily organized to show how the argument depends on questionable assumptions. However, this essay does not rise to a score of 5 because it fails to consider several other unstated assumptions (e. g. , that the survey is reliable or that the efforts to clean the river will be successful). Furthermore, the final paragraph makes some extraneous, unsupported assertions of its own. Mason City may actually have a budget surplus so that cuts to other projects will not be necessary, and cleaning the river may provide other real benefits even if it is not used more for water sports. This response is generally free of errors in grammar and usage and displays sufficient control of language to support a score of 4. Essay Response — Score 3 Surveys are created to speak for the people; however, surveys do not always speak for the whole community. A survey completed by Mason City residents concluded that the residents enjoy water sports as a form of recreation. If that is so evident, why has the river not been used? The blame can not be soley be placed on the city park department. The city park department can only do as much as they observe. The real issue is not the residents use of the river, but their desire for a more pleasant smell and a more pleasant sight. If the city government cleans the river, it might take years for the smell to go away. If the budget is changed to accomodate the clean up of the Mason River, other problems will arise. The residents will then begin to complain about other issues in their city that will be ignored because of the great emphasis being placed on Mason River. If more money is taken out of the budget to clean the river an assumption can be made. This assumption is that the budget for another part of cit maintenance or building will be tapped into to. In addition, to the budget being used to clean up Mason River, it will also be allocated in increasing riverside recreational facilites. The government is trying to appease its residents, and one can warrant that the role of the government is to please the people. There are many assumptions being made; however, the government can not make the assumption that people want the river to be cleaned so that they can use it for recreational water activities. The government has to realize the long term effects that their decision will have on the monetary value of their budget. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 3 Even though much of this essay is tangential, it offers some relevant examination of the argument’s assumptions. The early sentences mention a questionable assumption (that the survey results are reliable) but do not explain how the survey might have been flawed. Then the response drifts to irrelevant matters — a defense of the city park department, a prediction of budget problems and the problem of pleasing city residents. Some statements even introduce unwarranted assumptions that are not part of the original argument (e. g. ,The residents will then begin to complain about other issues and This assumption is that the budget for another part of city maintenance or building will be tapped into). Near the end, the response does correctly note that city government should not assume that residents want to use the river for recreation. Hence, the proposal to increase funding for riverside recreational facilities may not be justified. In summary, the language in this response is reasonably clear, but its examination of unstated assumptions remains limited and therefore earns a score of 3. Essay Response — Score 2. This statement looks like logical, but there are some wrong sentences in it which is not logical. First, this statement mentions raking water sports as their favorite recreational activities at the first sentence. However, it seems to have a ralation between the first sentence and the setence which mentions that increase the quality of the rivers water and the rivers smell. This is a wrong cause and result to solve the problem. Second, as a reponse to the complaints from residents, the state plan to clean up the river. As a result, the state expects that water sports will increase. When you look at two sentences, the result is not appropriate for the cause. Third, the last statement is the conclusion. However, even though residents rank water sports, the city government might devote the budget to another issue. This statement is also a wrong cause and result. In summary, the statement is not logical because there are some errors in it. The supporting setences are not strong enough to support this issue. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 2 Although this essay appears to be carefully organized, it does not follow the directions for the assigned task. In his/her vague references to causal fallacies, the writer attempts logical analysis but never refers to any unstated assumptions. Furthermore, several errors in grammar and sentence structure interfere with meaning (e. g. , This statement looks like logical, but there are some wrong sentences in it which is not logical). Because this response does not follow the directions for the assigned task and contains errors in sentence structure and logical development, it earns a score of 2. Essay Response — Score 1 The statement assumes that everyone in Mason City enjoys some sort of recreational activity, which may not be necessarily true. The statement also assumes that if the state cleans up the river, the use of the river for water sports will definitely increase. Reader Commentary for Essay Response — Score 1 The brevity of this two-sentence response makes it fundamentally deficient. Sentence 1 states an assumption that is actually not present in the argument, and sentence 2 correctly states an assumption but provides no discussion of its implications. Although the response may begin to address the assigned task, it offers no development. As such, it is clearly extremely brief providing little evidence of an organized response and should earn a score of 1.

