What Effects the Bounce of a Dropped Ball

Aim The aim of this experiment is to investigate the efficiency of a bouncing ball, and the factors which affect its efficiency. Hypothesis If I increase the height from which a ball is dropped, then the bounce height will increase because it will increase the speed and create a larger impact, causing the ball to bounce higher then dropping it from a lower height. Materials 1. High bounce ball 2. Measuring tape 3. Tape 4. Wall Risk AssessmentH- Cutting yourself with the measuring tape C- Handle with care and ensure that it is locked Method 1. Hold the measuring tape with the 0 centimeter end on the floor. Then tape the measuring tape to a wall. 2. Hold the bottom of the high bounce ball in place with the 100 centimeter mark on the measuring tape. 3. Drop the ball and determine the total bounce height of the ball, which would be the distance from the surface to the bottom of the ball at the top of its bounce. . Continue till you have data for 3 tests. 5. Repeat steps 2-5 for drop heig hts 80 cm 60 cm 40 cm 6. Average all the data. Variables Independent variable = drop height Dependent variable = bounce height Controlled variables = ball, surface, measuring tool Data Table Height a Ball Bounced From Different Drop Heights DROP HEIGHT (CM) TEST 1TEST 2TEST 3AVERAGE 10050495150 8038394039 6031293030 4022202120 Graph

Research Paper on Fast Food Essay

1. 1 INTRODUCTION Fast food is generally food or a meal which is pre-prepared, or which can be quickly cooked when you order it. You can buy fast food almost anywhere. Although fast food trend is quite new in Pakistan yet it is growing very fast, this indicate that such type of fast food restaurant have a very bright future in Pakistan . The two major fast food restaurants that have their outlets in the whole world, are giving tough competition to each other in Pakistan. Our research is based on the hypothesis that why people in Pakistan prefer KFC over Macdonald and we found that due to good quality and taste of food people prefer KFC . When KFC was introduced in Pakistan the prices was not affordable by people but now they have lower their prices. One reason was also the impressive packages due to which people prefer KFC over McDonald’s. While conducting our research we also came to know that KFC is more advertised this is one of the reasons that people prefer KFC over McDonald’s. We are going to discuss all of this in our research. 1. 2 HYPOTHESIS KFC is a spot light and McDonald’s is a side show. 1. 3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The trend of fast food is increasing day by day in Pakistan, this research is designed to generate knowledge about fast food restaurant in Pakistan, and hence this research is based upon two leading fast food brands in Pakistan. The main objective is to know that which brand is popular among majority. Which among the two brands is of higher quality. Which brand is more economical . Hence in general we conducted this research because we wanted to know that which brand is preferred and what is the reason behind it. 1. 4 SAMPLING In sampling plan we draw sample, sample is basically a segment of the population selected for research to represent the population as a whole. In our research we targeted people from 18 to 30 . So we approached people who visit KFC and McDonald’s . Our sample size is 40 from the whole population . Our research instrument for collecting primary data is Questionnaire in which we ask twenty questions, all are close ended for accessing people’s preference. 1. 5 METHODOLOGY The empirical analysis of the â€Å"International fast food chains in Pakistan† was based on the primary data collected through personal observations by visiting KFC and McDonald’s located in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The data were collected by filling questionnaire during rush hours in the afternoon between 12:00 noon to 2:00 p. m. In all, 40 customers were accounted for during the survey time period in KFC and McDonald’s. The data were collected during the first week of January 2010. 1. 6 LITERATURE REVIEW First we will take into account the history of KFC. The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, though the idea of KFC’s fried chicken actually goes back to 1930. The company adopted the abbreviated form of its name in 1991. Perfecting its secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices in 1939, KFC has come a long way. With over 10,000 outlets in the world, KFC has maintained its title, for the last 60 years, of being the chicken Experts. Now we will discuss the history of McDonald . At one time it was the largest global restaurant chain, but it has since been surpassed by multi-brand operator, in the competitor KFC is on top of the list. The business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California. The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. Now McDonald’s is present in 120 countries with about 32000 outlets. Market entry in Pakistan was not a big problem for KFC as it is a well-known international brand. In that stage they did promoted through their own brand. Their promotion statement was â€Å"KFC in Pakistan†. Opening the first KFC outlet in Gulshan-e- Iqbal in 1997. KFC wore the title of being the market leader in its industry. Serving delicious and hygienic food in a relaxing environment made KFC everyone’s favorite. Since then, KFC has been constantly introducing new products and opening new restaurants for its customers. Presently KFC is branched out in nine major cities of Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sukkur & Muree) with more than 45 outlets nation-wide. Apart from fulfilling our commitment of serving delicious, fresh and hygienic food and at the same time providing our customer with the ultimate entertainment; KFC also plays in the economics development of our country. Presently KFC has provided to over 1200 Pakistanis, which adds up to 6000 individuals directly dependent in KFC Pakistan. In introduction stage KFC entered the market using market-skimming strategy. Their products were high price and targeted only upper class. Later they introduced packages which were affordable by many people. McDonald’s Pakistan opened its doors in September 1998 at Lahore and presently operating in seven major cities with a network of 20 restaurants. With a strong belief in the Ray Krock phrase when you are green you are growing, McDonald’s Pakistan has an aggressive plan to expand in all other cities of Pakistan and is rapidly growing with the focus to provide friendly and quick service restaurant experience to their customers. Today millions of Pakistanis place their trust in McDonald’s everyday to provide them with food of a very high standard as well as good service. In the past five years, the response to McDonald’s coming to Pakistan has been overwhelming. McDonald’s located in Pakistan are currently employing about 1,000 Pakistanis and each store is managed by Pakistani managers. They have also contributed in other ways than food service. McDonalds has investment of over Rs 300 crore in the country and payment of taxes and duties amounting to more than Rs 100 crore. Since McDonald’s is doing so well in Pakistan they will continue to grow and add more stores in more cities in the future. But in Pakistan McDonald’s is facing a tough competition by KFC. KFC and McDonald’s serve to dominate the fast food business in Pakistan. Both fast food chains serve all their customers effectively, given the different categories and factors that determine the success of restaurants and fast food chains in Pakistan. However, based on the findings of the previous research, it can be perceived that KFC is running a more successful business in Pakistan, compared to the business run by McDonald’s. This was given proof in the article, based on the many and varied responses of customers to surveys, which involve their evaluation of both fast food restaurants, based on a number of factors, namely, food, service, environment, price, convenience, brand, and promotion. In terms of food, although both fast food restaurants almost have the same varieties, certain differences can still be recognized. Both KFC and McDonald’s offer chicken and hamburger meals including snacks, desserts, and drinks. However, only KFC offers a wide range of healthy side dishes, such as mashed potato, carrot muffin, and lotus fresh vegetable side dishes. In this sense, KFC aims to uphold healthy eating and nutrition of their customers. In addition, it has been emphasized in the case study that KFC appeared to have the upper hand over McDonald’s in terms of introducing new products in the market. Most of the new products of KFC, such as its lunch items, suit the tastes of the Pakistani. KFC has also been introducing new products in the market in a regular rate. In terms of environment and service, although both fast food restaurants appeal to their market due to their convenient lighting, cleanliness, music, and decorations, still, KFC serves to have the upper hand over McDonald’s. Based on the survey, more customers are â€Å"Very Satisfied† with the services and environment of KFC over McDonald’s. This is because the waiting time in McDonald’s is too long, compared to KFC. In addition, it can also be perceived that KFC has more advantage than McDonald’s, as the employees in KFC have less time to interact with customers than its counterpart, as the volume of its business is larger. The prices of food offered by both restaurants equally serve each other. However, the food offered by KFC is slightly higher, being able to offer some meals that are not offered by McDonald’s, such as the Family Bucket, Garden Chicken Burger Meal, and Hot & Spicy Wing Meal. Nevertheless, the volume of customers in all given times of day, in both weekdays and weekends is still higher in KFC than in McDonald’s. Given such figures, it can be perceived that more customers prefer KFC to McDonald’s, thus, indicative of the fact that KFC runs a more successful business than its counterpart does. Moreover, the findings of the study indicate â€Å"More low income and high income customers prefer KFC to McDonald’s, while average income customers prefer McDonald’s more than KFC† In this sense, it can be observed that KFC has a wider range of customers compared to McDonald’s, thus, indicating that more customers patronizes KFC. Furthermore, for the finale, the proof that KFC is running a more successful business than McDonald’s is indicated that not just in Pakistan KFC has an upper hand but in all over the world. 1. 7 DELIMITATIONS. The problem which we faced while conducting our research are firstly the people were not very co operative in order to fill our questionnaire and we have to convince them. Another problem was that people were hesitating to fill our questionnaire. 1. 8 DATA COLLECTION Q1) What is your age group? As we have taken our sample between 18-32. So the people who have filled the form have age between 18 to 32. Q2) What is the reason of eating fast food? Q3) How often do you use fast-food services? Q4) What’s your favorite fast food place? Q5) Rate the fast food you have visited the most? (3 being high and 1 being low). Q6) Which one is your favorite meal? Q7) What fast food restaurants do you think is most advertised? Q8) Which fast food chain is in your opinion is more healthy? Q 9) How favorable is your attitude towards the fast food brands you have eaten? (3 being high and 1 being low) Q10) How well the following brands satisfy your needs? (3 being high and 1 being low) Q11) Which brand packaging has an attractive look? (3 being high and 1 being low) Q12) Which fast food restaurant has an eye-catching outlook? Q13) Which brand do you think bring pleasant memory? (3 being high and being low) Q14) Which brand do you think earns pleasant money? Q15) On Average how much would you expect to pay for a fast food meal? Q16) Apart from food which place is more enjoyable? Q17) Which fast food restaurant is more accessible? Q18) Which brand offer deals which have attractive prices? Q19) If you owned your own fast food restaurant, then which fast food restaurant attribute you want to follow-up? 20) Do you think the future of international fast-food chains in Pakistan is bright? 1. 9 DATA ANALYSIS Q1) What is your age group? As we have taken our sample between 18-32. So the people who have filled the form have age between 18 to 32. Q2) what is the reason of eating fast food? The main reason that people eat at fast food restaurants is because they like the taste. Customer wouldn’t keep coming back to a restaurant if the taste of food does not satisfy their tongue. As pie graph shows that 82% prefer taste, 13% prefer convenience and 5% price, hence price and convenience element occupies a very small part of it, only the good taste allows and agree people to spend their money on food. Q3) How often do you use fast-food services? 54% visit once a month 12% visit once a year and once a week. 17% twice a week and 5% visit other time. It looks like most of the people go out and eat fast food once a month. In a close second place people visit fast food restaurants twice a week. So pie graph result shows that people like to eat fast food, but just at different interval of time. Q4) What’s your favorite fast food place? There are tons of different fast food restaurants around the world, but we narrowed down the choices to McDonald’s and KFC. According to the people’s choice 80% people like KFC while only 20% McDonald’s. KFC dominates over McDonald’s, other questions also represent that people are more likely towards KFC services. Q5) Rate the fast food you have visited the most? (3 being high and 1 being low) 62%of the people prefer to visit KFC while only 15% prefer McDonald’s. KFC are the first movers of fast food restaurant in Pakistan hence they have first mover advantage. They were the pioneer of fast food in Pakistan. The position of KFC in the mind of people is very strong. Q6) Which one is your favorite meal? We gave various choices of food offered by both restaurants. We restrict people only to choose one food item which is one of their most favorite According to the result 52% people like KFC chicken and 43%burger and 5% salad. While McDonald’s salads were liked by 45%, 30% burger and 25% chicken pieces. Q7) What fast food restaurants do you think is most advertised? The survey shows a slight difference between the advertisements of both restaurants. As they are leading fast food restaurants in Pakistan so they advertised almost equally to make their roots strong in promoting their service. According to the data 57% people think KFC is more advertised and 43% found McDonald’s is more advertised. Q8) Which fast food chain is in your opinion is more healthy? 67% people think that KFC is healthier. People have positive approach towards KFC because KFC food has less chronic health risks because its meal involves appropriate amount of nutrients. Q9) How favorable is your attitude towards the fast food brands you have eaten? (3 being high and 1 being low) 55% people rated KFC at 3 place, 37% people at second and 8% people at first place. But MacDonald’s result differ 13% people rated KFC at 3 place, 37% people at second and 50% people at first place. As results undoubtedly shows the people have favorable attitude towards KFC. Q10) How well the following brands satisfy your needs? (3 being high and 1 being low) 50% people are fully satisfied with KFC, 40% people satisfied and 10% people are just satisfied. But MacDonald’s result differ 15% people are fully satisfied, 35% people are satisfied and 50% people are just satisfied. Q11) Which brand packaging has an attractive look? (3 being high and 1 being low) In brand packaging McDonald’s took prize over KFC. The surveys result shows that 62%people like McDonald’s packaging style while only 27% people like KFC packaging style. Q12) Which fast food restaurant has an eye-catching outlook? Although in other aspects KFC has surpass McDonald’s but when it comes to the outlook of the restaurant 63% people like the outlook of McDonald’s and only 37% people rated KFC. Q13) Which brand do you think bring pleasant memory? (3 being high and being low) Pleasant memory associated with good environment of the place and taste of the food. After analysis it was found that 60% people’s pleasant memory is associated with KFC. 32% people have KFC. 8% do not have as much pleasant memories as others. Q14) Which brand do you think earns pleasant money? 55% people views show that KFC earns pleasant money. And in a close second place 45%rated McDonald’s. Q15) On Average how much would you expect to pay for a fast food meal? 55% people expect to pay an amount of at least Rs. 500 on fast food meal. 30% agreed on paying Rs. 1000 while only 15% want to spend Rs. 1500. Q16) Apart from food which place is more enjoyable? The popularity of any restaurant is just not dependent upon the taste and price of food but it also depend upon the enjoyable environment which include play area for kids, happy meal and gifts. 52% people consider McDonald’s is more enjoyable but 48% people like the environment of KFC. Q17) Which fast food restaurant is more accessible? The result of this question shows an even split among both options. The increasing trend of fast food leads both restaurant branches to multiply in order to make them easy to get to. 53% people think KFC is more accessible while 47% think that McDonald’s is more accessible. Q18) Which brand offer deals which have attractive prices? The higher percentage of people found the prices of KFC more attractive than McDonald’s. According to the data 55% people found prices of KFC affordable and attractive. While that of 45% found McDonald’s prices smart. Q19) If you owned your own fast food restaurant, then which fast food restaurant Attribute you want to follow-up? The majority results show that KFC has won the race in our fast food survey. It is found that KFC fulfill the needs of its customers to some extent, so considering KFC as their ideal people would like to follow the success tracks of KFC in order to have bright future of their restaurant ahead. 75% people like to follow the attributes of KFC for their own restaurant and only 25% consider McDonald’s as their ideal. Q20) Do you think the future of International fast food chains in Pakistan is bright? Based on people answers, 85%agreed with the statement that the future of international fast-food chains in Pakistan is bright, 5% were not agreed on bright future and 10% people have no idea about this. With today’s hectic lifestyles, time-saving products are increasingly in demand; one of the most obvious examples is fast food. People want quick and convenient meals as a result, consumers rely on fast food . Knowing this, fast food providers are coming up with new ways to market their products that save time for consumers. All that make sense though because that is what â€Å"fast food† is supposed to mean†¦cheap, fast, and tasty. 1. 10 CONCLUSION The conclusion we have drawn after conducting our research is that the problem statement which we consider in our research is confirmed . Our hypothesis that KFC is in spotlight and McDonald’s is a side show was right and people prefer KFC over McDonald’s because of their good quality food and their reasonable price, hence KFC capture a large market than McDonald’s in Pakistan. 1. 11 RECOMMENDATION AND SUGGESTION After conducting our research we come to a point that about 80% people prefer KFC over McDonald’s here are some suggestions and recommendations to both the brands. Based on our research we suggest that McDonald’s should improve the quality of their food because majority of people found McDonald’s a less healthy option. It was also found that Macdonald’s satisfies the need of people to lesser extent, so McDonald’s should try hard to make up to the expectations of people. It was found by our research that although people prefer KFC over McDonald’s but they found the packing of McDonald’s more attractive than that of KFC, so KFC should work on their packing and make it more attractive. When it comes to outlook of the restaurant, majority of people like the outlook of KFC, so McDonald’s should improve their outlook. It was also found that KFC is better advertised; hence McDonald’s should work to promote their brand in order to capture a large volume of customer. Pakistan is a price sensitive market for many items and competition is intense, so McDonald’s should maintain their price packages. REFERENCES ? Haider Tayyab, KFC McDonald’s Food Quality Comparison, 12, 10, 2002 http://www. bandt. com. au/kfc-macdonald-food-quality-comparison/5d/0c01585d. asp ?Jekanowski Mark, McDonald’s versus KFC who will win, 7,6,2009, http://movementarian. com/2009/06/07/mcdonalds-versus-kfc-who-will-win/ ? Johnson Michel, McDonald’s History, 2,21,2003, http://mcdonalds2. rozee. pk/content. php? lid=TWpJd09BPT0rQQ== ? Keems Jack, KFC and McDonald’s comparison, 11,22,2007 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_11_22/ai_111023412 ? Rehman Hameed, 2005, International Fast Food Chains Statistics, Khabarnama News ? Velazquez Allin, KFC and McDonald’s in Pakistan, 11, 11, 2009, http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2009/11/kfc-and-mcdonalds-in-pakistan. html.

