US Politics And Foreign Policy Essays - Politics Of Quebec

US Politics and Foreign Policy Letter to the editor, Re: American Reluctance After decades of so called healthy, democratically provoked American military intervention in Central America, why is it the U.S. is reluctant to invade Haiti and restore the popular, and of course, democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide? What is Mr. Aristide? Basically, he is a social democrat, who has seen and is dedicated to helping the poor. He was attempting to improve the lives of the indigent Haitians through some redistribution of wealth and land reform, which are initiatives abhorred by all previous, and maybe following, U.S. administrations. What of George Bush? You could say that these are totally incompatible with the so called "new world order" planned out by Mr. Bush. With some other Central American countries in mind, we should be looking out for the intervention of the American CIA, which could show yet another example of American intervention to topple elected governments which do not fit to their standards or liking. Letter to the Editor, Re: How would Quebec's separation affect us? Watching the crumbling situation in Quebec, (almost crumbling literally, due to Olympic Stadium, the billion dollar fizzle) it is interesting to think what would happen if they did separate? Would Canadians be in too bad a mood to negotiate with Quebec if they separated? Question is, would they negotiate at all? If Quebec did separate, the border ramifications would be just astronomical, trade routes would be chopped off, and a whole number of other things just too much to explain. Reading an article about a speech that external affairs minister Joe Clark was presenting jogged my mind a bit. Talking about the serious costs if Quebec separated, such as the free trade treaty with the U.S., I thought what about a new economic union. Would Canada sit and negotiate one with Quebec? Answering all these questions was Mr. Clark in his speech. Most of us haven't heard it, more or less heard of it. But it brings home a shocking message: What if they did separate? Do you really care? Do you care if it only affects you directly? Do you just pay your taxes and parking tickets, shut up and go about your daily business, as usual, without thinking one thing about where the your company, in which you are employed, is? What if the head office is in Quebec? Does it affect you directly? Or will you just shrug it off and go reach for your unemployment check? THINK about it! It won't just be business as usual after separation. Letter to the editor, Re: P.E.I. distinct? "P.E.I. tells unity hearing it's a distinct society, too." More people wanting this little two word, huge affect sentence pasted onto their province. Island politicians argued that their tiny size and unique geography makes them a distinct society. What bout the Territories? Do we live in igloos? Do we catch whales and seals to live on? And what of the people in P.E.I.! We musn't forget them, the people who eat potatoes, like we do, live in houses, like we do. Geography? Is P.E.I. more isolated than the Northwest Territories? If anyone should be a distinct society, the native people of Canada should, the people that were here before the people who thought of the word Quebec, and before Prince Edward was here to have an island named after him.

5 Ways to Be More Productive and Get Things Done

5 Ways to Be More Productive and Get Things Done We’ve all been there: trying to multitask, but actually getting no tasks done. Workplaces are full of distractions, both personal and professional. New project ideas, trays of goodies, gossip, that new GIF going around†¦ the temptations are endless. Here are five ways you can train your brain to tune out all the noise and really engage in what you’re doing. You’ll be much more productive and infinitely more satisfied with the work you’re doing when you can give it all of your attention, even for just an hour at a time. There are also some great  apps that will help you boost your productivity.Take a second to assess your state of mindTypically, we are most likely to divert our attention when we’re feeling daunted or uncomfortable. The next few times you realize you’ve been interrupted, try and retrace your feelings to the moment just before you lost your focus. Were you nervous? Bored? Angry with your boss? This will help give you a se nse of danger zones so you can learn to avoid them.Triage to get to the most important stuffUsually the easy stuff is the most pressing, takes up the most of our headspace, and is the least important. Try knocking off all of the menial and logistical tasks first thing so you can devote the rest of your day to the important, more substantive projects.Schedule your most important hoursFigure out your most productive hours of the day and make them sacred. At your best from 9 a.m. until your first coffee break? Or maybe just after the boss has left in the afternoon? Make a schedule for your deepest concentration and stick to it. Don’t let anyone disturb you.Train your concentration musclesGood focus doesn’t happen overnight. Your ability to focus is a muscle and must be built up gradually. Time yourself between interruptions and try to power through to make your period of highest concentration longer and longer every day. You will get stronger and better at it, and work mi ght even become a pleasure.Pace aroundHave a problem you can’t quite figure out? Too much going on around you? Too many chefs? Take it outside and go for a short walk to clear your head. Sometimes we do our best thinking when our bodies are moving automatically and our brains are free to roam.

