Jean Piaget Essay Example for Free

Jean Piaget Essay Jean Piaget is often quoted to have pioneered research in cognitive development (Hayes, 1998). The constructivist theory is a subset of the cognitivist theories. It is based on the learner –centred theories that emphases on the need to provide learners with responsibility for directing their own learning experiences. Schemata, assimilation and accommodation are some of the primary concepts in understanding the Constructivist theory of cognitive development. The other central features apart from three principles are the notions of equilibration and disequilibrium. This essay will briefly define the principles of schemata, assimilation and accommodation. It will also explain the importance of equilibration and disequilibrium in cognitive development. Schemata according to Dembo (1991) are cognitive structures that are formed through the obstruction of one’s earlier experience. It is stated that children are born with very f few innate schemata and that they keep on creating new ones as they interact with the environment. Hayes (1998) adds that schemata should be understood as â€Å"a theoretical construct which is generally understood as the being an internalized representation of the world, or at least some part of the world. † p. 473. Schemata therefore relate to specific bit of activity, and summarises the stored knowledge and experiences related to such an activity. All human thinking is centred on schemata that develop throughout an individual’s life through the process of adaptation. Adaptation involves organisms responding to the changes in their respective surroundings and situations. In essence, adaptation is achieved through assimilation and accommodation. The principle of assimilation refers to a process of making sense of the experiences and perceptions by fitting them into previously established cognitive structures. In other words, what is perceived by a person is altered so that it fits present cognitive schemata (Gage, 1998). Assimilation is said to have occurred when a person perceives a new event or object in terms of an n existing schemas. That is to say, person applies any mental structure that is available to assimilate a new object or event and actively seek to utilize this newly acquired mental structure. On the other hand, the theory of accommodation simply refers to the process of changing internal schemata to provide consistency with external reality. It happens when existing schemas are modified or new ones are created to account for a new experience. According to Borick and Tombari (1995) if a person succeeds in changing the existing schemata in order to understand a new event, object, information or experience is said to have undergone the process of accommodation. From it can therefore be inferred that accommodation influences assimilation in a certain way and vice versa. As a reality is assimilated, structures are accommodated. Cognitive development is a lifelong process that involves the creation and/or the development of schemata through the operation of principles explained above. The term that explains the operation of assimilation and accommodation, which can occur concurrently is called the process of Equilibration. Equilibration is defined as â€Å"the biological drive to produce an optimal state of equilibrium between people’s cognitive structures and their environment† (Duncan, 1995 as cited on http://www. coe. uga. edu/epiltt/pigeat. htm ) . It is an attempt to bring about a state of equilibrium between the other three factors and is very vital for cognitive development. It involves assimilation and accommodation (Russell, Jarvis Gorman, 2004). This process is very significant because it is through equilibration that people develop their cognitive structures. This occurs as people conduct themselves in logical internal mental structures that allow them to make sense of the various phenomena in their surrounding environment. When the external reality does not match with the logical internal schemas or say when disequilibrium occurs, equilibration is there to come forth so as an effort to bring balance between assimilation and accommodation. In this way, organisms develop sophisticated schemas. McLeod (2009) as cited on http://www. simplypsychology. org/piaget. html points out disequilibrium connotes an unpleasant state when new information cannot be fitted in the existing schemata. O’Donnel (2006) states that the theory of equilibration is important to the learning process. It suggests the need to stimulate conceptual change in someone by challenging students existing concepts in an effort to create cognitive disequilibrium. Students in turn strive to restore equilibrium there by acquiring new knowledge and skills for understanding the world or subject matter in a lesson. Teachers should be able to engage students into unfamiliar areas in order to for them to learn. It suggests that students do not require studying things that they already know but that they can also accommodate new information (Dembo, 1991). However teacher need not to let learners over assimilate because it turns out boring. They should also not over accommodate students beyond their cognitive growth. In this ca se, it can be understood that equilibration is vital to the development of a child’s cognition as well as to the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, the notion of equilibration is important because it indicates that learners are active thinkers who can understand the world on their own. Therefore teacher need to involve students in the learning processes and only act as facilitators in constructing knowledge. The understanding of the constructivist theory with the understanding of how equilibration works has led to emergence of teaching methods such as discovery methods. Teachers can create deliberate disequilibrium in students by asking questions about some illogical statements made by the Lerner. As the learner reconciles his or her disequilibrium, their cognitive capacity develops. In conclusion, this paper has defined schemata as cognitive or mental structures that relate s to specific bit of an activity such as schemata for an object like a tree or more abstract notion like democracy. Jean Piaget contended that all thinking is centred on schemata (Hayes, 1998) and the number of a person schema continues to be constructed throughout a person’s life through the principles of assimilation and accommodation. It has also been noted that the operation 0f these two principles constitutes the notion of equilibration. Equilibration is very important because it is the impetus for cognitive development that makes individuals acquires higher order thinking skills to adapt to the ever changing surrounding. It is through equilibration that people explore the environment and make mental representation of reality. This is so because equilibration improves the sophistication of schemas to create a mental representation of reality.