Textbook Prices Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Textbook Prices - Annotated Bibliography Example Allen, Nicole. â€Å"A Cover to Cover Solution: How Open Textbooks are the Path to Textbook Affordability.† The Student PIRGs. Public Information Resource Group, Sep. 2010. Web. 10 July 2011. In this lengthy article, Allen details a study she conducted to determine if open textbooks are a logical way to make student textbooks more affordable. Considering â€Å"the average student spends $900 on textbooks annually,† she thinks â€Å"the need for solutions is increasingly urgent† (Allen 4). She goes into some detail around what she calls â€Å"market failure that hinders the economic checks and balances that naturally regulate costs† (6) as the reason publishers charge so much. Other reasons include issuing new editions every â€Å"3-4 years regardless of changes in the subject† (6) and bundling books with software or study guides most professors do not require students to use. She cites that the federal government is aware there is a problem with textbook costs and is doing several things to help students, including requiring publishers â€Å"disclose textbook prices to professors during the marketing process† (7). She introduces the idea of open source textbooks, which are â€Å"offered online under an open-source license that allows free digital access, low-cost print options and customization by instructors† (8) and says that over 1000 college professors are currently using this option (8). The remainder of the study looks at student preferences and finds that 75% of students still prefer printed copies over electronic copies (9) and 34 % would still rather buy at least some of their textbooks rather than rent them (10). In Allen’s final recommendations, she encourages the further development of open textbooks by publishers and their use by students (16). This article does a great job providing enormous detail to explain the costs each year to students of traditional textbooks versus the savings of open textbooks. It also shows that students are not yet ready to make the move to electronic, online books. It is also important to note that the group that funded the study, PIRG, has been involved in mu ltiple protests against textbook companies for what it claims are price gouging practices. 2. Bernard, Tara Siegel. â€Å"For Class, Book Deals.† New York Times 15 Jan. 2011 late edition: B5. Access World News. Web. 10 July 2011. Bernard’s article looks at ways students can save money by buying their books in places other than the campus bookstore by compiling suggestions from college students around the country. She points out that when it comes to buying textbooks â€Å"there are so many options, however, that the whole process can begin to feel like the semester’s first research project† (Bernard B5). Bernard lists several comparison sites, where students can enter a needed title on one site and it will automatically search several sites for a cost comparison of the exact book needed, but she also points out that the â€Å"condition of the books varies greatly† (5). Students may also find that international versions of books can be half the pric e of U.S. versions, but her source warns â€Å"some publishers have made small changes to the pagination or text to make it more difficult to use in the United States† (5). Overall, Bernard does a good job of quickly explaining options to students to help save money, but nothing in this article explains why textbooks are so expensive or gives an opinion on what colleges can do to help students with their high book bills. 3. Bruno, Laura. â€Å"College Books for Less.† USA Today 17 Aug. 2010 final edition: 6D. News Bank. Web. 10 July 2011. Bruno’s article looks at a rental solution to high textbook costs that over 1300 colleges have implemented across the U.S. with â€Å"potential savings up to 50% off the price of a new textbook† (Bruno 6D). The article also mentions the Higher Education Opportunity Act that â€Å"says colleges must list required course materials for students during registration,†

Unemployment in New England Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Unemployment in New England - Research Paper Example Over two hundred million individuals internationally are unwaged. This is a record elevated; nearly two thirds of progressed economies, as well as half of progressing nations are experiencing a deceleration in employment growth. Many divergent disparities of the unemployment rate subsist with dissimilar descriptions concerning who is a jobless person and who is in the work force. For instance, the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics frequently cites the U-3 joblessness rate as the certified unemployment rate, but this description of unemployment does not encompass jobless workers who have become disheartened by a harsh labour market and have stopped hunting for work. The varied disciplines of economic thought diverge on their elucidation of the cause of joblessness. For instance, Keynesian economics supposes that there is a usual rate of joblessness because the aptitudes of labourers and the ranks available are somewhat out of sync even in excellent economic situation. Neoclassical econ omics delineates that the work force is effective if left alone. Nonetheless, the many intercessions, for instance, the minimum wage regulations and unionization create an imbalance of supply as well as demand. However, unemployment does not usually encompass scholars, retirees, kids or those not vigorously searching for a paying occupation. Unemployment has a multiplicity of descriptions. The first one defines the affiliates of a population that are vigorously hunting for work and have not found yet. The searching is usually over a certain period. The significant problem with this description is that, it negates individuals who have become dispirited and are no longer hunting for work. These individuals are not viewed as jobless given that these individuals might still have the desire to work (Noonan, p.1). Unemployment Rate There varied ways of calculating unemployment. Some individuals utilize certified payroll figures of hiring as well as firing, while other individuals utilize the number of individuals who apply for jobless benefits. Other techniques include sampling via phone calls among others that query whether there is any capable affiliate of the household who is jobless and hunting for work. The informal field of the economy also develops problems since these figures are accomplished primarily by estimates. Economists utilize the phrase Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. This tries to institute a level of joblessness such that diminishing the level would develop scarcity of existing labour causing uphill pressure on salaries and potentially developing inflation. National statistical bodies utilize various ways to gauge unemployment. These variations might restrict the validity of global comparisons of unemployment figures. These variations to some extent remain even though national statistical bodies continue adopting the description of unemployment by the International Labour Organization. As a result, some institutions regulate data on joblessness for comparability across nations. Although varied individuals care about the figures of jobless individuals, economists usually focus on the joblessness rate. This approves for the natural increase in the number of individuals employed as a result of boosts in population and boosts, in the work force comparative to the population. The joblessness rate is usually

Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing simulation Essay

Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing simulation - Essay Example This will be followed by direct impact/results of these decisions which will be generated by the simulation itself. Following this explanation, the interdependence between differentiation and positioning a product and a service is explained. Besides this, the results of the decision of repositioning the brand of Cruiser Thor or introducing a whole new product line will also be discussed. Besides this, the overall effect of Product Life Cycle on the brand’s performance and the scenarios presented in the simulation is also discussed, which will give a comprehensive summary of selected marketing plans and its impact on the brands’ performance. 1. Scenario 1 1.1 The Situation Cruiser Thorr is the market leader in the motorcycle industry where the consumers symbolize the brand with lifestyle. Lifestyle positioning is the strongest element in the motorcycle industry and Cruiser Thorr enjoys the brand image of a premium product with all the features and deliverables which make s it the first choice of the consumers who can afford it. Situation 1 of the Simulation presents a scenario where the Cruiser is losing Sales because its ideal target market (men in the age-group of 25-50) is growing old and is no longer interested in the lifestyle image of the brand. Moreover, the alternative market of the youngsters do not relate to the image of the brand of Cruiser. Therefore, the brand had to be repositioned in the market and around those elements which would cater to the consumer preferences as portrayed in the market research. 1.2 Recommended Solutions The possible solution was to reposition the brand. I selected the parameters of Price, Service Offerings, Product Uniqueness, Product Design and Style. The results showed by the simulation were that the parameters of Product Style and Design and Product Uniqueness were not appropriately selected. I selected the Service Offerings because the competing brands had good services to offer and that, because of the hig h price of the Cruiser, it had to be complimented with Financial Services. Besides this, the Product Style and Design would have complimented the Lifestyle image. I did not select the Lifestyle parameter exclusively because the trend in the target market showed that this was no longer as important to the consumers as it was when they were young. 1.3 The Results As lifestyle image is the most important component in the Motorcycle Industry, the brand will sustain its image. Along with this, the Quality Engineering parameter also had to be included as it incorporated all the other factors such as the engine’s performance, the design and its overall quality; which are important to the consumers. 2. Scenario 2 2.1 The Situation The second Scenario was that the brand of Cruiser was lagging in sales despite repositioning it. The market dynamics through research showed that the young men, aged from 20 – 35 comprised of a strong market potential. Now the question was either to reposition Cruiser Thorr again or to launch a separate product called RRoth – a much lighter version of the Cruiser. 2.2. Recommended Solution The solution was to launch a separate product line under the brand of RRoth with low prices, more financial services, unique design and the quality persistent with Thorr’s image. The idea of repositioning Cruiser would be harmful because Cruiser Thorr is the premium brand of the company and repositioning it in the

How advertising has changed the perception of womens self-esteem Essay

How advertising has changed the perception of womens self-esteem - Essay Example This essay "How advertising has changed the perception of women’s self-esteem" describes the alteration in women’s self-esteem brought by the media and advertising as they experience great pressure to cope and adapt to the world around them. Contemporary western culture strongly eulogizes the virtues of products and interventions which seek to enhance one’s physical appearance, through aggressive advertisement campaigns aimed at appealing to the sensibilities of the vulnerable target groups – the female consumers. This is evident from the gamut of television advertisements promoting and advocating the merits of medical alterations and the use of cosmetic products which promises the proverbial "fountain of youth" to the ageing population, and enhanced sex appeal to the youth. Such an increased penetration of medical marketing and cosmetics as tools to increase one's social standing and elevate their likeability within the contemporary society has generated a greater awareness regarding such products and at the same time, significantly transformed the very definition of "ideal beauty". It now encompasses a term which refers to the achievement of unrealistic beauty standards which are acquired through the normalization of an individual's body which are in sync with the digitally enhanced images and those unattainable through natural means, i.e., cosmetic surgery. The fixation with slenderness as an ideal body type and an unrivalled eagerness to conform to the widely accepted social standards of beauty has provided an added boost to the cosmetics industry.

Human resources case 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resources case 2 - Essay Example Previously the company only provided a few health care programs to its employees. This has lowered the cost of benefits for the company to a certain extent. Currently the company is offering four different health care plans to its employees. This flexibility allows the employees to choose a health care plan that suits their personal needs. Offering multiple health care plans has proven cost effective for FedEx because not all employees need an extensive health care plan. Some employees will be happy to take a limited health care plan and will be happy to take more of their income to home. The flexibility offered by the company will allow them to customize their health care plans and to decide how much income they want to set aside for health care plan. Employees who would choose programs that offer less coverage will only be eligible for a limited number of benefits. This will drive down the cost of the firm. Previously the firm offered a few health care plans to its employees. This made employees obligated to have benefits that might not be suited to them. This also increased the cost of health care benefits because the firm was more exposed. Firm had to provide the same level of benefits to all of its employees. By offering different health care coverage plans, the firm has made itself less exposed to risk because some people would choose a plan that offers less health care benefits which will reduce the liability of the firm. This is how FedEx has taken a very good step to slow down increases in cost of benefits by allowing its employees to choose from different health care plans. FedEx has started many programs like disease management program, training program, and nursing hotline to help its employees with their health related issues. These programs are aimed at helping employees of the company maintaining good health and fight diseases and other illnesses swiftly. All these programs are also playing a great role in decreasing

Argument Analysis Advertising Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument Analysis Advertising - Assignment Example Yet the notion of advertisement in persuading the consumers remains the same. Over the last 10 years the advertisement media have developed immensely principally led by the digital media revolution (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 7). The paper will seek to analyze the reason behind the changing structure of advertisement with logical underpinnings. The backdrop will be online advertising. 2. Online advertisement- A dominating business Online advertising in the present world has become one of the most significant businesses generating huge revenues related to the web based businesses. The development of the websites at very cost effective structure has led the smaller web sites like that of the blog sites earn huge revenue. The online internet marketing forms the nucleus of the estimated aggregate e-commerce economy worth $34 billion. In the year 2008, online advertising in the United States of America accounted for around 8.8 percent of all forms of advertising. The potential of the online ad vertising is also boosting as per the estimates of the market analysts (Evans, 2). 2.1 Supply side analysis The suppliers get the ease in carving out a niche in their business by driving consumers directly to the sites which is basically a large platform where the consumers can explore the varieties of goods and services and purchase them by making few mouse clicks. The cost of advertising is highly minimized in this case. The enhanced technologies lead the suppliers in executing efficient business operations matching the exact needs of the customers. The networking chains also get amplified in the online advertisement. As an instance it can be said that if a person has visited an organization’s website and possess interest in the industry then they can recommend it to other people interested in business which is an example of precision marketing. Online marketing also comes with much lower risks as with the development of the technology it helps the entrepreneurs in judging properly the status of the business and making cost benefit analysis (Mapping the Display landscape, 8). There are many other supply side causes that led to the rapid development of online advertising but the scope of discussion is limited and hence the relevant ones are elucidated. 2.2 Demand side analysis The consumers can shop their favorite stuffs sitting in the comfort of the room at the expense of just a few clicks and they possess greater control over the content they view on the website as compared to traditional media like television. Majority of the online advertising inventory possess a real time and customized platform for the particular viewer (Evans, 2). As compared to the traditional advertising, the consumers are no longer just receivers at one end of the communication but also actively take part in the marketing process with the inclusion in the development as well as that of the distribution of the advertisements. The consumers collaborate in the structuring of mar keting and develop a more efficient personal relationship with the companies (Liu, 5). The online advertising allows the economy for the reduction of the amount of resources which are allocated in developing content for the purpose of

Atitudes and perceptions of coaches on disabled people Essay

Atitudes and perceptions of coaches on disabled people - Essay Example iterature Review was conducted using the search engines Infotrac and Science Direct and by reviewing the literature in the libraries of the National Disability Authority (NDA). An internet search was carried out using the search engines, Google Scholar and Ask Jeeves. The paper starts by talking about the difference experiences that people with disability experience, then it goes ahead to touch on their experiences in the world of sports, self esteem issues are also reflected on the literature review and finally the literature review concludes by touching on the social and physical environmental factors that determine how the disabled are treated. The paper ends by analyzing the literature and evaluation of the collected data Study design: the study was a retrogressive form of study that involved looking back at already done research and published material. Systematic approach has been chosen in order to evaluate and critically analyze the attitudes and perceptions of coaches on disabled people. (Mulrow, Cook, & Davidoff, 1997; Murlow, 1994). It was decided due to the opportunity of having many finding together and still being able to evaluate on them. Study procedure: The study was mainly done via desk research, whereby an only the review of literature sources was done. An overview of the methodology is shown below in diagram form. The Literature Review was done using the search engines such as Science Direct and by reviewing the literature in the university library. An internet sources were used whereby search engines, such as Google Ask.com, and Scholar was involved in the search. The key sentence â€Å"Factors Influencing Perception and attitude of coaches towards disabled people† was used in the different search engines to locate the required material. Several criteria had to be established for the material to qualify in the study; the research material had to be less than ten years old, the material that had content on the perception of disabled sports

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay Example for Free

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay Who really made our type of government? We surely didn’t. It was amazingly the people of Athens. It started in 508 BC and is still around as we use it. It remains a unique and intriguing experiment in direct democracy where the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right Participation was not at all open, but the in-group of participants was constituted with no reference to economic class and they participated on a scale that was truly phenomenal. The public opinion of voters was remarkably influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. Only adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote in Athens. We have had that and many other laws changed around the government. In our government every few years the people vote on new people to represent them, hence the name â€Å"Representative† Democracy. However the Athenian people also voted on some of their leaders but that was done in the Agora, which is where every male land owner who is over the age of twenty would meet. This meeting was called the assembly. The assembly could be best related to our State Representatives. Then just above them was the council of 500, who monitored the assembly and gave them topics to discuss, as well as bills to vote on. Above the council of 500 come the Magistrates. The Magistrates job can be best described as the â€Å"Police in the Government. † Their job is to ensure that all the laws are being followed and act accordingly when they are not. The Magistrates, despite the amount of power that they hold, are still not the highest government official in the Athenian democracy, after them comes the Council of the 10 Generals. The Council of 10 Generals was in charge of the military. The Athens didn’t start by being a democratic city. It was started by Cleisthenes whose reforms turned Athens from an oligarchy (government by the few) to a democracy (government of the people). The key to Athenian democracy was Cleisthenes redrawing of the social-political landscape of Athens and Attica. The chief magistrate of the city was often called the Archon eponymous or ruler. His responsibilities included conducting investigations of legal cases, in particular those that involved the state. He was responsible for protecting the orphans and heiresses with no family and to appoint the choregos who was in charge of organizing the religious festivals. The move towards democracy reflects other changes in society. In the prehistoric period, throughout Greece, aristocratic families have provided the main fighting force, as cavalry. In the seventh century the Greek city-states develop the new military idea of the heavily armed soldier, the hoplite. A remorseless phalanx of hoplites becomes as effective on the battlefield as the tank in modern times. These soldiers provide their own weapons and armor, but this is expensive. Several of the Greek oligarchies, including that of Athens in the sixth century, reflect the power of this middle class of citizens. A strategic change of direction by Athens, early in the fifth century, gives these poorer citizens a new power. The military effort is diverted into building up an Athenian navy. Triremes, the fast warships of the time, need men to row them. Suddenly every citizen has a part to play, and the crews of a fleet of warships have a self-evident political strength. A more radical democracy, introduced by Pericles in 462, is almost an inevitable result. Approximately one hundred officials out of a thousand were elected rather than chosen by lot. There were two main categories in this group: those required to handle large sums of money, and the 10 generals, the strategy. One reason that financial officials were elected was that any money embezzled could be recovered from their estates; election in general strongly favored the rich, but in this case wealth was virtually a prerequisite. Generals were elected not only because their role required expert knowledge but also because they needed to be people with experience and contacts in the wider Greek world where wars were fought. In the fifth century BC, principally as seen through the figure of Pericles, the generals could be among the most powerful people in the polis. Yet in the case of Pericles, it is wrong to see his power as coming from his long series of annual generalships (each year along with nine others). His office holding was rather an expression and a result of the influence he wielded. That influence was based on his relation with the assembly, a relation that first lay simply in the right of any citizen to stand and speak before the people. Under the fourth century version of democracy the roles of general and of key political speaker in the assembly tended to be filled by different persons. In part this was a consequence of the increasingly specialized forms of warfare practiced in the later period. Elected officials too were subject to review before holding office and scrutiny after office. They too could be removed from office any time the assembly met. In one case from the fifth century BC the 10 treasurers of the Delian league (the Hellenotamiai) were accused at their scrutinies of misappropriation of funds. Put on trial, they were condemned and executed one by one until before the trial of the tenth and last an error of accounting was discovered, allowing him to go free.