Analysis of Health Club Market in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis of Health Club Market in UK - Essay Example In the first part of the project, an industry analysis of the health club market in the United Kingdom will be done. In the next part, an opportunity and a threat analysis will be performed for the major players in the health club market of the United Kingdom. Finally, in the third part, the business strategies of these competitors will be described. There are a large number of health clubs operating in the United Kingdom. An industry analysis of the health club market will be done to understand the threat that these companies possess from one another. The industry analysis will be done using Porter’s Five Forces Model: Rivalry from Existing Firms - In an industry, there are a large number of competitors competing in order to achieve competitive advantage. The intensity of this competition is one of the major determinants of the industry analysis. The business strategies of a firm help it to distinguish from the competitors. The merger activities of the health clubs have increased the competition in the market. Whitbread Plc has acquired David Lloyd Leisure in the year 1995. Canon and First leisure have also merged their fitness and health clubs. The merger or acquisition of the companies helps in the market extension as well. Thus the threat from the competitors in the health and fitness industry is very high. A threat of New Entrants- If the existing market yields high return to the companies operating in the market, it attracts new entries. But the entry of the new firms results in the decrease in the profitability of all the firms operating there. If barriers are not provided to these new entrants, the profitability of the firms will show an abnormal decrease.  

Deontology and Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deontology and Utilitarianism - Essay Example He is attentive at school, does his homework, participates in class, is cooperative and cheerful, but he doesn’t have many friends. Jake may not have an active social life which makes him unhappy, but he is practicing good deontology. On the other hand, Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its outcome or utility in providing happiness or pleasure (http://wapedia.mobi/en/Utilitarianism). In Utilitarianism, if it benefits the majority, then it is the right choice. For advocates of Utilitarianism, the end justifies the means (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequentialism). For this example, we will use Sheila, a classmate of Jake. Sheila is very pretty but does not perform as well as Jake academically. However, she has a lot of friends since she joins a lot of extra-curricular activities. Sheila allows most of her male friends to do things for her like homework and projects, which is mutually beneficial for both – with this, Sheila can be marked a bad deontologist but a good utilitarian. Now, applied to the office scenario, the basic premise should be that employees are expected to do their job in the workplace. A business enterprise will not succeed if personal agenda will take precedence over an employee’s duties and responsibilities. Personal matters can be done during breaks but not during business hours. Anything outside of this premise should be considered a breach of company policies and violator/s will have to be dealt with accordingly. The VP suggesting the installation of spyware and dislikes wasted productivity adheres to Deontological Ethics. Conversely, the VP who values privacy over productivity is a follower of Utilitarian Ethics. Although the respect for privacy is given more weight and is applicable to the majority, it does not necessarily mean that this choice is correct.