Tools of the Astronomer :: essays research papers

The Telescope of the Astronomer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Years and Years ago, astronomers didn't have the advantage of the telescope. They could only use their naked eye. It wasn't until Galileo first made a better telescope that it could be used for looking into space. Most every telescope you buy today is better than the one he used. These telescopes have revolutionized astronomy in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Galileo first took his telescope and looked at the sky he saw amazing things. He saw craters on the Moon, dark spots on the surface of the Sun, tiny moons moving around Jupiter. No one else had ever seen these things. With the modern telescopes we use today, we can see many many more things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Light from planets, stars and galaxies spreads itself on Earth, and a telescope collects this light and lets us look at the object the light came from. Some telescopes, called refracting telescopes, collect and focus light through a glass lens. Another type, the reflecting telescopes, reflect light on a glass mirror. The bigger the telescope the more light it collects, giving us a better view of what we want to look at. Some don't have just one big mirror, it has many little mirrors that fit together like bathroom tile. With the help of a computer, these little mirrors work together like one big mirror. The Hubble Space Telescope is the largest orbiting optical telescope in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The refracting and reflecting telescopes collect and focus visible light, which is light that we can see. There are also other types of light that we cannot see. Nowadays astronomers have telescopes to looks at different types of light. On Earth we can look at visible light and radio waves. A few of the very largest telescopes look for radio light. Other types of light, like X-ray light and ultraviolet light, can only be looked at from space, so astronomers have built telescopes in space that orbit the Earth. The most famous is the Hubbell Space Telescope.

Iso-osmolar Concentration of Carrot Cells Lab Essay

For a more thorough understanding of this lab introduction, the concepts of, iso osmolar, membrane, equilibrium, and concentration gradient evaluated. Iso osmolar can be known as the point in which the substance of experimentation faces no change despite the amount of solute inside the solvent( because the solvent and solute concentration is equal. This is where the line on a graph would cross on the x-axis). Selectively permeable membrane can be defined as a microscopic double layer of lipids and proteins that bounds cells and organelles and forms structures within cells and it controls what comes in and out of the cell. Equilibrium is the state of a chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products does not change with time. Before this experiment, we were educated on how osmosis functions. Osmosis is a process which molecules and water take to usually get through a selectively permeable membrane in order to reach equilibrium. It is a passive transport which requires no ATF and water moves from high to low water concentration. When osmosis is completed, there should be an equal concentration o water on both sides of the experiment. We have also learned about the iso osmolar point which is when the concentration of molecules are identical inside and outside. Also, we predicted that if the carrot sticks were placed into higher concentrations of sucrose solutions, then the sticks would loose more water. The concentration of particles inside the carrot cells will be found by having them placed into various different solutions with different sucrose concentrations. This will cause the carrot cells to either lose or gain water as the control tries to reach equilibrium with the solution. By measuring the carrot mass before the experiment and after they sat in the mixture for two days, we are able to observe the change in mass of the carrots. The amount of water the carrot lost or gained would show the percentage of mass change, which then we can use to conclude the concentration of particles inside the carrot. By finding the iso osmolar point, we are able to find the concentration of particles inside the carrot, because the iso osmolar point exhibits the solution that has the same concentration both in the carrot and out. The carrot sticks inside the 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.0M sucrose mixtures, will have water enter/leave them. In this experiment, the independent variable was the molarity/sucrose concentration of the solutions the carrot sticks were placed into. The dependent variable was the percentage change of mass for the carrot sticks. For about half of the experiments(4/6), water left the carrot cells causing them to loose mass because there was a uneven concentration of water inside the carrot and outside. In the sucrose solutions in which the carrots lost mass, there was more water inside the cell compared to the outside, causing the water molecules in the carrot sticks to move out into the solution as a result of osmosis. Generally, substances try to spread out and reach the state of equilibrium instead of being concentrated in one area. This is why water enters and leaves the carrots; a result of osmosis. Also, there is a solution of sucrose that is perfect for the carrots sticks, which would result in zero percentage mass change of the carrot. The solution, if it is found, is called the iso osmolar point, which there is no change because there is no concentration gradient. CONCLUSION The results of the lab were fairly accurate because there was no team in the class that had a hugely differing result in their experiment. The 0.0 M sucrose had a +16.71% change in mass as a class average and we had a +21.05% percentage change in mass. The initial mass was 1.9g and the final mass was 2.3g. This happened because the concentration of sucrose inside the carrot was higher than the outside of the cell. The water molecules moved a lot faster into the carrot than the sucrose particles attempting to move out of the sticks through the selectively permeable membrane, thus resulting in a greater mass than the original. The result showed the affects of osmosis, where particles moved to