The Material And Process Requirements For Driving Shaft Engineering Essay

The Material And Process Requirements For Driving Shaft Engineering Essay Based on my research, a drive shaft, driving shaft or propeller shaft is a mechanical component for transmitting torque and rotation that usually used to connect other components of a drive train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them. Besides that, drive shafts carrying an important role as carrier of torque in driveline application. They are subject to torsion and shear stress, equivalent to the difference between the input torque and the load. Therefore, they must be strong enough to bear the stress, whilst avoiding too much additional weight as that would in turn increase their inertia. Drive shafts frequently incorporate one or more universal joints or jaw couplings, and sometimes a splinted join or prismatic join to allow for variations in the alignment and distance between the driving and driven components Based on the functions that has been discussed in previous, I know that the material of drive shaft must be strong enough to bear the stress, light weight which able to reduce the overall automobile weight and thus, increase their inertia at the same time. For the mechanical properties that required for drive shaft including the ability to minimize the losses in transmission, high tensile strength material, high torsional strength and light weight. Therefore, I would like to suggest that polymer matrix composite is more suitable as a chosen material that can be apply in driveline application. 1.1 Design Factors In the progress of my research in driveline application, I found out that marketing considerations are paramount in the motor car industry. There are two factors make this particular application attractive to the industry. On the one hand, vehicles are solid in the market place on claims of increased comfort, luxury and smoothness of operation. On the other hand, the manufacturer is also seeking to provide the maximum performance with the minimum fuel usage at the same time. Thus, usually these two requirements are conflicting. For example, a decrease in body panel thickness reduces mass and so increases performance and fuel efficiency, but this change also increases internal noise. Therefore, some automobile industry has spend much modal in doing research and recently, they have an idea which using carbon fiber (polymer matrix composite) in drive shafts which able to contributes to achieving both aims simultaneously. The factors to be optimized in a shaft after meeting the basic operating requirements just outlined is mass, smoothness of ride and cost. This is because reducing mass is important: To improve performance of vehicle and reduce fuel consumption. To reduce un-sprung mass and so improve vehicle handling and ride. To reduce the residual out of balance forces from rotating parts and so further improve smoothness in use. 2.0 Material Selection Based on the research of different type of material of drive shaft or propeller shaft in driveline application, I have chosen polymer matrix composite as the material selection in driveline application. 2.1 Introduction to Polymer Matrix Composite Polymer Matrix Composite is the material consisting of polymer matrix combined with a fibrous reinforcing dispersed phase. Polymer matrix composites are very popular due to their low cost and simple fabrication methods. Use of non-reinforced polymers as structure materials is limited by low level of their mechanical properties such as tensile strength of one of the strongest polymers (epoxy resin) is 20000 psi (140 Mpa). In addition to relatively low strength, polymer materials posses low impact resistance as well. Besides that, the reinforcement tends to be stiffer and stronger than the matrix providing stiffness and strength. Reinforcement is laid in a particular direction, within the matrix, so that the resulting material will have different properties in different directions. As example, composites have anisotropic properties. This characteristic is exploited to optimize the design and provide high mechanical performance where it is needed. 2.2 Design of a Composites Shaft According to A.W. Thompson from Bristol Composite Materials Engineering Ltd, He has mentioned the two typical shafts side by side, one made in steel and the other in composites as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Composite Drive Shaft (Upper) with Steel Shaft The illustration shows the simplicity of the design made possible by carbon fiber. The combination of high stiffness and low density in the composite enables a longer shaft to be made without reaching a critical whirling speed. The whirling speed of a rotating shaft is the speed at which it becomes unstable and defluxions occurs normal to the axis of rotation. The advantage in whirling speed is such as to enable most two piece steel shaft to be replaced with a single composite part. Besides that, weight and cost are reduced by dispensing with the central universal joint and the associated bearing. Moreover, N.V.H (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) factors are improved by the consequent isolation of the passenger compartment from drive line vibration following deletion of the centre bearing from underneath the drivers seat. Further reductions in N.V.H are possible by modification to the orientations of the fibres in the properller shaft tube, which effect longitudinal and radial stiffness. 2.3 Reason Selecting Polymer Matrix Composite as Material in Driveline Application The basic attraction of polymer matrix composite materials for driveshaft application is that they make it possible to increase the shaft length, which is otherwise constrained by bending resonance. For many vehicles, a one piece composite shaft may replace a two piece steel shaft which simplifies both the shaft and installation in the vehicle. Besides that, by using fibre reinforced composites, it is possible to arrange the fibre orientations in the tube so that the bending modulus has a high value (above 100Gpa) whilst the specific gravity is low (below 1.6). This leads to a favourable specific bending modulus and an enhanced critical speed as well. Figure 2 Critical Speeds for Automotive Propshaft According to A.W. Thompson from Bristol Composite Materials Engineering Ltd, the relationship between shaft length and critical speed for tubes suitable for automotive propshaft is illustrated in Figure 2. The graph shows that, for a particular application where a critical speed of 8000 rev/min is acceptable, the longest shaft possible out of steel is 1250 mm whereas a composite shaft of 1650 mm could be achieved. Thus, the maximum length for either shaft is reduced depending on the compliance of the end connections. For acceptable NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness), there must also be an adequate margin between vibration drivers and bending resonance of the shaft. Nevertheless, it is generally true that a composite shaft can be made longer than a steel shaft and that for automotive platforms where a two-piece steel shaft with centre support bearing is specified a one-piece composite shaft may be acceptable. This fundamental material property advantage is a powerful technical driver for composite shafts, and substantial weight savings can be achieved. One-piece shafts also simplify the design and engineering of the vehicle floor pan. Therefore, based on explanation above, it is obviously that I have chosen carbon fiber composite (one type of the polymer matrix composite) as the material for drive shaft and further material properties will be discuss in detail later as well. 2.3.1 Material Property of Carbon Fiber Composite (Polymer Matrix Composite) According to Core Composites, Division of ROM Development Corporations research, the material properties of Carbon Fiber Composite are as below: Features Benefits Extremely High Stiffness With a variety of modulus available from standard 33 msi to ultra high modulus pitch over 125 msi carbon fiber has the highest specific modulus of all the commercial reinforcing fibers. High Tensile Strength The strongest of all commercial reinforcing fibers in tension. Especially good for the tension skin on composite laminates. Excellent Corrosion Resistance Used in reinforcing concrete, carbon has good alkaline resistance as well as resistance to salt water and many other chemical environments. Excellent Fatigue Properties Used as a primary reinforcement for fatigue prone products such as helicopter and wind turbine blades as well as offshore power and driveline application. Excellent Compression Properties Proper fiber sizing for the resin matrix selected can yield impressive compressive properties but this quality can be quite difficult to measure with standard ASTM test methods and careful test specimen preparation is critical to achieve accurate result. Low Coefficient of Linear Expansion Carbon is a good tooling reinforcement for molds that will see temperature and where parts need tight dimensional stability. 2.3.2 Composite Shaft Performance According to the research that done by Tetsuyuki Kyono, Composites Development Center, Toray Composites (America), Inc. about the carbon fiber composites applications for auto industries, they have mentioned about carbon fiber composite drive shaft having crush worthiness. Crash load generated during head collision can be absorbed by newly developed joining technology with no adhesive between carbon fiber composite tube and steel adapter. This technology can add safety value to passenger cars in addition such as weight and noise reductions. Therefore, the performance data of the composite shaft should be take consideration as one of the main section in choosing the best material to apply in driveline application. Thus, they have evaluated torque carrying capability as index of shaft performance. One of typical data has been shown in Figure 3. It is noted composite drive shaft performed as expected up to 150à ¢- ¦C at static torsional test and showed much better fatigue resistance than steel system shown as target. Figure 3 Torsional Strength of Drive Shaft for 2000 Nm Class In Figure 4, residual torque carrying capabilities after exposure to various environments are shown in percentage compare with control data. As shown below has shown the reduction in performance of composite drive shaft is very minimal. Figure 4 Residual Torsional Strength (%) after Environmental Testing 2.3.3 Proving Test After the obvious laboratory tests above to show static strength and stiffness, fatigues tests are important as well. Carbon fibre has an excellent performance in fatigue and glass fibre is as good as most metals. A composite shaft has withstood 106 cycles of maximum torque as compared with the 104 cycles typically required of a steel shaft. Shafts were fitted to cars to gain road experience and demonstrate satisfactory operations. Such testing demonstrates that the component really works and meets all the criteria required. In this application, for instance, road use showed that: Temperature resistance to underbody environment was satisfactory Corrosion resistance (example: to salt spray was not a problem) Creep loading resistance was adequate Resistance to flying stone damage was not a problem End attachment strength was adequate Shock load capability was adequate Based on the proving test that has been done by A.W.Thompson, we knew that polymer matrix composites is suitable to be taken as material in driveline application such as making drive shaft or propeller shaft as well due to its attractive material properties and more affordable cost as well if compare with others material such as steel. 2.3.4 Crash Performance of Composite Propshafts According to Dr Andrew Pollard, GKN Technology, Wolverhampton, UK, he stat that increasing public interest in safe vehicles is encouraging car manufacturers and their suppliers to design components and systems that will perform well in a crash (2). The propeller shaft in rear- and fourwheel- drive cars is good example of this. Figure 5 Behaviour of Propeller Shafts in Frontal Crash In a frontal crash, the propeller shaft transmits forces from the engine/gearbox unit to the rear axle. Many vehicles today have a two-piece propeller shaft that can buckle at the centre bearing in any direction, depending on the joint position at impact. It is therefore virtually impossible to predict the axial force and the energy absorbed by the shaft in a crash. This is illustrated in Figure 5, contrasted with the behavior of a propeller shaft with a defined axial collapse mode. The target for crash-optimized propeller shafts is to achieve a defined behavior of axial force and displacement during an impact and consequently controlled energy absorption as shown in Figure 5. 3.0 Manufacturing Process of Carbon Fiber The process for making carbon fibers is part chemical and part mechanical. The precursor is drawn into long strands or fibers and then heated to a very high temperature with-out allowing it to come in contact with oxygen. Without oxygen, the fiber cannot burn. Instead, the high temperature causes the atoms in the fiber to vibrate violently until most of the non-carbon atoms are expelled. This process is called carbonization and leaves a fiber composed of long, and tightly. The fibers are coated to protect them from damage during winding or weaving. The coated fibers are wound onto cylinders called bobbins. The fibers are coated to protect them from damage during winding or weaving. The coated fibers are wound onto cylinders called bobbins. Moreover, the inter-locked chains of carbon atoms with only a few non-carbon atoms remaining. Here is a typical sequence of operations used to form carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile. 3.1 Spinning First: Acrylonitrile plastic powder is mixed with another plastic, like methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate, and is reacted with a catalyst in a conventional suspension or solution polymerization process to form a polyacrylonitrile plastic. Second: The plastic is then spun into fibers using one of several different methods. In some methods, the plastic is mixed with certain chemicals and pumped through tiny jets into a chemical bath or quench chamber where the plastic coagulates and solidifies into fibers. This is similar to the process used to form polyacrylic textile fibers. In other methods, the plastic mixture is heated and pumped through tiny jets into a chamber where the solvents evaporate, leaving a solid fiber. The spinning step is important because the internal atomic structure of the fiber is formed during this process. Third: The fibers are then washed and stretched to the desired fiber diameter. The stretching helps align the molecules within the fiber and provide the basis for the formation of the tightly bonded carbon crystals after carbonization. 