EMA COURSE WORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EMA COURSE WORK - Essay Example Other factors such as transporting the materials, utilities, etc could also be used however as stated before it is only an example. Variance Analysis is the difference between what is actually paid and the standard cost. The variance is used as a means for management to discuss performance and to review them. One of the major criticisms of standards is that some forms of standards are outdated and not as widely used as others. Another criticism is that the standards are not attainable. This means that the standards are not within reason. Considering that most standards are outdated and incorporate many different components, it is easy to see how mistakes can be made. If the company uses the wrong information on any of the components than it is guaranteed that a variance will be revealed upon further analysis. The standards are also not changed over a period of time and therefore are prone to be incorrect due to changes in technology or even by inflation. Standards are said to give em ployees the motivation to meet goals and to push his/her self to meet or exceed the goals of the company. This motivation is also said to benefit the company as a whole because it increases efficiency and productivity. The best way for standard costing to be effective is to have someone from every level to participate. There has traditionally been a problem trying to get enough people to participate so that the results are reasonable. Participants will look for the easy target and this can pose a problem. The easy target is not necessarily the optimum target or the most cost efficient. Participation in the costing or analysis would require a lot of time and knowledge that the participants do not have. Also the more time they spend on it the more it will cost the company in the form of salaries and benefits. There is also the risk of the participants being out for their own individual gain. They could feel as if their participation could help them further their own agenda instead of that of the company. They could also spend too much time talking and not enough time coming up with solutions. Lack of knowledge can also factor into this because if the participants do not understand the goal they are trying to reach, then time can be spent teaching them instead of getting down to business. Management of Time is also another criticism of standard costing and variance analysis. The process is time consuming to say the least and most managers already feel as if they don’t have enough time to carry out their day to day activities let alone deal with standard costing or variance analysis. Managers in particular might feel as if this is something that someone else should be doing, namely someone in the corporate office if there is one. Absorption costing fuels another criticism of standard costing and variance analysis. Absorption costing assumes that all costs of the production of a product are included in the final price of the product (AccountingCoach, LLC). T his type of costing can create some problems because it could lead to extremely high standard costing which in turn would always lead to variances. If a product includes all of the fixed costs such as utilities of the entire building, rent of all buildings, etc than the standard cost could be extremely high and overstated. The costs are not allocated over all of the products that are produced in the same area but instead the costs are absorbed into the

Mission of the organization defines the expected position and the fundamental purpose

Mission of the organization defines the expected position and the fundamental purpose Introduction The vision and mission of the organization defines the expected position and the fundamental purpose of the organization. The purpose of this assignment is to understand the vision and mission of the case company and to identify and understand the strategic aims and objectives of an organization and investigate its progress towards the fulfillment of those aims and objectives. For this different alternative strategies available to the organization are also considered. To fulfill the requirement of this assignment the organization selected for investigation is McDonalds. McDonalds is the leading fast food restaurant chain of the world and is serving more than 58 million customers on daily basis. McDonalds Vision and Mission Statement Every organization must have a vision and a mission. Vision and mission statements are the short phrases which sets the whole direction of the organization. Vision statement provides the whole picture of the organizations desired future position in a single phrase. This statement then sets a whole direction of all the strategic aims and objectives of the organization. Below is the vision statement of the case company i.e. McDonalds: To be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience, being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile Mission statement clarifies the fundamental purpose of the organization. Off course the purpose is to achieve the vision of the organization, but mission statement goes in further detail and answers the question of the existence of the organization. Mission statement of McDonalds is: To be the best employer To deliver operational excellence Achieving durable profits Expanding the brand name and extending the strength of McDonalds system through innovation and technology. Analyzing the vision and mission statement of the case company it is clear that organizations focus is mainly towards the external and internal customers i.e. consumers and employees. Furthermore, the company is committed to innovate and use the latest technology to earn huge profits. McDonalds Strategic Aims and Objectives An aim is a broader statement which tells what an