Potassium Essays - Potassium Compounds, Dietary Minerals

Potassium potassium puh-tas'-ee-uhm The chemical element potassium is a soft, light, silver white metal. It is a member of the alkali metals, a group (IA of the periodic table) with similar physical and chemical properties. Its chemical symbol is K (from kalium, the Latinized version of the Arabic word for alkali). Its atomic number is 19, and its atomic weight is 39.098. Potassium was first made from potash, or potassium carbonate (K(2)CO(3)), which had important industrial uses in glass manufacture well before 1700. (It was often mistaken for sodium carbonate, or soda. Only their different sources prevented total confusion, potash being originally derived from the ashes of vegetable materials, whereas sodium carbonate is most often found as a mineral.) On Oct. 6, 1807, Sir Humphry Davy connected a piece of solid potash to the poles of a battery and caused the release of a metal at the negative pole. He named the metal potassium and determined many of its physical and chemical properties. Chemical Properties Alkali metals are the most reactive metals. In general, their reactivity increases with increase in atomic size. Because of their electron arrangement and relatively large size and small charge, potassium atoms are conducive to ion formation only by ionic bonds. Biological Role Potassium is essential to life. Involved in active transport, the process of moving substances in and out of cells, it constitutes about 0.06% of the atoms in the human body. Whereas sodium ions are found primarily in intercellular fluids, about 99% of the body's potassium lies within the cells. Together, these ions help to regulate cellular osmotic pressure and acidity, or pH, levels. Potassium plays a key role in muscle activity and the transmission of nerve impulses. It is also involved in cellular enzyme functions. An abnormally low level of potassium in blood serum causes cardiac abnormalities, and an abnormally high level leads to a heart attack. Such changes in level, controlled by the kidneys, can result from various diseases. Potassium is present in most food substances, so a potassium-deficient diet is unlikely. Production Potassium is produced in laboratory amounts by electrolytic reduction of fused potassium hydroxide (KOH) or fused potassium chloride (KCl). Other methods include electrolysis of fused potassium cyanide (KCN), heating potassium chloride (KCl) with metallic calcium in a vacuum and distilling the potassium as it is formed, and heating potassium hydroxide (KOH) with iron, aluminum, or magnesium. Because commercial potassium uses are most often also satisfied by more easily recovered sodium, only modest amounts of potassium are produced. One industrial method uses sodium vapor to reduce molten potassium chloride at 880 degrees C. The potassium vapor formed is drawn off and condensed. Potassa potash, from English potash] First appeared circa 1807 : a silver-white soft light low-melting univalent metallic element of the alkali metal group that occurs abundantly in nature esp. combined in minerals potassium Dutch potassa 'potash' Soft, waxlike, silver-white, metallic element, symbol K (Latin kalium), atomic number 19, relative atomic mass 39.0983. It is one of the alkali metals and has a very low density ? it floats on water, and is the second lightest metal (after lithium). It oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air and reacts violently with water. Of great abundance in the Earth's crust, it is widely distributed with other elements and found in salt and mineral deposits in the form of potassium aluminium silicates. Potassium is the main base ion of the fluid in the body's cells. Along with sodium, it is important to the electrical potential of the nervous system and, therefore, for the efficient functioning of nerve and muscle. Shortage, which may occur with excessive fluid loss (prolonged diarrhoea, vomiting), may lead to muscular paralysis; potassium overload may result in cardiac arrest. It is also required by plants for growth. The element was discovered and named in 1807 by English chemist Humphry Davy, who isolated it from potash in the first instance of a metal being isolated by electric current. Science