3.2 Stabilizing Forth: Before the fibers are carbonized, they need to be chemically altered to convert their linear atomic bonding to a more thermally stable ladder bonding. This is accomplished by heating the fibers in air to about 390-590 ° F (200-300 ° C) for 30-120 minutes. This causes the fibers to pick up oxygen molecules from the air and rearrange their atomic bonding pattern. The stabilizing chemical reactions are complex and involve several steps, some of which occur simultaneously. They also generate their own heat, which must be controlled to avoid overheating the fibers. Commercially, the stabilization process uses a variety of equipment and techniques. In some processes, the fibers are drawn through a series of heated chambers. In others, the fibers pass over hot rollers and through beds of loose materials held in suspension by a flow of hot air. Some processes use heated air mixed with certain gases that chemically accelerate the stabilization. 3.3 Carbonizing Fifth: Once the fibers are stabilized, they are heated to a temperature of about 1,830-5,500 ° F (1,000-3,000 ° C) for several minutes in a furnace filled with a gas mixture that does not contain oxygen. The lack of oxygen prevents the fibers from burning in the very high temperatures. The gas pressure inside the furnace is kept higher than the outside air pressure and the points where the fibers enter and exit the furnace are sealed to keep oxygen from entering. As the fibers are heated, they begin to lose their non-carbon atoms, plus a few carbon atoms, in the form of various gases including water vapor, ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and others. As the non-carbon atoms are expelled, the remaining carbon atoms form tightly bonded carbon crystals that are aligned more or less parallel to the long axis of the fiber. In some processes, two furnaces operating at two different temperatures are used to better control the rate de heating during carboniza tion. 3.4 Treating the Surface Sixth: After carbonizing, the fibers have a surface that does not bond well with the epoxies and other materials used in composite materials. To give the fibers better bonding properties, their surface is slightly oxidized. The addition of oxygen atoms to the surface provides better chemical bonding properties and also etches and roughens the surface for better mechanical bonding properties. Oxidation can be achieved by immersing the fibers in various gases such as air, carbon dioxide, or ozone; or in various liquids such as sodium hypochlorite or nitric acid. The fibers can also be coated electrolytically by making the fibers the positive terminal in a bath filled with various electrically conductive materials. The surface treatment process must be carefully controlled to avoid forming tiny surface defects, such as pits, which could cause fiber failure. 3.5 Sizing Seventh: After the surface treatment, the fibers are coated to protect them from damage during winding or weaving. This process is called sizing. Coating materials are chosen to be compatible with the adhesive used to form composite materials. Typical coating materials include epoxy, polyester, nylon, urethane, and others. Eight: The coated fibers are wound onto cylinders called bobbins. The bobbins are loaded into a spinning machine and the fibers are twisted into yarns of various sizes. 3.6 Quality Control The very small size of carbon fibers does not allow visual inspection as a quality control method. Instead, producing consistent precursor fibers and closely controlling the manufacturing process used to turn them into carbon fibers controls the quality. Process variables such as time, temperature, gas flow, and chemical composition are closely monitored during each stage of the production. The carbon fibers, as well as the finished composite materials, are also subject to rigorous testing. Common fiber tests include density, strength, amount of sizing, and others. In 1990, the Suppliers of Advanced Composite Materials Association established standards for carbon fiber testing methods, which are now used throughout the industry. 3.7 Health and Safety Concerns There are three areas of concern in the production and handling of carbon fibers: dust inhalation, skin irritation, and the effect of fibers on electrical equipment. During processing, pieces of carbon fibers can break off and circulate in the air in the form of a fine dust. Industrial health studies have shown that, unlike some asbestos fibers, carbon fibers are too large to be a health hazard when inhaled. They can be an irritant, however, and people working in the area should wear protective masks. The carbon fibers can also cause skin irritation, especially on the back of hands and wrists. Protective clothing or the use of barrier skin creams is recommended for people in an area where carbon fiber dust is present. The sizing materials used to coat the fibers often contain chemicals that can cause severe skin reactions, which also requires protection. In addition to being strong, carbon fibers are also good conductors of electricity. As a result, carbon fiber dust can cause arcing and shorts in electrical equipment. If electrical equipment cannot be relocated from the area where carbon dust is present, the equipment is sealed in a cabinet or other enclosure. 4.0 Fabrication Process of Driveshaft by using Polymer Matrix Composite According to the project research that done by Alex Santiago from Texas AM University Kingsville, he has discussed the fabrication process of drive shaft by using polymer matrix composite which is carbon fiber as main material. As reference, the fabrication process by Alex has been taken for me to understand the hand make drive shaft by using carbon fiber in real life. Thus, the following fabrication process is belonging to Alex from Texas University which is worth to be taken as references in this topic discussion. There are several things to consider when picking a fabrication method. Time is a major consideration. There is little time for fabrication, so the fabrication process has to be quick. The fiber has to be laid at specific angles to give the shaft certain characteristics. The weave patterns have to be tight and compact. Resin has to be applied evenly. The shaft has to be wound in a way such that the yokes can be easily attached. The easiest fabrication method for creating a hollow tube is filament winding. Filament winding is an automated process in which a filamentary yarn in the form of tow is wetted by resin and uniformly and regularly wound about a rotating mandrel. The filament winder can be programmed to create specific and tightly wound patterns. To create a composite part on the winder, a winding pattern is needed, along with a mandrel, mold release, fiber, resin and hardener, a way to apply even pressure to the part and a curing procedure. The wind patterns were determined by using Laminate Design software created by Dr. Larry Peel. After entering mechanical properties for the resin and tow, different wind angles and layers were tried in the Laminate Design software until the driveshaft had the desired characteristics. Table 1 gives the wind angle and its purpose. The tow, resin and hardener, and adhesive are the most critical elements of the shaft. Each structural component must be carefully selected so that the shaft has good mechanical properties. The tow which was used in the Laminate Design Software calculations was chosen because it is strong, light weight, and aerospace quality carbon fiber. Fiber used by the aerospace, although expensive, is rigorously quality controlled. It was decided that this fiber would be uniform, therefore giving the driveshaft uniform properties. The resin and hardener were chosen for several reasons. First, the resin is tough. The resin also has a high viscosity. High viscosity is desired because, with the wet winding process, is easier to control the amount of resin being applied to the tow. Wet winding will be discussed further in the process section. Another reason for choosing this resin is its elongation at break. At 6% elongation at break, it is known that the resin will not be too brittle and that the wound shaft will have some flex for absorbing the shock between shifting gears. Finally this resin was chosen because of its high pot life. After mixing the resin and hardener, there is a little over two hours before it begins to gel. This is enough time to wind the entire shaft before the resin sets up. The adhesive was chosen for a few reasons. Foremost, the adhesive also met the criteria for high tensile lap shear strength at room and elevated temperatures. At room temperature the adhesive has lap shear strength of 4,200 psi. At 250 F the lap shear strength is 2,300 psi. Also, the adhesive is aerospace grade, ensuring high quality. Table 1 Wind Angles 4.1 Mandrels In order to produce the mandrel of a driveshaft, several derivations should have gone through. Mandrels made of cardboard tubing and solid shafts were considered. These ideas were never fabricated because it would be hard to remove the mandrel from the wound tube. The resin would cause the cardboard mandrel to stick to the shaft making it impossible to remove. A solid shaft of steel or aluminum would be heavy, and expensive to create. 4.1.1 Mandrel 1 Firstly, it was decided to create a mandrel made of steel muffler tubing which was split with a plasma cutter into four parts along its length. The idea was to wind the shaft, let it cure, then dismantle the mandrel and remove the tube. Next, two pieces machined out of steel were created and attached to the muffler tubing which allows the mandrel to be spun in the filament winder. One end is chucked into the winder the other end has a live center which spins on a center point. This mandrel did not work because the mandrel pieces could not be bolted to the machined ends in a way that they were square. This was due to the fact that the muffler tubing is cold rolled which means it is pre-stressed. Once the tubing was split into four pieces, each piece bowed. 4.1.2 Mandrel 2 A second mandrel was created using muffler tubing which was split into two pieces. This mandrel was square when bolted into place. To keep the tension of the fiber from pulling the gap in the mandrel closed, three round, wooden pucks were evenly spaced through the center of the mandrel. The second mandrel was used to create a practice drive shaft. The pucks were evenly spaced through the center of the mandrel. Shrink wrap tape, which shrinks and applies pressure when heated, is wrapped around the mandrel over the areas where the pucks are. The tape applies pressure and keeps the pucks in an upright position as shown in Figure 6. Once the pucks were set in place, a few dry runs were made with no resin. One pass of each fiber angle was wound. Figure 6: Wooden Puck in Mandrel Once the winding began, it became obvious that there was not enough turn around room. When winding a composite part, there are four defined areas on the part. The entire part consists of the head, the turn around, the useable shaft, and the tail. The winding layout is shown in Figure 6. The wind angle is the angle the fiber makes with the center line of the mandrel. The 45 degree and 15 degree wind angles did not have enough friction to stick to the mandrel in the turnaround areas. The fiber began to slip and bunch up, causing misalignment in the pattern. Figure 6: Winding Layout This created a new problem. To keep the fiber from slipping, the turnaround area needed to be lengthened. The mandrel at its current length just fits in the curing oven, making it impossible to lengthen the mandrel. To alleviate this problem, two pieces of pipe, about one foot long each, were threaded into the ends of the machined pieces as shown in Figure 7. Adding the extensions made more turn around area. These threaded pieces can be removed once the shaft is wound and the resin sets up. When the extensions are removed the mandrel can easily be placed in the oven to finish curing. Figure 7 Mandrel Extensions The wind patterns were tested again with the extended turn around room. The extensions and the change in diameter kept the fiber from slipping, and allowed for full uniform coverage by the fiber. The test patterns were removed, and resin and hardener were mixed and poured into the resin bath to start a practice shaft. The resin bath applies resin to the fiber before it is wound about the mandrel. The resin bath can be seen in Figure 8. A practice shaft was wound using the setup shown in Table 2. A practice shaft was wound for a few reasons. The practice shaft allowed testing of the wind patterns with the resin and the fiber together. Curing temperature and time could be observed. Dismantling the shaft can be attempted, and the shaft can be inspected for proper resin wet out, roundness, and overall strength. Table 2 Practice Shaft Wind Pattern Setup Figure 8 Resin Bath This was a very difficult process. First, the material that wrapped over the end caps had to be cut back in order to expose the bolts holding it to the mandrel. Once this was accomplished we began removing the bolts. Resin had seeped into the threads of some of the bolts causing them to stick. The head of one bolt was twisted off trying to get it out. This bolt was machined out. Once the caps were removed the shaft did not collapse as expected. The gap were the mandrel had been split had filled in with resin. A tubing cutter was used to cut the shaft into sections and then it was split in half with a band saw. A 2 foot piece was spared and slid off the shaft. The ridge left inside the shaft was 0.125 inches deep. This created a stress riser that severely reduced the integrity of the shaft. It was obvious that this mandrel was not going to work. 4.1.3 Mandrels 3 Improving upon the mistakes on the previous mandrels, a new, one piece, mandrel was made from aluminum tubing. The tubing maintained a 2.75 inch OD and was readily available. A 16 gauge 2.75 OD tube was purchased. The tubing is normally made for turbo charger inlet ducting. A test piece was cut from the tube to be used for testing. The test piece was wet sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper. A silicone mold release compound was applied to the test shaft. 90 ° test patterns were wound onto the piece and cured at 250 °F for 15 hours. We used a higher curing temperature in order to expand the aluminum mandrel while compacting the fiber. After curing was complete, we then placed the test mandrel in the deep freeze that was Ãâ€" ¾20 °F in order to shrink the aluminum tube. The test mandrel was removed from the freezer. The tube was impacted onto a block of wood while holding the fiber. The mandrel came out with no difficulty. This test was successful. The third mandrel was fitted to the end caps. The end caps were then bolted to the mandrel. Figure 9 shows the final mandrel. Figure 9 Final Mandrel of Driveshaft 5.0 Conclusion As conclusion, the potential for carbon fibre composites (one type of polymer matrix composite) in automotive drive shafts as a means of achieving substantial weight reduction has long been recognized and has been demonstrated in small volume since 1988. Finally, I think that polymer matrix composites is the most suitable materials which can applied in driveline application and engineers should find cost effective applications on it to bring this applications to fruitful use in future.