organization wants to become and the objectives are the specific targets or tasks which leads towards the fulfillment of the aim of the organization. It is very important for an organization to set such aims which are practically possible and which can be measured. If this is not the case the organization will put its efforts and resources in that direction which is not possible at all. For effective working and success for an organization the aims and objectives must be realistic and it must also be associated with some time frame as if it is not the case then there will be confusion within the organization regarding the time to complete the tasks and projects (Fred David, 2006). Furthermore, the aims should be measureable, as the progress towards the fulfillment of objectives should be easily measured as if this is not the case then it would be very difficult for an organization to know that whether the desired results are achieved or not. McDonalds key to success all over the world is their priorities, which are also mentioned on their corporate website. The top priority of the leading fast food restaurant chain is the customers. As per the McDonalds corporate values the reason of the existence of the business are their customers and they work only to fulfill the needs and demands of the customers. As per the company it is not the matter of sales rather it is the matter of providing quality products along with the best services to the customers in affordable prices. The second priority is their employees or workforce. The company believes that the employees make the dream of the organization come true. The employees are their valuable assets and it is just because of the skills and competencies of their employees which enables the organization to achieve the set goals and targets. The company also believes the quality of their business model. According to the corporate values of the company the business model is set to meet the dynamic customer behavioral changes. The strategic aims and objectives of McDonalds and mentioned below and these shows that what are the top priorities of the company and it gives a hint why the company is so successful all across the globe: To maintain the leadership in fast food restaurant industry To serve the customer with good food in a friendly and fun environment Providing the quality food and value of money to the customer Providing the shareholder a positive return on their investments To meet the social and ethical responsibility Strategic Plan and its Component parts Strategic plan of any enterprise is a picture of the desired position of the organization. Strategic plan gives a root path that how the organization will achieve the desired place or position in the given industry (Maches, B. 2010). Three major components of strategic plan include formulation, implementation and evaluation of strategy carries that information and plan which provides a direction towards the organizational objectives (Kim Warren, 2008). Strategy Formulation Strategy formulation process starts with the situation analysis of the organization. Situation analysis is an important part of strategic plan as it gives an overview of the existing position of the organization. Situation analysis includes the analysis of internal and external environment of the organization. Different strategic tools can be used to evaluate this situation i.e. SWOT analysis, PEST Analysis etc. This also includes the evaluation of current mission and vision of the organization. Vision statement clarifies that what an organization want to become and on the other hand mission statements shows that what business the organization operates. Mission contains the products and services, its markets and its employee management policy. The assessment of external factors of the organization involves the listing down of finite list of factors which are a potential threat or opportunities for the organization in the external environment. By finite list is meant that not all the factors are focused. The priority is given to those factors which have high level of impact or form which high returns can be gained. The internal audit is also done in the situation analysis where the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization are listed down (Fred David, 2006). After the clear understanding of the organizations current situation the real work begins where the strategies are formulated. The best practice is to involve the employees in this process as the employees from all levels will share their views and a better strategic decision will be expected. Here the strategies are developed to capitalize the opportunities available which were assessed in the external audit and minimize the threat of the factors. On the other side the strengths of the organizations require such strategies which further enhance them and the weaknesses are tried to be overcome. The next step in the strategy formulation stage is setting the long term objectives. Long term objectives are those which are associated with the sales and market share growth, it can be the growth of assets; it can be attaining any award from the government body etc. This is a very important phase as the long term goals and objectives show a direction to the whole organization. Long term objectives are set after a through consideration of external and internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the organization. The available resources and the expected resources are listed and based on those resources the long term but achievable, measureable and realistic objectives are set with proper timelines (Fred David, 2006). The final stage of strategy formulation process is the evaluation and selection of appropriate strategies to meet the long term objectives. In this the alternative strategies are also identified an evaluated and a contingency