Experiment to Prove Hookes Law

Experiment to Prove Hookes Law Hooke’s Law Aim: -To prove Hooke’s law i.e. the extension of the force is directly proportional to the force applied. To find the spring constant of the spring. Apparatus: Clamp Stand Helical Spring Mass Hanger Pointer Meter Ruler Measuring Balance Method: -Hang a helical spring from a clamp stand. -Attach a mass directly to the bottom of the helical spring and record the position of the bottom of the mass hanger relative to a meter ruler. -Add masses to the spring and record the position of the bottom of the mass hanger. Safety Precautions: Wear safety goggles to prevent any accidents that could occur due to the weights bouncing off the spring. Keep a distance from the apparatus. Be sure that the spring is tightly attached to the clamp. Do not play around with the masses or springs. Data Collection and Processing Uncertainty in a measuring balance =  ±0.1g To covert to kg = 0.1à ·1000 =  ±0.0001kg Uncertainty in a meter ruler =  ±0.05cm To convert to meters = 0.05 à · 100 =  ±0.0005m †¢Formulas Absolute Uncertainty= Limit of readingà ·2 Relative Uncertainty= Absolute Uncertainty à · Measured Value % Uncertainty = Absolute Uncertainty à · Measured Value Ãâ€" 100 Force (Newton’s) = Mass (Kg) Ãâ€" Acceleration (ms- ²) Average Extension (cm) = Extension while loading (m) + Extension while unloading (m) à · 2 Spring Constant, k (Nm- ¹) = Force (Newton’s) à · Extension (m) Elastic Potential Energy (Joules) = 0.5 Ãâ€" Spring Constant Ãâ€" Extension ² Range Of Extension = Extension while loading – Extension while unloading Random Error = Range of extension à · 2 Table 1 Raw Data Table: Trial No. Mass (grams)  ±0.1 Mass (kilograms)  ±0.0001 Force Applied (Newton’s) F=MÃâ€"g  ±0.0001 Extension While Loading(meters)  ±0.0005 Extension While Unloading(meters)  ±0.0005 Average Extension =E1+E2à ·2 (meters)  ±0.001 1 10.2 ±0.1 0.0102 ±0.0001 0.100062 ±0.0001 0.036 ±0.0005 0.037 ±0.0005 0.0365 ±0.001 2 20.4 ±0.1 0.0204 ±0.0001 0.200124 ±0.0001 0.040 ±0.0005 0.039 ±0.0005 0.0395 ±0.001 3 30.6 ±0.1 0.0306 ±0.0001 0.300186 ±0.0001 0.043 ±0.0005 0.042 ±0.0005 0.0425 ±0.001 4 40.8 ±0.1 0.0408 ±0.0001 0.400248 ±0.0001 0.048 ±0.0005 0.046 ±0.0005 0.0470 ±0.001 5 51.0 ±0.1 0.0510 ±0.0001 0.500310 ±0.0001 0.051 ±0.0005 0.050 ±0.0005 0.0505 ±0.001 6 61.2 ±0.1 0.0612 ±0.0001 0.600372 ±0.0001 0.056 ±0.0005 0.057 ±0.0005 0.0565 ±0.001 7 71.4 ±0.1 0.0714 ±0.0001 0.700434 ±0.0001 0.061 ±0.0005 0.060 ±0.0005 0.0605 ±0.001 8 81.6 ±0.1 0.0816 ±0.0001 0.800496 ±0.0001 0.067 ±0.0005 0.067 ±0.0005 0.0670 ±0.001 †¢ Calculations for trial 1 Force (Newton’s) = Mass (kg) Ãâ€" Acceleration (ms- ²) = 10.2 ±0.1 (g) Ãâ€" 9.81 (ms- ²) = 100.062 ±0.1 (g) Covert the g to kg: 100.062 à · 1000 = 0.100062 ±0.0001 (kg) Average Extension = Extension while loading (cm) + Extension while unloading (cm) à · 2 = 3.6 ±0.05 (cm) + 3.7 ±0.05 (cm) = 3.65 ±0.1cm In meters = 3.65 ±0.1cm à · 100 = 0.0365 ±0.001m Table 2 The range of extension and the random error of the experiment: Trial No. Extension While Loading(meters)  ±0.0005 Extension While Unloading(meters)  ±0.0005 Average Extension =E1+E2à ·2 (meters)  ±0.001 Force Applied (Newton’s) F=MÃâ€"g  ±0.0001 Range of Extension (meters)  ±0.0005 Random Error (meters)  ±0.0005 1 0.036 ±0.0005 0.037 ±0.0005 0.0365 ±0.001 0.100062 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 2 0.040 ±0.0005 0.039 ±0.0005 0.0395 ±0.001 0.200124 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 3 0.043 ±0.0005 0.042 ±0.0005 0.0425 ±0.001 0.300186 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 4 0.048 ±0.0005 0.046 ±0.0005 0.0470 ±0.001 0.400248 ±0.0001 0.002 ±0.0005 0.001 ±0.0005 5 0.051 ±0.0005 0.050 ±0.0005 0.0505 ±0.001 0.500310 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 6 0.056 ±0.0005 0.057 ±0.0005 0.0565 ±0.001 0.600372 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 7 0.061 ±0.0005 0.060 ±0.0005 0.0605 ±0.001 0.700434 ±0.0001 0.001 ±0.0005 0.0005 ±0.0005 8 0.067 ±0.0005 0.067 ±0.0005 0.0670 ±0.001 0.800496 ±0.0001 0.000 ±0.0005 0.0000 ±0.0005 †¢Calculations for trial 1 Force (Newton’s) = Mass (kg) Ãâ€" Acceleration (ms- ²) = 10.2 ±0.1 (g) Ãâ€" 9.81 (ms- ²) = 100.062 ±0.1 (g) Covert the g to kg: 100.062 à · 1000 = 0.100062 ±0.0001 (kg) Average Extension = Extension while loading (cm) + Extension while unloading (cm) à · 2 = 3.6 ±0.05 (cm) + 3.7 ±0.05 (cm) = 3.65 ±0.1cm In meters = 3.65 ±0.1cm à · 100 = 0.0365 ±0.001m Range Of Extension = Maximum Value – Minimum Value = 0.037 ±0.0005 – 0.036 ±0.0005 = 0.001 ±0.005 (m) Random Error = Range of extension à · 2 = 0.001 ±0.005 à · 2 = 0.0005 ±0.0005 (m) Table 3 Processed Data Table: Trial No. Force Applied (Newton’s) F=MÃâ€"g  ±0.0001 Average Extension =E1+E2à ·2 (meters)  ±0.001 Spring Constant, k (Nm) % Uncertainty Elastic Potential Energy (Joules) % Uncertainty 1 0.100062 ±0.0001 0.0365 ±0.001 2.74 ±2.8% 0.0018251825 ±8.3% 2 0.200124 ±0.0001 0.0395 ±0.001 5.01 ±2.6% 0.0039084263 ±7.7% 3 0.300186 ±0.0001 0.0425 ±0.001 7.06 ±2.4% 0.0063760625 ±7.1% 4 0.400248 ±0.0001 0.0470 ±0.001 8.52 ±2.1% 0.0094103410 ±6.4% 5 0.500310 ±0.0001 0.0505 ±0.001 9.91 ±2.0% 0.0126364880 ±6.0% 6 0.600372 ±0.0001 0.0565 ±0.001 10.6 ±1.8% 0.01721974 ±5.3% 7 0.700434 ±0.0001 0.0605 ±0.001 11.6 ±1.7% 0.02122945 ±5.0% 8 0.800496 ±0.0001 0.0670 ±0.001 11.9 ±1.5% 0.02670955 ±4.5% †¢Calculations for trial 1 Force (Newton’s) = Mass (kg) Ãâ€" Acceleration (ms- ²) = 10.2 ±0.1 (g) Ãâ€" 9.81 (ms- ²) = 100.062 ±0.1 (g) Covert the g to kg: 100.062 à · 1000 = 0.100062 ±0.0001 (kg) Average Extension = Extension while loading (cm) + Extension while unloading (cm) à · 2 = 3.6 ±0.05 (cm) + 3.7 ±0.05 (cm) = 3.65 ±0.1cm In meters = 3.65 ±0.1cm à · 100 = 0.0365 ±0.001m Spring Constant = Force (Newton’s) à · Extension (m) = 0.100062 ±0.0001 (N) à · 0.0365 ±0.001 (m) % Uncertainty for Force = Absolute Uncertainty à · Measured Value Ãâ€" 100 = 0.0001 à · 0.100062 Ãâ€" 100 = 0.1% % Uncertainty for Extension = Absolute Uncertainty à · Measured Value Ãâ€" 100 = 0.001 à · 0.0365 Ãâ€" 100 = 2.7% Spring Constant = 0.100062 ±0.1% (N) à · 0.0365 ±2.7% (m) = 2.74 ±2.8% Nm- ¹ Elastic Potential Energy = 0.5 Ãâ€" Spring Constant Ãâ€" Extension ² = 0.5 Ãâ€" 2.74 ±2.8% Ãâ€" (0.0365 ±0.001)  ² = 0.5 Ãâ€" 2.74 ±2.8% Ãâ€" (0.001332255 ±5.5%) = 0.00183 ±8.3% Conclusion Evaluation Conclusion: In this experiment, I have been quite successful by proving the aim of the experiment which is Hooke’s Law. The results obtained are slightly incorrect due to any errors as part of the experiment. My calculations were all shown for trial one which whereas follows. In relation to the graph, the line does not pass through the origin as there were uncertainties. The line therefore starts a few cm from the origin on the y axis. The slope in the graph indicates the spring constant. It can be seen that the spring constant value in the graph does not match my result for trial no.1 as I have taken the spring constant value in N/cm. If I take the values in N/m and average all the values of