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver E

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Life is constantly changing, like clouds in the sky; always shifting and turning. People never really know which way life will turn next, bringing them fortune or failure. When you look at how things change it is best to compare it to something that you can relate it to. The changeable nature of life can be related to the novel 'The Bean Trees.' This is a book written almost entirely on dealing with changes in the characters lives. The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character Taylor Greer changes her name from Marietta and moves...

Cry, the Beloved Country: Change :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

In undertaking a journey, a person learns and changes. One may change emotionally, psychologically, as well as spiritually. The journeyer is scared at first, then usually goes through some pain and suffering. In the end, however, this journeyer comes out different then they were when they began, with some understanding. Stephan Kumalo, James Jarvis, and Absalom Kumalo undertake this very thing in Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton. Stephan Kumalo, a priest from the small native town of Ndotsheni, takes a journey to the great city of Johannesburg. He intends to find his sick sister and his son, Absalom, who has gone away. At first, Stephan has "the fear of the unknown, the fear of the great city"(44) where his loved ones had gone to and not written in months. Not long after he begins, he realizes "this is a bitter journey"(55) upon hearing the occupations and practices of his sister. He goes through pain and suffering, more and more as he learns of his brother's loss of faith in the church, and the murder his son has committed. But, soon enough he comes to an understanding of this world in Johannesburg. He learns why there is so much crime and poverty. He then has hope the success of his daughter in-law and his nephew in Ndotsheni. He gains hope for the rebuilding of the tribe. Stephan Kumalo comes away from his journey changing spiritually and knowing that there is "comfort in a world of desolation"(94). He changes emotionally and becomes stronger. Also, he changes psychologically and learning the troubles of Johannesburg and apartheid, and their various causes. James Jarvis undergoes vast changes during his journey. He is told that his son has been killed, and he leaves for Johannesburg at once. His son, Arthur, was a social activist helping natives in South Africa, trying to get better hospitals and schools for them. These are subjects James Jarvis never thought about much. When he arrives at his son's house, the place of Arthur's death, he reads through some of his manuscripts and books. First, James suffers a lot thinking about his son's death. As he reads through some of his books and papers however, he comes to an understanding how great a man his son was, and what he stood for. "He sat smoking his pipe and was lost in thought"(180) after he reads a manuscript on what is permissible and what is not

We Must Fight Eating Disorders and Low Self-esteem Essay -- media and

Some people observe negative images of themselves whilst gazing back in the mirror because of subliminal advertising, mental health, and unconscious habits. The individuals staring back from the mirror at them are not real. Often times society disregards reality that no one possesses the perfect body because everyone is unique. Unfortunately, people who experience body dissatisfaction have a hard time grasping this concept of everyone being unique; consequently, they participate in life threatening problematic solutions to achieve their desired body. Eating disorders are abnormal eating habits because of the preoccupation with food and weight management (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2005). People with eating disorders have compulsions with the need to be ultra thin involving excessive or insufficient food intakes that become detrimental to an individual's physical, social and emotional health. Though eating disorders were rare until the early twentieth century, they certainly existed beforehand in the twelfth century. Eating disorders in the twelfth century have many similarities and differences of eating disorders today. Between the twelfth and thirteen centuries eating disorders originated from Catherine of Siena, who started a massive fast and cut her hair in order to make a statement. Through her lifestyle change she made a statement that Christ should be the center of one's life and cutting off her hair was a protest against â€Å"being overly encouraged to improve appearance in order to attract a husband† (Deans, 2011). Who knew fasting would evolve from a religious practice meant to stimulate a covenant relationship with the Lord, into a life threatening practice to lose weight. For instance, in the 1800s eating disorders began af... ...rstanding eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating (2008). U.S national library of medicine. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring08/articles/spring08pg17-19.html Verplanken, B., & Velsvik, R.. Habitual negative body image thinking as psychological risk factor in adolescents . ScienceDirect.com | Search through over 11 million science, health, medical journal full text articles and books. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144507001180#bib30?np=y doi:10.1016.2007.11.001 What can you do to help prevent eating disorders? | What can you do to help prevent eating disorders? | National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved November 16, 2013, from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-can-you-do-help-prevent-eating-disorders

Knowlege on Segway

The Segway Personal Transporter (PT) represents the next generation in personal mobility, offering several advancements that make the ride even more intuitive and productive than ever before. Other examples of Segway Smart Motionâ„ ¢ technology and licensing of Segway Smart Motion technology to other third-party companies, demonstrate that Segway continues to challenge the assumptions and expand the boundaries of traditional transportation. For Consumers. You can choose between the versatile and sleek flagship model, the Segway i2 with lithium-ion batteries standard); the Segway x2, or six different fully equipped packages tailored to such uses as commuting and golf. The Segway i2 is a great way to enjoy the ride while commuting to work, running errands, or just traveling a short distance where a car is more hassle than it's worth. The Segway x2 brings added versatility to your world, offering sturdy capability in rugged off-sidewalk terrains such as trails, bike paths or beachfronts. The Segway x2 Golf package is an innovative, fun and flexible way to play around. And remember, fun is engineered into every Segway PT we build! Go to our easy to use configurator to build your own Segway PT and decide which Segway PT may be best suited for you. Every Segway PT is engineered from the groundup for durability and reliable operation for years to come, and they all come standard with a one-year limited warranty. For Businesses Businesses worldwide have discovered the enhanced productivity and increased mobility inherent to the versatile, reliable and durable Segway i2. The Segway i2 has been developed to excel in speed, range, and maneuverability in varied environments. It comes standard with lithium-ion batteries for extended range of up to 24 miles on a single charge. Packages tailored to the needs of security and commercial customers are now available and an additional range of accessories can be added for true customization. Police and security agencies worldwide are using Segway products to patrol airports, transit stations, manufacturing facilities, shopping malls and campuses. Check out the versatile Segway i2 Police , optimized for policing needs with additional cargo and reflectivity options. For businesses operating in outdoor environments, the Segway x2 maximizes performance on diverse off-sidewalk terrain. This rugged version of our venerable Segway PT makes tackling rough terrain a breeze. Equipped with standard lithium-ion batteries and low-pressure tires. The Segway Robotic Mobility Platform (RMP) takes the performance and engineering prowess demonstrated in the Segway PT and makes it available in a durable package for robotics applications.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-nine