Australias Statutory Bill of Rights

Australias Statutory Bill of Rights Free Online Research Papers Bills of rights have been put in place in many countries and are powerful documents. Australia is one of the few countries in the world and the only western nation in the world which hasn’t put in place a Bill of Rights. Although traditionally Australia has a good record of protecting our basic human rights, lately some citizens have found their rights to be taken away from them through legislation such as the Anti-terror laws. There is no set bill of rights for Australia to just adopt but it can either follow Britain or America’s bills of rights. Britain has a bill of rights separate to their constitution (Statutory Bill of Rights) and America has a bill of rights attached to their constitution. It is imperative for Australia’s evolution that the country set in place a statutory Bill of Rights similar to the one Britain has in place. Australia may not have a Bill of Rights but the country’s constitution has protected some rights that we think are necessary. The Australian constitution has expressed and implied rights. The expressed rights include right to trial by jury (s116), freedom from discrimination on the basis of residence, the right to vote (s92) and the right to free exercise of religion (s116), (The Australian Constitution 2007) the only implied right so far is the right to listen to political discussion. (UNSW Handbook course 2007) These rights are not enough for the Australian society as it continues to change. Australia may not have any other rights specifically written in the constitution but the country has written legislation that protects some other rights we have. The right to life is protected in the criminal code through legislation concerning murder. This is called statute law; it is when the government writes legislation in the interests of the nation. This is in Australia’s tradition and is called parliamentary sovereignty. Parliamentary sovereignty means that if a government writes legislation the people don’t agree with they can vote that government out of power in the next election. The government can’t take away our right to vote, as it is an expressed right in the constitution. The government can and has written legislation, which has limited or removed our rights or as they would like to call it â€Å"balancing our rights†. This includes censorship laws and defamation laws, which limit our freedom of expression. Also the government has written Anti-Terror legislation which can and has removed our right to a presumption of innocence. The Anti-terror legislation has recently been in the media when it was used against suspected terrorist Dr. Mohammed Haneef. Dr. Haneef was suspected to be working or affiliated with terrorist organisations and was detained for close to a month with no charges placed upon him. (Government must review counter terror laws 2007) This detainment without charges is clearly in violation of a person’s right to presumption of innocence. This is a perfect example of why Australia needs a Bill of Rights. If we had a Statutory Bill of Rights the Australian nation would be aware of the right to presumption of innocence and as a nation we wouldn’t allow the government to impinge upon that right. The right to presumption of innocence is a right in the United Nations declaration of human rights. (Haneef case shows why anti-terror laws must go – Socialist alternative 2007) Human rights in Australia are also protected through common law, or law made by judges. When judges are presented with a case and there is no precedent, the judge has to interpret the law and often when there is no precedent the judge will look to international conventions. International conventions are treaties that Australia has signed along with other nations, such as the United Nations declaration of human rights. Most of the world has signed this treaty and it is up to that’s country’s to interpret the rights and ratify them through legislation. The problem with common law is the fact that a case needs to be presented to the judge before they can make a decision. In the case of Mabo, Australian common law was re-written to allow Australian aboriginals land rights, through native title. This case may prove that common law is protecting our rights but if Mabo never challenged the High Court then Aboriginals may not have any land rights even today.(Land Sea Right : N ative Title : The Mabo case 2003) This is why common law is not enough to protect our rights. The styles of Bills of Rights Australia could adopt would be either the American system or the Britain system. The first option would be the American style system, where the Bill of Rights is attached to the constitution. This style of Bill of Rights has an obviously flaw, which is the fact the constitution cannot be changed unless a referendum is held and in Australia referendums are not only rare but rarely pass. The second option and most logical choice would be to follow in the footsteps of Britain and New Zealand. Their Bill of Rights is a separate piece of legislation and is known as a statutory Bill of Rights. This would mean that parliament could easily overrule it with more legislation as society grows and changes. Although due to the fact that the citizens of the nation would be aware of their rights, the government would be under heavy scrutiny if they were to change or remove a right. The biggest problem with a Bill of Rights is that it will reflect the attitudes of the society at that time. Society is always changing and if the Bill of Rights for that country cannot change with the views of society outcomes could be hazardous. Currently this can be seen in the United States of America. Their Bill of Rights is part of their constitution which was written at the end of the American war of independence. The second amendment of their Bill of Rights states that â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to bear arms, shall not be infringed.†(United States Bill of Rights 2007) This has lead to the out of control laws the United States has on gun ownership and has also caused many gun massacres. A statutory Bill of Rights will eliminate the problems with Australia’s tradition of parliamentary sovereignty. The Bill or Rights will give rights to those who have no rights. It will give power to those minority groups that the government tends to abuse. For example at present day homosexuals have no right to marry in Australia and the topic is too hot for politicians in the country to touch. With a well thought out Bill of Rights homosexuals would be able to marry and our rights will be well protected. It is clearly evident that Australia needs to implement a statutory Bill of Rights. This Bill of Rights will protect our rights as Australian citizens, it will educate the nation as to what our rights actually are and if need be the Bill of Rights can change with the attitudes of society. The Bill or Rights needs be well thought out; the writers must look into the future to where our society is going rather than where it is. This will allow for the society to evolve in a manner that is possibly freer than we are right now. Research Papers on Australia's Statutory Bill of Rights19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and CanadaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NicePETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasCapital PunishmentThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementTwilight of the UAW