planning is also done. For instance in case of any external change which is beyond the change of organization such as change in legislations or change in market conditions then that contingency plan can be used. The existing strategies of the organization are the initial point for strategy evaluation. Strategy Implementation The next step in a strategic plan includes the strategy implementation. Developing an effective strategy does not ensures that the strategic plan will be successful. It was in the old times when the strategic planning was done only at the level of stagy formulation stage. Experiences of different organizations and further studies revealed that strategy formulation does not ensure the success of strategic plan. Implementation is another important part of the strategic plan. In the implementation phase the process of shifting the responsibilities to the middle and lower level of management is developed. As in the strategy formulation stage it was mentioned that to involve the employees of all the levels is important, so if any organization has done this during the strategy formulation them the strategy implementation process will be lot more easier. This is because the middle and lower level staff will have a clearer view of the strategies developed and they would be in a better positi on to implement those strategies in real practice (Kim Warren, 2008). Strategy Evaluation and Control After the implementation of strategic plan it is important like all other plans and project to evaluate the progress of that plan. Implementation phase end with the start of evaluation process. This is a continuous process until the strategic aims and objectives are not met (Fred David, 2006). There are many organizations such as McDonalds, who have strategic aims and objectives that shows continuity and a continuous process is required for that for instance one of the strategic objectives of the company is to provide the value to the customer. This is an objective which shows continuity as the fast food chain is aimed to provide the customer value to their money so for that strategy evaluation is required. This process ensures that the implemented strategies are progressing towards the achievement of organizational aims and objectives or not. In this process the required results or outcomes are compared with the actual results and if there is any kind of difference then with the cha nge in strategies of taking appropriate steps that difference is tried to be eliminated or at least minimized. Factors affecting McDonalds Strategic Plan Several internal and external factors can affect the strategic plan of McDonalds. These may include factors such as managements vision, financial factors, technological changes, legislative factors or market competition. As mentioned in the strategic plan earlier that the strategies are developed by considering the existing resources of the organization. It also includes the existing technology possessed by the company. If the existing system of McDonalds becomes obsolete with the introduction of newer version of the same system then the organization need to adapt that system to sustain in the market. In this case the strategic plan requires a change (Kim Warren, 2008). Same is the case with the market condition. If at the time of strategic planning the market conditions are evaluated and after implementation the market condition changes and requires a change then the strategic plan will also require a change. That is the reason it is suggested that McDonalds strategic plan should be flexible enough that can meet the changing market conditions. Furthermore the strategic plans are also depend on the vision of the management of the organization. If the management decides to go with a differentiation strategy because of the market need then the existing strategic plan will be changed. Financial aspects cannot be neglected in the strategic planning. Every strategy requires financial resources and if the financial resources are not sufficient enough to meet the new strategy then it will require a change in the strategic plan. However, these constraints can be minimized during the strategy formulation process by intensive research and evaluation of the internal and external factors, but still the dynamic market conditions and growing consumer needs cannot be predicted. McDonalds and Strategic Options If there is some change in the external environment of the company then in response to that the company opts strategic option. Moreover, strategic option is also chosen by an organization to grow and it tells that how the company wants to grow and what are the ways through which the completive advantage is taken by an organization over its competitors. By manipulating and taking advantage of the opportunities available for an organization the company can have a positive outcome. There are two renowned methods or ways which can be chosen by any organization to gain a competitive advantage over the other organization (Fred David, 2006). These two strategic options include the cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy. Under cost leadership strategy the organization cut down its cost of production or cost of goods sold and hence increases their profit margins. As the business word today is highly competitive and inn the fast food restaurant industry the customers have so many options such as KFC, Pizza Hut etc. which are also providing high quality products. So in such scenario it is not possible for McDonalds to increase the prices of their products. So, cutting the cost of production and other operational cost will be the best strategy to increase their profit margins. The internal capabilities of McDonalds will require a focus and needs to be enhanced in order to achieve the goals of this strategic option. Another strategic option available for