Catelyn As the host trooped down the causeway through the black bogs of the Neck and spilled out into the riverlands beyond, Catelyn's apprehensions grew. She masked her fears behind a face kept still and stern, yet they were there all the same, growing with every league they crossed. Her days were anxious, her nights restless, and every raven that flew overhead made her clench her teeth. She feared for her lord father, and wondered at his ominous silence. She feared for her brother Edmure, and prayed that the gods would watch over him if he must face the Kingslayer in battle. She feared for Ned and her girls, and for the sweet sons she had left behind at Winterfell. And yet there was nothing she could do for any of them, and so she made herself put all thought of them aside. You must save your strength for Robb, she told herself. He is the only one you can help. You must be as fierce and hard as the north, Catelyn Tully. You must be a Stark for true now, like your son. Robb rode at the front of the column, beneath the flapping white banner of Winterfell. Each day he would ask one of his lords to join him, so they might confer as they marched; he honored every man in turn, showing no favorites, listening as his lord father had listened, weighing the words of one against the other. He has learned so much from Ned, she thought as she watched him, but has he learned enough? The Blackfish had taken a hundred picked men and a hundred swift horses and raced ahead to screen their movements and scout the way. The reports Ser Brynden's riders brought back did little to reassure her. Lord Tywin's host was still many days to the south . . . but Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, had assembled a force of near four thousand men at his castles on the Green Fork. â€Å"Late again,† Catelyn murmured when she heard. It was the Trident all over, damn the man. Her brother Edmure had called the banners; by rights, Lord Frey should have gone to join the Tully host at Riverrun, yet here he sat. â€Å"Four thousand men,† Robb repeated, more perplexed than angry. â€Å"Lord Frey cannot hope to fight the Lannisters by himself. Surely he means to join his power to ours.† â€Å"Does he?† Catelyn asked. She had ridden forward to join Robb and Robett Glover, his companion of the day. The vanguard spread out behind them, a slow-moving forest of lances and banners and spears. â€Å"I wonder. Expect nothing of Walder Frey, and you will never be surprised.† â€Å"He's your father's bannerman.† â€Å"Some men take their oaths more seriously than others, Robb. And Lord Walder was always friendlier with Casterly Rock than my father would have liked. One of his sons is wed to Tywin Lannister's sister. That means little of itself, to be sure. Lord Walder has sired a great many children over the years, and they must needs marry someone. Still . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do you think he means to betray us to the Lannisters, my lady?† Robett Glover asked gravely. Catelyn sighed. â€Å"If truth be told, I doubt even Lord Frey knows what Lord Frey intends to do. He has an old man's caution and a young man's ambition, and has never lacked for cunning.† â€Å"We must have the Twins, Mother,† Robb said heatedly. â€Å"There is no other way across the river. You know that.† â€Å"Yes. And so does Walder Frey, you can be sure of that.† That night they made camp on the southern edge of the bogs, halfway between the kingsroad and the river. It was there Theon Greyjoy brought them further word from her uncle. â€Å"Ser Brynden says to tell you he's crossed swords with the Lannisters. There are a dozen scouts who won't be reporting back to Lord Tywin anytime soon. Or ever.† He grinned. â€Å"Ser Addam Marbrand commands their outriders, and he's pulling back south, burning as he goes. He knows where we are, more or less, but the Blackfish vows he will not know when we split.† â€Å"Unless Lord Frey tells him,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"Theon, when you return to my uncle, tell him he is to place his best bowmen around the Twins, day and night, with orders to bring down any raven they see leaving the battlements. I want no birds bringing word of my son's movements to Lord Tywin.† â€Å"Ser Brynden has seen to it already, my lady,† Theon replied with a cocky smile. â€Å"A few more blackbirds, and we should have enough to bake a pie. I'll save you their feathers for a hat.† She ought to have known that Brynden Blackfish would be well ahead of her. â€Å"What have the Freys been doing while the Lannisters burn their fields and plunder their holdfasts?† â€Å"There's been some fighting between Ser Addam's men and Lord Walder's,† Theon answered. â€Å"Not a day's ride from here, we found two Lannister scouts feeding the crows where the Freys had strung them up. Most of Lord Walder's strength remains massed at the Twins, though.† That bore Walder Frey's seal beyond a doubt, Catelyn thought bitterly; hold back, wait, watch, take no risk unless forced to it. â€Å"If he's been fighting the Lannisters, perhaps he does mean to hold to his vows,† Robb said. Catelyn was less encouraged. â€Å"Defending his own lands is one thing, open battle against Lord Tywin quite another.† Robb turned back to Theon Greyjoy. â€Å"Has the Blackfish found any other way across the Green Fork?† Theon shook his head. â€Å"The river's running high and fast. Ser Brynden says it can't be forded, not this far north.† â€Å"I must have that crossing!† Robb declared, fuming. â€Å"Oh, our horses might be able to swim the river, I suppose, but not with armored men on their backs. We'd need to build rafts to pole our steel across, helms and mail and lances, and we don't have the trees for that. Or the time. Lord Tywin is marching north . . . † He balled his hand into a fist. â€Å"Lord Frey would be a fool to try and bar our way,† Theon Greyjoy said with his customary easy confidence. â€Å"We have five times his numbers. You can take the Twins if you need to, Robb.† â€Å"Not easily,† Catelyn warned them, â€Å"and not in time. While you were mounting your siege, Tywin Lannister would bring up his host and assault you from the rear.† Robb glanced from her to Greyjoy, searching for an answer and finding none. For a moment he looked even younger than his fifteen years, despite his mail and sword and the stubble on his cheeks. â€Å"What would my lord father do?† he asked her. â€Å"Find a way across,† she told him. â€Å"Whatever it took.† The next morning it was Ser Brynden Tully himself who rode back to them. He had put aside the heavy plate and helm he'd worn as the Knight of the Gate for the lighter leather-and-mail of an outrider, but his obsidian fish still fastened his cloak. Her uncle's face was grave as he swung down off his horse. â€Å"There has been a battle under the walls of Riverrun,† he said, his mouth grim. â€Å"We had it from a Lannister outrider we took captive. The Kingslayer has destroyed Edmure's host and sent the lords of the Trident reeling in flight.† A cold hand clutched at Catelyn's heart. â€Å"And my brother?† â€Å"Wounded and taken prisoner,† Ser Brynden said. â€Å"Lord Blackwood and the other survivors are under siege inside Riverrun, surrounded by Jaime's host.† Robb looked fretful. â€Å"We must get across this accursed river if we're to have any hope of relieving them in time.† â€Å"That will not be easily done,† her uncle cautioned. â€Å"Lord Frey has pulled his whole strength back inside his castles, and his gates are closed and barred.† â€Å"Damn the man,† Robb swore. â€Å"If the old fool does not relent and let me cross, he'll leave me no choice but to storm his walls. I'll pull the Twins down around his ears if I have to, we'll see how well he likes that!† â€Å"You sound like a sulky boy, Robb,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"A child sees an obstacle, and his first thought is to run around it or knock it down. A lord must learn that sometimes words can accomplish what swords cannot.† Robb's neck reddened at the rebuke. â€Å"Tell me what you mean, Mother,† he said meekly. â€Å"The Freys have held the crossing for six hundred years, and for six hundred years they have never failed to exact their toll.† â€Å"What toll? What does he want?† She smiled. â€Å"That is what we must discover.† â€Å"And what if I do not choose to pay this toll?† â€Å"Then you had best retreat back to Moat Cailin, deploy to meet Lord Tywin in battle . . . or grow wings. I see no other choices.† Catelyn put her heels to her horse and rode off, leaving her son to ponder her words. It would not do to make him feel as if his mother were usurping his place. Did you teach him wisdom as well as valor, Ned? she wondered. Did you teach him how to kneel? The graveyards of the Seven Kingdoms were full of brave men who had never learned that lesson. It was near midday when their vanguard came in sight of the Twins, where the Lords of the Crossing had their seat. The Green Fork ran swift and deep here, but the Freys had spanned it many centuries past and grown rich off the coin men paid them to cross. Their bridge was a massive arch of smooth grey rock, wide enough for two wagons to pass abreast; the Water Tower rose from the center of the span, commanding both road and river with its arrow slits, murder holes, and portcullises. It had taken the Freys three generations to complete their bridge; when they were done they'd thrown up stout timber keeps on either bank, so no one might cross without their leave. The timber had long since given way to stone. The Twins—two squat, ugly, formidable castles, identical in every respect, with the bridge arching between—had guarded the crossing for centuries. High curtain walls, deep moats, and heavy oak-and-iron gates protected the approaches, the bridge footings rose from within stout inner keeps, there was a barbican and portcullis on either bank, and the Water Tower defended the span itself. One glance was sufficient to tell Catelyn that the castle would not be taken by storm. The battlements bristled with spears and swords and scorpions, there was an archer at every crenel and arrow slit, the drawbridge was up, the portcullis down, the gates closed and barred. The Greatjon began to curse and swear as soon as he saw what awaited them. Lord Rickard Karstark glowered in silence. â€Å"That cannot be assaulted, my lords,† Roose Bolton announced. â€Å"Nor can we take it by siege, without an army on the far bank to invest the other castle,† Helman Tallhart said gloomily. Across the deep-running green waters, the western twin stood like a reflection of its eastern brother. â€Å"Even if we had the time. Which, to be sure, we do not.† As the northern lords studied the castle, a sally port opened, a plank bridge slid across the moat, and a dozen knights rode forth to confront them, led by four of Lord Walder's many sons. Their banner bore twin towers, dark blue on a field of pale silver-grey. Ser Stevron Frey, Lord Walder's heir, spoke for them. The Freys all looked like weasels; Ser Stevron, past sixty with grandchildren of his own, looked like an especially old and tired weasel, yet he was polite enough. â€Å"My lord father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host.† â€Å"I do.† Robb spurred his horse forward. He was in his armor, with the direwolf shield of Winterfell strapped to his saddle and Grey Wind padding by his side. The old knight looked at her son with a faint flicker of amusement in his watery grey eyes, though his gelding whickered uneasily and sidled away from the direwolf. â€Å"My lord father would be most honored if you would share meat and mead with him in the castle and explain your purpose here.† His words crashed among the lords bannermen like a great stone from a catapult. Not one of them approved. They cursed, argued, shouted down each other. â€Å"You must not do this, my lord,† Galbart Glover pleaded with Robb. â€Å"Lord Walder is not to be trusted.† Roose Bolton nodded. â€Å"Go in there alone and you're his. He can sell you to the Lannisters, throw you in a dungeon, or slit your throat, as he likes.† â€Å"If he wants to talk to us, let him open his gates, and we will all share his meat and mead,† declared Ser Wendel Manderly. â€Å"Or let him come out and treat with Robb here, in plain sight of his men and ours,† suggested his brother, Ser Wylis. Catelyn Stark shared all their doubts, but she had only to glance at Ser Stevron to see that he was not pleased by what he was hearing. A few more words and the chance would be lost. She had to act, and quickly. â€Å"I will go,† she said loudly. â€Å"You, my lady?† The Greatjon furrowed his brow. â€Å"Mother, are you certain?† Clearly, Robb was not. â€Å"Never more,† Catelyn lied glibly. â€Å"Lord Walder is my father's bannerman. I have known him since I was a girl. He would never offer me any harm.† Unless he saw some profit in it, she added silently, but some truths did not bear saying, and some lies were necessary. â€Å"I am certain my lord father would be pleased to speak to the Lady Catelyn,† Ser Stevron said. â€Å"To vouchsafe for our good intentions, my brother Ser Perwyn will remain here until she is safely returned to you.† â€Å"He shall be our honored guest,† said Robb. Ser Perwyn, the youngest of the four Freys in the party, dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to a brother. â€Å"I require my lady mother's return by evenfall, Ser Stevron,† Robb went on. â€Å"It is not my intent to linger here long.† Ser Stevron Frey gave a polite nod. â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Catelyn spurred her horse forward and did not look back. Lord Walder's sons and envoys fell in around her. Her father had once said of Walder Frey that he was the only lord in the Seven Kingdoms who could field an army out of his breeches. When the Lord of the Crossing welcomed Catelyn in the great hall of the east castle, surrounded by twenty living sons (minus Ser Perwyn, who would have made twenty-one), thirty-six grandsons, nineteen great-grandsons, and numerous daughters, granddaughters, bastards, and grandbastards, she understood just what he had meant. Lord Walder was ninety, a wizened pink weasel with a bald spotted head, too gouty to stand unassisted. His newest wife, a pale frail girl of sixteen years, walked beside his litter when they carried him in. She was the eighth Lady Frey. â€Å"It is a great pleasure to see you again after so many years, my lord,† Catelyn said. The old man squinted at her suspiciously. â€Å"Is it? I doubt that. Spare me your sweet words, Lady Catelyn, I am too old. Why are you here? Is your boy too proud to come before me himself? What am I to do with you?