VEGA Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning

VEGA Surname Origin and Last Name Meaning The Spanish surname Vega is a topographical name that means dweller in the meadow or one who lives on a plain, from the Spanish word  vega, used to refer to a meadow, valley or fertile plain. It could also be a habitational name for someone from one of any of the many places in the world named Vega or La Vega. Vega is the 49th most common Spanish surname. Alternate Surname Spellings: VEGAS, VEGAZ, DE LA VEGA,   Surname Origin: Spanish Where Do People With the VEGA Surname Live? The surname distribution map at Forebears, which includes data from 227 countries, pinpoints Vega as the 519th most common surname in the world. It identifies Vega as most common in Panama where it ranks 25th in the nation, followed by Puerto Rico (27th), Costa Rica (32nd), Peru (47th), Chile (47th), Argentina (50th), Mexico (55th), Spain (62nd), Cuba (74th), Equador (81st), Colombia (87th), Paraguay (96th) and Nicaragua (99th). WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the Vega name in Spain as most frequently found in the northern regions of Asturias, Castille Y Leon, and Cantabria, as well as the southern regions of Andalucia and the Canary Islands. Within the United States, the Vega name is most common in the southwest, in the states bordering Mexico, along with Nevada, Idaho, and Florida, plus Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Famous People with the VEGA Surname Paz Vega - Spanish actressAmelia Vega - 2003 Miss UniverseJurij Vega - Slovene mathematician and physicist- Spanish playwrightGarcilaso de la Vega - Spanish poet Genealogy Resources for the Surname VEGA 50 Most Common Spanish SurnamesHave you ever wondered about your Spanish last name and how it came to be? This article describes common Spanish naming patterns and explores the meaning and origins of 50 common Spanish surnames. Vega Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Vega family crest or coat of arms for the Vega surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   The Vega DNA Surname ProjectThis Y-DNA surname project is open to all  families with this surname, of all spelling variations, and from all locations, with the goal of using DNA matches to  help find the paper trail that leads further back up the Vega family tree. VEGA Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Vega ancestors around the world. Search past queries, or post a question of your own. FamilySearch - VEGA GenealogyAccess over 1.7 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Vega surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. VEGA Surname Mailing ListThis free mailing list for researchers of the Vega surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. Hosted by RootsWeb. DistantCousin.com - VEGA Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Vega. The Vega Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Vega from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

The Review of the Movie The Pianist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Review of the Movie The Pianist - Essay Example d film â€Å"The Pianist† (2002) has masterfully dealt with the theme of universal human longing for a peaceful existence, where there would not be any bloodshed and brutal exposure of dominating tendency of the powerful against their weaker counterparts; the entire situation of equality, would finally receive a perfect fulfillment with free interaction of artistry and creative aesthetics. Polanski has represented this theme of the film through use of realistic narration of the prevailing situation during the World War II and contrasting it with symbolic connotation of what an artistic mind actually aspires for. Final part of the film shows restoration of peace and efforts of indomitable human spirit to forget the ravages of the devastation; but at the same time, the director has provided his audience with the scope of ponder over the aspect whether all the losses can be compensated, whether it is important to keep memories of those losses alive in our hearts so that we never forget what we have done to us and recurrence of the same incidents can be stopped. The director has used Warsaw, Poland and plight of the resident Jews in the hands of Nazi force during the World War II as its backdrop. Wladysaw Szpilman, is a famous Polish pianist, played by Adrian Brody is protagonist of the film. The situation of prevailing brutality in Warsaw during the Second World War has been represented to the audience through the character, â€Å"Szpilman’s eye is like a camera, recording events with very little emotional involvement† (Bartov 142). The state of emotional faculty of an artistic heart becomes poignant, as he encounters the devastation and brutality around, through his music, â€Å"His one means of expression is the piano’s keyboard, and when that keyboard is missing, he can only report his journey – from the radio studio into a man made hell and back into the studio – as an accurately and as dryly as possible† (Bartov 142). The contrast to the man made hell, the

WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WEEK 3 - Assignment Example Nevertheless, unresolved conflict may lead to feelings of unhappiness, dissatisfaction; depression, hopelessness as well as a whole wide range of other emotions. In addition it can lead to such behaviors as resigning from jobs, ending of personal relationships, aggressiveness as well as violence (Coombs & Avrunin, 2013). The way one communicates can both be the cause of as well as the cure for conflict. It should be noted that understanding how to communicate effectively as well as satisfactory resolution of disputes can result into a happier and more productive life. The fundamental components of most conflicts include; involvement of 2 or more individuals, there is a perception of incompatibility in regard to ideas, goals, beliefs or actions and finally the opposing parties view their way as the only way to accomplish their objectives and goals (Baack, 2012). Boeing is a top aerospace corporation in the world as well as the largest manufacturer of military aircraft and commercial jetliners. Boeing designs in addition to manufacturing rotorcraft defense and electronic systems, satellites, missiles, launching vehicles etc. The company has been a leader and an authority in aerospace industry for the past century. Boeing’s headquarter is in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 27,000 employees in America as well as in 70 other countries (Greenberg & Moore, 2010). On 6th of September, Boeing was on headlines when about 27,000 of its employees in Washington, Kansas, California and Oregon went on strike. At the time, the company was holding negotiations with International Association of machinist and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in regard to benefits pay as well as job security. The main stakeholders in Boeing’s conflict were its employees alongside their families, suppliers and customers affiliated to Boeing. The strike affected several parties spanning from its employees to