the spring constant from my calculations I will end with a result equal to the gradient or slope of the graph that is 0.227. The units taken for every other value is standard and therefore is correct. My results are reliable as they do result in the Force being proportional to the Extension. I feel t hat my data is reliable and the graph does show that the extension of the spring directly proportional to the force that is applied to it. We also found that the spring constant and the elastic potential energy increases due to the extension of the spring being proportional to the force. Evaluation: I have found that the experiment did have many errors which could have been improved. There were both systematic and random errors involved in the experiment. The meter ruler (uncertainty of  ±0.05cm) and the digital balance (uncertainty of  ±0.1g) had uncertainty’s which could have altered the accuracy of the results. The experiment also had a parallax error due to the carelessness of me not observing the pointer and the length in the straight path. My equipment was not very accurate as I was given a meter ruler and not an attached ruler. This could have made it very inaccurate as the ruler was leaning over a wall. I could only take one reading per mass, as time management was an issue, which is not reliable as taking more than two readings and averaging the answer will give a more accurate result. The next time I perform this experiment, I will need to make sure that I have at least three readings per mass and should take the average of the three readings to minimize the errors. I should also make sure that the meter ruler is not leaning on a wall and that it is held on by a clamp or that I have the ruler stuck behind the clamp stand. While repeating the experiment one should also put a pointer on the hook to avoid parallax error and get the measurements even more accurate. Wasif Haque

The Role of the Supernatural in Thomas Hardys Writing :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Role of the Supernatural in Thomas Hardy's Writing As a child, Thomas Hardy heard various stories of supernatural occurrences from the family servants, rustics from the village, and his own mother who believed she once saw a ghost. Thus, Hardy learned to believe in the supernatural and to accept the superstitious ways of the rustic people. During an interview with William Archer, Hardy expressed, "when I was a younger man, I would cheerfully have given ten years of my life to see a ghost, - an authentic, indubitable spectre". Because of the superstitious influence of his upbringing and his own desire to believe, elements of weirdness, superstition, and magic play an interesting role in Hardy's works. Specifically, Hardy incorporated aspects of superstition and witchcraft into his writings. Such elements provide the reader with an understanding of how Hardy perceived his world. Many small aspects of superstition exist within the writings of Hardy. In Return of the Native, the reader is introduced to Diggory Venn, the Reddleman. A reddleman unearths red clay which is used as a dye for sheep's wool. Because the reddleman works so much with this substance, his skin takes on a reddish hue and thus, red associating him with the devil, he becomes the "boogeyman " of the rustic people. Other examples of superstition include the evil eye, the magic of a sixpence, and dairy witchcraft. In his 1901 interview with Archer, Hardy stated that "The belief in the evil eye subsists in full force." Johnny