McDonalds is to offer such products and services which are unique in nature and are not available in the market. In this way the customer will have no other option to get the desired product or service. This will keep the customer intact with McDonalds and hence the profit margins of the organization will keep on growing. A best example of this is the ice cream provided by McDonalds. No other fast food chain provides the best quality ice cream and people are fond of McDonalds Ice Cream and this has been a unique product of the fast food chain which attracts millions of customers. Another unique feature of McDonalds is their quality customer services. In this era the customer service has gained utmost importance and McDonalds customer services is helping them to increase their market share. Even if the restaurant is packed with the customers the customer services quality remains the same which makes the fast food chain number one in the world. Strategic Option a Helping Hand to achieve Strategic Objectives Strategic options help the organization to achieve the organization strategic aims and objectives. However, a combination of the available strategic options is a good option for any enterprise as this can have a dual positive effect in the organizational performance and profit margins can also be increased with a wide margin. Using integrated strategic options allows the firm a more leverage to take decision on marketing mix. McDonalds can use either of the strategic option discussed earlier, but the more appropriate is to use the mix of both the strategic options. This will help to achieve the strategic objectives of the organization which were mentioned earlier in the document. Using a differentiation strategy, McDonalds will be able to charge the premium prices against the product features. However, keeping the legislation under consideration is also important before charging the premium prices from the customers (Kim Warren, 2008). On the other side of the picture the cost leader ship strategy will provide the company a more leverage to reduce their prices of provide discount offers to the customers as the company have more margin due to the increase in profit margin. McDonalds can offer different discount deals on their core products as these are also provided by their major global competitor KFC. So, if the fast food chain is following an integrated strategic option then it can attain competitive advantage on either side of the court. This will fulfill the first and important strategic objective of McDonalds i.e. to maintain the market leader position. As the fast food chain will be able to counter each offer given by its competitor and also can attack the competitor by offering new products and deals and maintain the market dominance. Furthermore, using the differentiation strategy the fast food chain can make their customer services so supreme that no other competitor can copy that. Along with the food quality which is already very unique can be improved further and new products can be launched which are not available in the market and not ever provided by any other organization. By suing this differentiation strategy the company will be able to achieve its another strategic objective i.e. to provide the customer with quality food and service. Cost leadership and differentiation strategies will improve the profit margins and the strategic objective to provide a positive return on investment of the shareholders and investors will be fulfilled. Concluding this discussion it is suggested to the McDonalds management to continue delivering the quality product and services and further reduce their operational cost without compromising the quality of their products and standard of their services. McDonalds Stakeholders Analysis Stakeholders are those bodies or parties which have direct or indirect interaction with the organization. These bodies are affected with the operations of the business positively or negatively. The major stakeholder for McDonalds includes their customers, shareholders and their employees. Customers Customers of McDonalds are the major focus of fast food chain. Mentioned earlier in the document that the companys corporate values indicate that customer is the king. The strategic objectives are also aimed towards the customer satisfaction by delivering value to them. Customer services is the important part of the McDonalds strategic planning as through quality customer services they are able to retain he customers. McDonalds branches and franchises are all over the world and they are huge in number. This is to facilitate the customer to provide the quality food with easy access. Furthermore the free home delivery service of the fast food chain shows that the organization is committed to produce their products and services at the door step of the customers. Shareholders Shareholders are another major stakeholder of the company. Strategic objectives of the company show that the company is committed to deliver return on investments. The company has adapted cost leadership and differentiation strategy which have given them a position of market leader and helped to increase the profit margins which is the major concern of the investors. Employees The employees are the key to success for any organization. At McDonalds it is not a different story. The company considers their employees as an asset like all successful organizations and is committed to facilitate their employees who in actual are the prime resources that leads towards the fulfillment of organizations strategic objectives. Five Competitive Forces Analysis of McDonalds Michael porter provided a frame work which contains the analysis of five different forces effecting the organization (Kim Warren, 2002). Through this analytical tool five different forces affecting McDonalds are evaluated. Figure 1 Porter Five