achieve equilibrium. The 0.2 M sucrose had a +8.37% change in mass as a class average and our group and +9.52%. The initial mass for these carrots were 2.1g and became 2.3g when the 2 days had ended. This happened because of the same reason for the 0.0 M sucrose, where the concentration of particl es were greater inside the cell compared to the outside of the cell, causing the water molecules moving into the cell through the semi permeable membrane. However, the solution the carrots were dunked into had a 0.2 M sucrose, unlike the first solution. This caused the mass of the carrot to change less because there was already some particles outside of the cell, allowing for equilibrium to become reached a lot faster than 0.0 M sucrose. In 0.4 M sucrose, there was a class average of -2.34% and we had -4.76%. The initial mass was 2.1g with a final mass of 2.0g. This was the first solution to have a negative percentage change in mass from the other six. There was a decrease in mass of the carrot because water had moved from the carrot sticks into the solution around is trying to achieve equilibrium. The water molecules had moved from high concentration into lower concentration, moving our of the carrot cells, causing them to lose mass. The 0.6 M sucrose solution had a class average of -11.84% change in mass while we had a -9.52% change in mass. The initial mass was 2.1g and the final mass was 1.9g. This occurred for the same reason that 0.4 M sucrose lost mass; the carrot sticks had a higher concentration of water compared to the solution it was in, causing it to lose water as the H20 particle slide out using the selectively permeable membrane. The mass loss was greater because the difference in sucrose levels were greater, demanding a greater amount of water from the carrots for equilibrium to be achieved. 0.8 M sucrose had a class average of -15.13% and 1.0 M sucrose had a -20.06% change in mass. These two also occurred because of the same reason 0.4 and 0.6 M sucrose lost mass. But, there was a larger amount of water needed to be transferred out in order to reach equilibrium the higher the sucrose level was. This lab proved the osmosis theory very well, because all six experiments had accurate results because osmosis had occurred in every one of them. Osmosis has the tendency for water to move through the semi permeable membrane from a lesser concentration to a higher concentration(of solute), thus equalizing concentrations on each side. The carrot stick lab showed water moving from inside the carrot to out into the solution because there was a higher concentration of sucrose outside the carrots. Trying to reach equilibrium, the water molecules transferred out into the solution. By graphing the data out, we were able to find out the iso osmolar point of the carrot sticks. We got the result of 0.4 M sucrose as the point. This number represents the sucrose concentration the carrots would already have equilibrium at, and no need for more osmosis because the concentration of sucrose and water is same or very close to same already. Thus, there wouldn’t be any or little change in mass of the carrot sticks. There were many possible sources of error in this experiment however, because first of all, the equipment were not brand new. The equipment we have used had been used of various types of labs over the years, and had the chance that they were not properly washed, leaving traces of precious labs. The solutions that got intermixed with these chemicals we were not aware of, could of changed the data and threw us off. There is no idea what kind of chemical was on the glasses, so we could of prevented this by experimenting with never used equipment, or by using very well cleansed ones. By having extra sucrose or any other substance on the beakers and tubes, the solution would have become more hypotonic, thus there would be more movement through the membrane and therefore more mass would be lost or less mass would have been gained. This is because the left over sucrose in the beaker adds to the concentration of solute. Another source of error could of happened while blotting the carrots onto a tissue after the two days of waiting time. The carrots that were blotted onto the tissue paper probably lost water, and depending on the strength of the person blotting the carrots, they may have squeezed them too hard, altering results from what would have come out. This could of been fixed by having the carrot sticks pulled out by tweezers instead of draining them and picking them up by hand. Finally I think another source of error was temperature, because the temperature day by day would differ. The changing temperature might have caused data to change as of if they were to be placed into a room of constant temperature of the experimenting time. ANALYSIS If you threw a carrot into a jar of pure H20, would the carrot shrink or swell? Explain. I think if we threw a carrot into a jar of pure H20, the carrot would swell up. The carrot cell is also a plant cell, which flourishes best in a hypotonic solution unlike animal cells. The carrot cell wouldn’t explode unlike animal cells because they are equipped with cell walls which the animal cells lack. The cell wall stops the cell from exploding inside pure water. Instead, they are happiest inside pure H20. They are at a stage called turgid which is their normal state. In winter icy roads are often treated with salt. Why is this likely to lead to the death grasses along the roadside? During winter, when the roads are treated with salt, the environment around it takes damage. The salt is used so that the salt would â€Å"melt† the snow . The snow would treat the salt and H20 molecules would stick onto the salt molecule, separating from their â€Å"ice box† affect and causing them to melt. However, the salt would also stick onto the grasses along the roadside and suck their life out, in simpler terms. The salt on the grass would have a 100% salinity while grasses in comparison would have a much lower salinity percentage. Because the grass would be a hypotonic solution compared to the salt, it would loose water. Thus the environment would be hypertonic. In effort to reach equilibrium with their surroundings, the grass would have the water pulled out of them towards the salt. Introduction MLA citation â€Å"Diffusion.† And Osmosis. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. .