Nunsuch of The Return of the Native felt safe as he carried his sixpence because the coin was supposed to bring good luck and protect against witchcraft. Johnny becomes frightened when he happens upon Diggory Venn, the Reddleman, because the child realizes that he has lost his guardian sixpence. The country people held many superstitions regarding the production of milk and cheese. The "magic" that these superstitions are based on is known as dairy witchcraft. For example, in Tess of the d'Urbervilles after Tess arrives at Talbothays, the cows cease to produce milk. The milkers blame this unexplainable phenomena on the newcomer, believing that the milk went directly to the horns of the cows. They thus resort to song as a device to start the cows milking again. Hardy uses slight witch imagery when describing his strong female characters because, according to Gayla Steel, he is hiding his examination of their independence and sexuality within these images.

acupuncture :: essays research papers

Acupuncture The Chinese healing art of acupuncture is one that can be dated back at least two thousand years. Some authorities maintain that acupuncture has been practiced in China for even four thousand years. Though its exact age is vague, what is certain is that up until the recent twentieth century, much of the population of the world was uninformed about acupuncture, its origins, and its capacity to promote and maintain good health. Even today in relatively "advanced" nations such as the United States there are many who hold acupuncture under the stereotype of a new or radical medicine, one which would almost always be a second choice after more familiar Western approaches to handling illness. Acupuncture (and its related Moxibustion) are practiced medical treatments that are over 5,000 years old. Very basically, Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles, (sometimes in conjunction with electrical stimulus), on the body's surface, in order to influence physiological functioning of the body. The first record of Acupuncture is found in the 4,700 year old Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine). This is said to be the oldest medical textbook in the world. It is said to have been written down from even earlier theories by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine. Shen Nung documented theories about circulation, pulse, and the heart over 4,000 years before European medicine had any concept about them. As the basis of Acupuncture, Shen Nung theorized that the body had an energy force running throughout it. This energy force is known as Qi (roughly pronounced Chee). The Qi consists of all essential life activities which include the spiritual, emotional, mental and the physical aspects of life. A person's health is influenced by the flow of Qi in the body, in combination with the universal forces of Yin and Yang Energy constantly flows up and down these pathways. When pathways become obstructed, deficient, excessive, or just unbalanced, Yin and Yang are said to be thrown out of balance. This causes illness. Acupuncture is said to restore the balance. Acupuncturists can use as many as nine types of Acupuncture needles, though only six are commonly used today. These needles vary in length, width of shaft, and shape of head. Today, most needles are disposible. They are used once and disgarded in accordance with medical biohazard regulations and guidlines. There are a few different precise methods by which Acupuncturists insert needles.