Forces Model Threat of new entrants Fast food industry has gained a tremendous growth in the 21st century. Many fast food chains are operating in different countries. The major are KFC, Pizza Hut and Subway. However there are many local fast food chains that provide the same kind of products which these international fast food chains do. However, the quality and standard is not up to the level of these chains still these chains are able to grasp a handsome amount of market share. The entry in this business is not a difficult task; however, to launch a chain at the level of McDonald is quite difficult. Threat of Substitutes There are several substitutes available against the products of McDonalds, which are also liked by the consumers. So McDonalds also have to consider those substitutes while designing their strategies. Degree of Rivalry The competition in the fast food restaurant industry is intense. Having the major brands like KFC, PIZZA HUT and Subway , McDonalds really have to be up to the mark in terms of products and customer services to maintain the market leader position. Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining power of buyers in case of McDonalds is high as the customer has so many options so the fast food chains have to maintain their prices very competitive and keep the level of customer services up to the mark. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of supplier is not high in case of McDonalds. Suppliers try to add their names in the list of the big brand names such as McDonalds because of the frequency of their orders. Pest Analsyis of Mcdonalds Pestle analysis is to analyze the external forces which can affect the organization. Below is the brief analysis of McDonalds Figure 2 PEST Analysis Framework Political Forces Due to the global operations of the company there are several policies in different states which can affect the McDonalds policies and procedures. Economic Factors The global economy can affect the organization in many ways. The change in the fast food industry business can also affect the McDonalds in a positive or negative way. Social Factors Being operating in many countries across the globe, McDonald have to recognize the social and cultural factors. For instance in Muslim countries the fast food chain has to assure the community regarding the use of Halal chicken. Technological Factors The rapid change in technology will force the company to adapt it in order to survive in the competitive market. Furthermore, the introduction of new advertisement Medias gives a more chance to aggressively market the products through different channels. Conclusion McDonalds enormous success all over the globe is the result of their effective vision and mission which is leading the organization in the right direction. The selection of right strategies at the right time allows the organization to achieve the organization set aims and objectives. The progress of the company towards strategic aims and objectives is satisfactory. The selection of integrated strategic options will allow the company to progress more efficiently towards the achievement of strategic aims and objectives.

Relationship Between Surface Area and Rate Of Reaction Essay -- GCSE C

An Experiment To Investigate The Relationship Between Surface Area and Rate Of Reaction Introduction The rate of reaction (reaction velocity) may be defined as the rate of change of concentration of a stated reactant or product. The rate of a reaction is found by measuring the amount of a reactant used up per unit of time or the amount of a product produced per unit of time. A reaction can be made to go faster or slower by changing a number of factors. In order for a reaction to occur certain things are necessary: particles must collide with each other and the collision must have enough energy for the reaction to occur. If this happens the original bonds are broken and new bonds are formed - so that new products are formed. Successful collisions (those with sufficient energy) can be increased (or decreased) by a number of factors. These key variables consist of temperature, concentration, surface area and use of and type of a catalyst. To examine the relationship between the rate of reaction and surface area I must choose to vary only surface area keeping the other variables constant. Surface area of solid - The surface area has an effect on the rate of reaction. If the solid has a large surface area per unit mass then there are more opportunities for collisions to occur between the solid and liquid. This is because there is more chance for collisions to occur. If the surface area per unit mass is small, collision can only occur with the outer atoms and is therefore limited. The diagram below illustrates this: This relationship is proportional i.e. as one doubles so does the other. The temperature of the reaction - When the temperature is low, the particles in the reaction do not have much energy and move slowly so collision... ...nes which can be explained by the fact that the surface area of the chips was constantly changing throughout the reaction, as it was reacted with the acid, and so did the surface area to volume ratio. Also as the marble was used up the reaction would slow, as there would be less marble remaining to react with the acid reducing the chances of a collision occurring. The evidence is sufficient to imply that my hypothesis is correct but I think to prove it successfully further evidence would be necessary. I could have checked the rates of reactions I produced as a result of my experiment by carrying out a different test. If I had examined my results by doing a test measuring the mass change of the calcium carbonate I could have checked that I came up with sufficiently similar final rates of reaction, however I did not have time for this or to use a wider range of values.