† Catelyn had been a girl the last time she had visited the Twins, but even then Lord Walder had been irascible, sharp of tongue, and blunt of manner. Age had made him worse than ever, it would seem. She would need to choose her words with care, and do her best to take no offense from his. â€Å"Father,† Ser Stevron said reproachfully, â€Å"you forget yourself. Lady Stark is here at your invitation.† â€Å"Did I ask you? You are not Lord Frey yet, not until I die. Do I look dead? I'll hear no instructions from you.† â€Å"This is no way to speak in front of our noble guest, Father,† one of his younger sons said. â€Å"Now my bastards presume to teach me courtesy,† Lord Walder complained. â€Å"I'll speak any way I like, damn you. I've had three kings to guest in my life, and queens as well, do you think I require lessons from the likes of you, Ryger? Your mother was milking goats the first time I gave her my seed.† He dismissed the red-faced youth with a flick of his fingers and gestured to two of his other sons. â€Å"Danwell, Whalen, help me to my chair.† They shifted Lord Walder from his litter and carried him to the high seat of the Freys, a tall chair of black oak whose back was carved in the shape of two towers linked by a bridge. His young wife crept up timidly and covered his legs with a blanket. When he was settled, the old man beckoned Catelyn forward and planted a papery dry kiss on her hand. â€Å"There,† he announced. â€Å"Now that I have observed the courtesies, my lady, perhaps my sons will do me the honor of shutting their mouths. Why are you here?† â€Å"To ask you to open your gates, my lord,† Catelyn replied politely. â€Å"My son and his lords bannermen are most anxious to cross the river and be on their way.† â€Å"To Riverrun?† He sniggered. â€Å"Oh, no need to tell me, no need. I'm not blind yet. The old man can still read a map.† â€Å"To Riverrun,† Catelyn confirmed. She saw no reason to deny it. â€Å"Where I might have expected to find you, my lord. You are still my father's bannerman, are you not?† â€Å"Heh,† said Lord Walder, a noise halfway between a laugh and a grunt. â€Å"I called my swords, yes I did, here they are, you saw them on the walls. It was my intent to march as soon as all my strength was assembled. Well, to send my sons. I am well past marching myself, Lady Catelyn.† He looked around for likely confirmation and pointed to a tall, stooped man of fifty years. â€Å"Tell her, Jared. Tell her that was my intent.† â€Å"It was, my lady,† said Ser Jared Frey, one of his sons by his second wife. â€Å"On my honor.† â€Å"Is it my fault that your fool brother lost his battle before we could march?† He leaned back against his cushions and scowled at her, as if challenging her to dispute his version of events. â€Å"I am told the Kingslayer went through him like an axe through ripe cheese. Why should my boys hurry south to die? All those who did go south are running north again.† Catelyn would gladly have spitted the querulous old man and roasted him over a fire, but she had only till evenfall to open the bridge. Calmly, she said, â€Å"All the more reason that we must reach Riverrun, and soon. Where can we go to talk, my lord?† â€Å"We're talking now,† Lord Frey complained. The spotted pink head snapped around. â€Å"What are you all looking at?† he shouted at his kin. â€Å"Get out of here. Lady Stark wants to speak to me in private. Might be she has designs on my fidelity, heh. Go, all of you, find something useful to do. Yes, you too, woman. Out, out, out.† As his sons and grandsons and daughters and bastards and nieces and nephews streamed from the hall, he leaned close to Catelyn and confessed, â€Å"They're all waiting for me to die. Stevron's been waiting for forty years, but I keep disappointing him. Heh. Why should I die just so he can be a lord? I ask you. I won't do it.† â€Å"I have every hope that you will live to be a hundred.† â€Å"That would boil them, to be sure. Oh, to be sure. Now, what do you want to say?† â€Å"We want to cross,† Catelyn told him. â€Å"Oh, do you? That's blunt. Why should I let you?† For a moment her anger flared. â€Å"If you were strong enough to climb your own battlements, Lord Frey, you would see that my son has twenty thousand men outside your walls.† â€Å"They'll be twenty thousand fresh corpses when Lord Tywin gets here,† the old man shot back. â€Å"Don't you try and frighten me, my lady. Your husband's in some traitor's cell under the Red Keep, your father's sick, might be dying, and Jaime Lannister's got your brother in chains. What do you have that I should fear? That son of yours? I'll match you son for son, and I'll still have eighteen when yours are all dead.† â€Å"You swore an oath to my father,† Catelyn reminded him. He bobbed his head side to side, smiling. â€Å"Oh, yes, I said some words, but I swore oaths to the crown too, it seems to me. Joffrey's the king now, and that makes you and your boy and all those fools out there no better than rebels. If I had the sense the gods gave a fish, I'd help the Lannisters boil you all.† â€Å"Why don't you?† she challenged him. Lord Walder snorted with disdain. â€Å"Lord Tywin the proud and splendid, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, oh, what a great man that one is, him and his gold this and gold that and lions here and lions there. I'll wager you, he eats too many beans, he breaks wind just like me, but you'll never hear him admit it, oh, no. What's he got to be so puffed up about anyway? Only two sons, and one of them's a twisted little monster. I'll match him son for son, and I'll still have nineteen and a half left when all of his are dead!† He cackled. â€Å"If Lord Tywin wants my help, he can bloody well ask for it.† That was all Catelyn needed to hear. â€Å"I am asking for your help, my lord,† she said humbly. â€Å"And my father and my brother and my lord husband and my sons are asking with my voice.† Lord Walder jabbed a bony finger at her face. â€Å"Save your sweet words, my lady. Sweet words I get from my wife. Did you see her? Sixteen she is, a little flower, and her honey's only for me. I wager she gives me a son by this time next year. Perhaps I'll make him heir, wouldn't that boil the rest of them?† â€Å"I'm certain she will give you many sons.† His head bobbed up and down. â€Å"Your lord father did not come to the wedding. An insult, as I see it. Even if he is dying. He never came to my last wedding either. He calls me the Late Lord Frey, you know. Does he think I'm dead? I'm not dead, and I promise you, I'll outlive him as I outlived his father. Your family has always pissed on me, don't deny it, don't lie, you know it's true. Years ago, I went to your father and suggested a match between his son and my daughter. Why not? I had a daughter in mind, sweet girl, only a few years older than Edmure, but if your brother didn't warm to her, I had others he might have had, young ones, old ones, virgins, widows, whatever he wanted. No, Lord Hoster would not hear of it. Sweet words he gave me, excuses, but what I wanted was to get rid of a daughter. â€Å"And your sister, that one, she's full as bad. It was, oh, a year ago, no more, Jon Arryn was still the King's Hand, and I went to the city to see my sons ride in the tourney. Stevron and Jared are too old for the lists now, but Danwell and Hosteen rode, Perwyn as well, and a couple of my bastards tried the melee. If I'd known how they'd shame me, I would never have troubled myself to make the journey. Why did I need to ride all that way to see Hosteen knocked off his horse by that Tyrell whelp? I ask you. The boy's half his age, Ser Daisy they call him, something like that. And Danwell was unhorsed by a hedge knight! Some days I wonder if those two are truly mine. My third wife was a Crakehall, all of the Crakehall women are sluts. Well, never mind about that, she died before you were born, what do you care? â€Å"I was speaking of your sister. I proposed that Lord and Lady Arryn foster two of my grandsons at court, and offered to take their own son to ward here at the Twins. Are my grandsons unworthy to be seen at the king's court? They are sweet boys, quiet and mannerly. Walder is Merrett's son, named after me, and the other one . . . heh, I don't recall . . . he might have been another Walder, they're always naming them Walder so I'll favor them, but his father . . . which one was his father now?† His face wrinkled up. â€Å"Well, whoever he was, Lord Arryn wouldn't have him, or the other one, and I blame your lady sister for that. She frosted up as if I'd suggested selling her boy to a mummer's show or making a eunuch out of him, and when Lord Arryn said the child was going to Dragonstone to foster with Stannis Baratheon, she stormed off without a word of regrets and all the Hand could give me was apologies. What good are apologies? I ask you.† Catelyn frowned, disquieted. â€Å"I had understood that Lysa's boy was to be fostered with Lord Tywin at Casterly Rock.† â€Å"No, it was Lord Stannis,† Walder Frey said irritably. â€Å"Do you think I can't tell Lord Stannis from Lord Tywin? They're both bungholes who think they're too noble to shit, but never mind about that, I know the difference. Or do you think I'm so old I can't remember? I'm ninety and I remember very well. I remember what to do with a woman too. That wife of mine will give me a son before this time next year, I'll wager. Or a daughter, that can't be helped. Boy or girl, it will be red, wrinkled, and squalling, and like as not she'll want to name it Walder or Walda.† Catelyn was not concerned with what Lady Frey might choose to name her child. â€Å"Jon Arryn was going to foster his son with Lord Stannis, you are quite certain of that?† â€Å"Yes, yes, yes,† the old man said. â€Å"Only he died, so what does it matter? You say you want to cross the river?† â€Å"We do.† â€Å"Well, you can't!† Lord Walder announced crisply. â€Å"Not unless I allow it, and why should I? The Tullys and the Starks have never been friends of mine.† He pushed himself back in his chair and crossed his arms, smirking, waiting for her answer. The rest was only haggling. A swollen red sun hung low against the western hills when the gates of the castle opened. The drawbridge creaked down, the portcullis winched up, and Lady Catelyn Stark rode forth to rejoin her son and his lords bannermen. Behind her came Ser Jared Frey, Ser Hosteen Frey, Ser Danwell Frey, and Lord Walder's bastard son Ronel Rivers, leading a long column of pikemen, rank on rank of shuffling men in blue steel ringmail and silvery grey cloaks. Robb galloped out to meet her, with Grey Wind racing beside his stallion. â€Å"It's done,† she told him. â€Å"Lord Walder will grant you your crossing. His swords are yours as well, less four hundred he means to keep back to hold the Twins. I suggest that you leave four hundred of your own, a mixed force of archers and swordsmen. He can scarcely object to an offer to augment his garrison . . . but make certain you give the command to a man you can trust. Lord Walder may need help keeping faith.† â€Å"As you say, Mother,† Robb answered, gazing at the ranks of pikemen. â€Å"Perhaps . . . Ser Helman Tallhart, do you think?† â€Å"A fine choice.† â€Å"What . . . what did he want of us?† â€Å"If you can spare a few of your swords, I need some men to escort two of Lord Frey's grandsons north to Winterfell,† she told him. â€Å"I have agreed to take them as wards. They are young boys, aged eight years and seven. It would seem they are both named Walder. Your brother Bran will welcome the companionship of lads near his own age, I should think.† â€Å"Is that all? Two fosterlings? That's a small enough price to—† â€Å"Lord Frey's son Olyvar will be coming with us,† she went on. â€Å"He is to serve as your personal squire. His father would like to see him knighted, in good time.† â€Å"A squire.† He shrugged. â€Å"Fine, that's fine, if he's—† â€Å"Also, if your sister Arya is returned to us safely, it is agreed that she will marry Lord Walder's youngest son, Elmar, when the two of them come of age.† Robb looked nonplussed. â€Å"Arya won't like that one bit.† â€Å"And you are to wed one of his daughters, once the fighting is done,† she finished. â€Å"His lordship has graciously consented to allow you to choose whichever girl you prefer. He has a number he thinks might be suitable.† To his credit, Robb did not flinch. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"Do you consent?† â€Å"Can I refuse?† â€Å"Not if you wish to cross.† â€Å"I consent,† Robb said solemnly. He had never seemed more manly to her than he did in that moment. Boys might play with swords, but it took a lord to make a marriage pact, knowing what it meant. They crossed at evenfall as a horned moon floated upon the river. The double column wound its way through the gate of the eastern twin like a great steel snake, slithering across the courtyard, into the keep and over the bridge, to issue forth once more from the second castle on the west bank. Catelyn rode at the head of the serpent, with her son and her uncle Ser Brynden and Ser Stevron Frey. Behind followed nine tenths of their horse; knights, lancers, freeriders, and mounted bowmen. It took hours for them all to cross. Afterward, Catelyn would remember the clatter of countless hooves on the drawbridge, the sight of Lord Walder Frey in his litter watching them pass, the glitter of eyes peering down through the slats of the murder holes in the ceiling as they rode through the Water Tower. The larger part of the northern host, pikes and archers and great masses of men-at-arms on foot, remained upon the east bank under the command of Roose Bolton. Robb had commanded him to continue the march south, to confront the huge Lannister army coming north under Lord Tywin. For good or ill, her son had thrown the dice.