The Way It Really Was! :: essays research papers

The Way It Really Was!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1950's there were many problems. The Korean war and the civil rights struggle. Back then the music was all rhythm and blues (r &b). It was record mostly by black artists and for black audience but the white teenagers became interested. The music scene in the early 50's   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before 1954 there were 3 distinct music areas. R & B,country and pop. Music stations usually played one type of music so listeners could easily find what type they wanted. Pop had 4 major recording companies. RCA,Columbia,becca and Mercury. These companies had very good connection and could make a small band very big! Pop music had a subdued beat and smooth singing. R & B had black artists for black audiences. Country Western had the least affect by Rock and Roll. People who recorded at small independent music business and put out a record, they were called Indies. The first Rock and Roll hit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term Rock and Roll was usually used for describing physical sex. Allen Freed was credited with inventing Rock and Roll but that wouldn't be to good for him later in life. The father of Rock and Roll   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alan freed was the first white disc jockey to play Rock and Roll. Alan show in Cleveland was very popular with teenagers. In 1954, Alan's show moved to WINS. His nick name â€Å"moondog† had to be dropped. He adopted the new title â€Å" the king of rock and roll†. Newspapers ran articles saying Alan was the main wrongdoer in creating Rock and Roll. A riot broke out at one of Alan Freed's concert. The police turned up the house lights to see what the teenagers were doing and Alan said something and the teens went on a rampage. Alan was to blame. He was charged but when the manager at WINS didn't stand behind him, Alan left and went to WABC. The charges were later dropped. Because of all of the court appearances, Alan filed for bankruptcy in 1959. In 1960, Alan was fired from WABC for not signing a statement that he took favors to play certain records. It was all down hill from there. In 1965 Alan died. His friends said that he had a drinking problem and it got worse when he was fired. Adult response to Rock and Roll   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most adults did not like Rock and Roll. They thought it was vulgar and rude. Although there was never a link from violence to teens. Many incidences proved that wrong when Nat King Cole was performing and 5 teens jumped on stage and started to beat up him.

Eugene Schueller

Eugene Schueller By: Jaqueline Gastelum Block 1- Hon. Chemistry Mr. Velazquez Today there is much advancement in the cosmetic world. There are also many scientist (that go back to the ancient Romans) that have invented and experimented with chemicals to produce what we know have today. Eugene Schueller is one of those chemists that helped advance the cosmetic industry. He also invented other products such as Sun block and the revolutionary L’Oreal cosmetic industry. Eugene Schueller is a French chemist.There is not a lot of information about his life and where he grew up. Eugene Schueller graduated from France’s national chemical engineering school in 1904. In 1909, this young chemist founded the company L’Oreal. He had an amazing â€Å"entrepreneurial spirit†. Schueller began by selling his own formulated hair dye to the Persian Hairdressers. The next year after that, he convinced Paris hair stylist to use his hair dyes for a fashion show, with his determ ination and ambition he succeeded and earned publicity.Another bit of information that we know is that Schueller had a passion for chemistry always trying new ideas. During the 1920s when the war was finally over, there was a new perspective changing in women. Women are now working, earning money and are getting more concerned about their appearance. They wanted to look younger, by covering gray hair. This was a great opportunity to the Oreal hair dyes (now they changed it to L’Oreal) to earn more money. This was a great success, it even started to spread to other countries such as Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, and even reaching the U.S, U. K, Canada and Brazil. During 1928 Schueller started to modernized and upgraded his products by improving qualities and redesigning his advertising methods. In some point in time, people didn’t know how to advertise, but Eugene Schuler is a pioneer on this kind of advertising. Schueller had talent for advertising, using his skills he was successful, always drawing attention to his new/ old products. He made promotional events and started to make strategies for new advertising ideas.Thinking above the others, Schueller used radio commercials (as they were barely starting to add them) to promote his hair dye. With all the advertisements he maximized sales in the L’Oreal Company. Hair dying came to be because of many scientists but Eugene Schueller is the main one. He wanted to make people beautiful and to love themselves, another part was for the money but anyways he continued to bring success to his company by making a blonde colour that actually can make the individual look like a natural blonde.Many more inventions came to be later on. One of his Other famous The type of chemistry involved†¦ Sunscreen invention†¦ Many have liked the idea of being beautiful, and attractive Since beginning of time, people have always wanted to be beautiful and attractive. L’Oreal has been created concl usion Souces: http://www. loreal. com/dd/loreal/HistoryDetails. aspx? TopCode=CorpTopic_Group_History_19091956 http://www. humantouchofchemistry. com/discovery-of-hair-dye. htm Online Book source- Encyclopedia of hair: A Cultural History by Victoria Sherrow