Kantian ethics Essay Example for Free

Kantian ethics Essay Kant argued for the use of a normative ethical theory based around the idea that all men have a similar common goal; his theory was absolute (meaning one must follow a common set of rules no matter the scenario) and deontological (focused on actions themselves rather than the outcome of said actions). Kant advised the use of this theory despite it being a priori, meaning he had no observations or experience of the theory in practice. Kant believed that all men have duties which they ought to fulfil, not to gain a desired outcome or avoid a less desirable outcome, but simply because it is their duty. For example, if we can assume it is always wrong to kill people, it would be considered immoral to kill someone even if that action saved the lives of hundreds of people. Similarly, if you consider a foetus to be ‘alive’ then it would be immoral to terminate it no matter the affect it would have on the mother’s physical or mental health. Nearly everyone would find fault in the former, notably fewer for the latter, yet I would hope that the majority would still disagree. David Gauthier suggested that as morality is an agreed concept, designed so that people cannot run amok doing as they please with no consideration for others, an absolutist theory cannot function as rules are subject to interpretation. Let us briefly consider the foetus example once more, if the rule states that it is immoral to take a life, what should be considered a life? Does life start at conception or at birth, or maybe somewhere in between. For this reason, though an absolute theory should be applied to every situation, the rules do not necessarily mean the same thing for every single person. Kant said that in order to create a duty one had to pass it through three tests, the first of which being the law of nature. This law states that in order for something to become a duty it must be capable of being universalised, so everyone must be able to follow said duty ad infinitum. So, for example: ‘jump the queue’ could not become a duty as if everyone jumped the queue there would be no queue to jump. Though this seems sensible, it is possible that immoral acts could be universalised. For example ‘lie to people’ could be universalised even though it is a traditionally immoral act. Not only that but the rule could easily be manipulated by phrasing things differently, for instance ‘everyone called Hector Benjamin Stellyes can jump the queue’ could be universalised as it would most likely only apply to me. To counteract these faults Kant put in place a second law, the law of wills. This stated that for something to become a duty it must be desirable for the population. This rule however, also has faults. In order for a rule to satisfy an entire population (and if this theory was applied worldwide that would be nearly 7.5 billion at the time of writing) it would have to be extremely broad, leaving it open to being interpreted in drastically different ways. If the rule said that one simply had to please the majority, what happens to those who disagree? As all duties are absolute and universal, one would have to do something they disagreed with in order to be moral citizens. Kant attempts to rebuttal this with his argument that all humans still have free will, even though they should follow their duty they don’t have to; humans remain autonomous. However, some would suggest that though humans are nearly always capable of independent thought, it is human nature to be moral. A psychological study by Yale in 2013 on a number of babies that were as of yet unaffected by modern culture (they couldn’t read, speak etc.) making them almost purely instinctual showed that it is human nature to be ‘good’. If society tells you that there are a set list of moral acts, most people will conform to these acts to the best of their ability. So far, we have a set of rules and how this set of rules are constructed, so now I ask: why should anyone follow this philosophy? If we should not consider consequences when doing our duty, what reason do we have to do so? Kant believed there to be two separate reasons to perform any action: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative.

Arcady: His Voyage Towards Individualism Essay -- essays research pape

In the novel Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, Arcady plays a major role both in his own life and the lives of others. Arcady, despite the shield he surrounds himself with, is not a true Nihilist like his friend Bazarov through his thoughts and actions we see his change. To begin, Arcady shows signs of Romanticism Early on in the novel despite the announcement of his Nihilist beliefs. For example, Bazarov and Arcady were walking one afternoon in the garden and overheard Nicholas playing his cello. "At that instant the lingering notes of a 'cello were wafted towards them from the house . . . and, like honey, the melody flowed through the air" (49). Like a true Nihilist, Bazarov immediately denounced the act of playing music as a purely romantic institution. "Good Lord! At forty-four, a pater familias, in the province of X, playing the 'cello! Bazarov continued to laugh: but, on this occasion, Arcady, though he venerated his mentor, did not even smile" (50). By this we see that although Arcady looks up to Bazarov, he truly does not uphold the Nihilist beliefs as strongly or as strictly. His acceptance of his father's cello playing shows that Arcady, unlike Bazarov. does not find music a purely romantic institution, but an enjoyable way to be merry. Also this incident shows us that Arcady does not like when others poke fun at his family. Here, he obviously does not think his father's cello playing is a laughing matter.Secondly, Nihilist ideas included...