Supply and Demand and New Housing

Introduction to Microeconomics Fall 2012 Assignment 1 due on October 4 in class (Total 80 points) Q1. (15 points) The following table shows production possibilities for two items—chairs and tables. Combination| Chairs| Tables| A| 0| 6| B| 8| 5| C| 15| 4| D| 21| 3| E| 26| 2| F| 30| 1| G| 33| 0| (a) What is the opportunity cost of producing the first table? (33-30)/1=3 (b) What is the opportunity cost of producing the third table? (26-21)/1=5 (c) What is the opportunity cost of producing the sixth table? 8-0)/1=8 (d) Draw the production-possibilities curve for chairs and tables on a graph, placing tables on the vertical axis and chairs on the horizontal axis. (e) If the economy achieved greater efficiency in the production of tables, how would the production –possibilities curve change? (f) If a more efficient method of producing chairs were developed, how would the curve change? (g) Suppose more economic resources (labour, materials, and capital) became available. How wo uld the curve change?Q2. (15 points) The following table describes the production possibilities of two cities. Red SweatersPer Worker per Hour| Blue SweatersPer Worker per Hour| Montreal| 3| 3| Toronto| 2| 1| (a) Without trade, what is the price of blue sweaters (in terms of red sweaters) in Montreal? What is the price in Toronto? (b) Which city has an absolute advantage in the production of each colour of sweater? Which city has a comparative advantage in the production of each colour of sweater? (c) If the cities trade with each other, which colour of sweater will each export? (d) What is the range of prices at which trade can occur? Q3. 10 points) Canada has a mixed economic system, in which both marketplace and government play a role. For each of the following situation, explain why you think that it would be best dealt with by the market, or by government action. (a) There are too many restaurants in a town, and several are losing money. (b) The gap between the rich and the poo r is very wide, and the poorest citizens are unable to afford even the bare necessities of life. (c)The largest supermarket chain in the country is planning to buy the second-largest chain, which would give it a near-monopoly in many communities. d) A trend toward healthier eating has driven the price of chicken up so sharply that many consumers are complaining to the government about the increased prices. (e) Several manufacturers are cutting costs by dumping waste into a local river. Q4. (5 points) A customer is about to buy 4 shirts at $20 each. When she finds that they have just gone on sale for $15, she buys 5 shirts instead. Is her demand for these shirts elastic or inelastic? Explain the reason for your answer. Q5. (10 points) From 1997 to 2001, the price of coffee on world markets fell from $1. 60 U. S per pound to $0. 6 U. S. per pound— a decrease of 65 percent. (a) What is the most logical explanation for such a decrease in price? (b) What explains the large size of the price decrease? (c)Draw a graph representing the factors in (a) and (b). Q6. (10 points) Assume the demand schedule for ice-cream cones can be represented by the equation QD=160-3P, where QD is the quantity demanded and P is the price. The supply schedule can be represented by QS=140+7P, where QS is the quantity supplied. (a) Calculate the equilibrium price and quantity in the market for ice-cream cones. (b) The Canadian Association f Ice-Cream Eaters complains that the equilibrium price calculated in part (a) is too high, and their members cannot eat enough ice-cream cones at this price. They lobby the government to impose a price ceiling on ice-cream cones of $1. What is the quantity demanded at this price? The quantity supplied? Is there a shortage or surplus of ice cream? How big is it? What if a $2. 50 price ceiling was imposed instead? (c) Say instead that the Canadian Association of Ice-Cream Makers lobbies the government, arguing that the equilibrium price is too low fo r their members to make a decent living.They want a price floor of $3 per cone. What is the quantity demanded at this price? The quantity supplied? Is there a shortage or a surplus of ice cream? What is it? What if a price floor of $1. 50 was imposed instead? Q7. (15 points) One of the key prices Statistics Canada monitors is the price of new housing. The statistics do not show the actual price of housing in dollars, but rather an â€Å"index† of prices that is set at 100. 0 in 2007, with the index in each year after 2007 showing how much prices have increased since 2007.To see how the price of new housing has changed over the past 5 years, visit the Statistics Canada website at http://www. statcan. gc. ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/manuf12-eng. htm, and search for New housing price index for Canada. Calculate the percentage increase in new housing prices each year over the past five years (2007-2011). What trend do you see in new housing prices for Canada (national av erage level), and is there any noticeable trend for the Metropolitan areas? What demand side or supply side factors might explain these?