Discussion Question Example

Discussion Question Example Discussion Question – Coursework Example Discussion Question AHRQ Disparities Report The AHRQ Disparities Report s about the current scenario of healthcare quality and disparity within the sector. The report primarily highlighted the effectiveness of healthcare in various scenarios for numerous diseases including cancer, HIV and Diabetes among others. This discussion put light on the prevalence of proper and effective healthcare services in the domain of Diabetes. As per the report, the diseases ranked 7th in terms of its impact on the death rate of the nation. The report also depicted that since the number of people with the disease is increasing on a continuous basis, the overall healthcare cost of the nation is also increasing at a significant rate. The findings of the report suggest that the four diabetes service intervention is proved to be vital in dealing with the disease, especially amid the people above the age of 40. These intervention processes to deal with the disease include flu shot, dilated eye examination, e xamination of foot and HbA1c tests. Findings suggested that there has been a decline in rate of Diabetes amid the White people while others depicted a rising trend in the recent years (AHRQ, 2013). These aspects can further be aligned with the current scenario of the disease in Florida. The state has showed a rising trend with regard to the prevalence of diabetes over the years. However, with regard to the prevention of the disease, concerned authorities has focused on self-management of the disease rather than emphasizing clinical intervention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). This aspect depicts the lack of relevance amid the report and the approach followed in Florida. ReferencesAHRQ. (2013). National healthcare disparities report. Retrieved from ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhdr13/2013nhdr.pdfCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About the program. Retrieved from cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/about.htm Discussion Question Example Discussion Question – Coursework Example Discussion Question Fibromyalgia is a pattern of scatter body pain, which is mainly observed in women. In order to vali the diagnosis, the health care practitioner should initially intend to identify the syndromes of fibromyalgia. The diagnosis of fibromyalgia includes different phases of few clinical evaluations such as physical examination, history of the several health complaints and paying attention to the past health status. Recently, the criteria of diagnosis have been developed, used for validating the diagnosis (Hauser et al., 2010). As per the doctor’s advice, after reviewing EPs health conditions, the intake of hydrocarbon has certainly not been much helpful for her. She is taking these hydrocarbons four times a day, as per her current medication consultation. In this regard, EP has been suggested to opt for a no- drug therapy treatment for fibromyalgia. Apart from medication, EP can adopt the physical excursive therapy, such as swimming, relaxation techniques, acup uncture techniques and aromatherapy techniques. Moreover, the psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy treatments are also recognised as very effective for treating patients and dealing with their pains in an efficient manner (Bennett & Nelson, 2006). The Cognitive Behovorail Therapy (CBT) is expected to be more useful as an efficient treatment for fibromyalgia. It is thus expected that CBT will be able to eliminate EPs dependency over consumption of hydrocarbon. Under the CBT treatment, EP will need to undergo educational session, pool-based exercise class or aquatic jogging, spa therapy and aerobic endurance training (Huser et al., 2009). Reviewing the patient’s medical case history, it can be concluded that the CBT can prove as an efficient therapy for her, competitive to treat the problems of EP, which she is suffering due to fibromyalgia. In this regard, EP is not recommended with any kind of non-traditional therapy, such as taking of drugs and other chemical medi cines (Huser et al., 2009). ReferencesBennett, R. & Nelson, D. (2006). Cognitive behavioural therapy for fibromyalgia. Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology, 2(8), 416-424.Huser, W., Eich, W., Herrmann, M., Nutzinger, D. O., Schiltenwolf, M. & Henningsen, P. (2009). Fibromyalgia syndrome classification, diagnosis, and treatment. Clinical Practice Guideline, 106 (23), 383-391.Hauser, W., Hayo, S., Biewer, W., Gesmann, M., Kuhn-Becker, H., Petzke, F., Wilmoswky, H. V. & Langhorst, J. (2010). Diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome - a Comparison of Association of the medical scientific societies in Germany, survey, and American college of rheumatology criteria. Clinical Journal of Pain, 26(6), 505-511. Discussion Question Example Discussion Question – Coursework Example Discussion question Discussion question Ayn Rand approach of extreme capitalism is self-destructive. Rand believes in the fact that capitalism has been the root cause of elimination of moral values in the present day society (Farrell, 2013). As argued by Farrell (2012), Rand has been instrumental in campaigning for capitalism, which has led to the increasing drift and chaos in the world system. The citizens seem to have their own welfare at heart, which can be attributed to Rand’s extreme capitalism. It would be argued that Rand’s policy of extreme capitalism has resulted to lack of conscience among individuals who are constantly on the move to satisfy their wants. Farrell (2012) says that the vision for the future may be bleak; morality will be completely reduced and short term goals will shape the economy. With these threats in mind, it is evident that Rand’s approach of capitalism will in the long run be completely destructive for the American society in gene ral (Farrell, 2013). The public will also have a huge price to pay as much value will be placed on market reasoning. All persons will mostly focus on the prices and value of items exchanged as opposed to the moral value of the kind of transactions taking place. Instead of this form of capitalism being an inspiration, Farrell (2013) says that it has become a virus that is mutating throughout the country and has rendered so many people blind to the sensible market principles that existed in the times of Adam Smith. ReferencesFarrell, P. (2012). â€Å"10 bubbles that will kill capitalism†. Market Watch May 7 2012. - (2013). â€Å"The ‘cult of capitalism’ and U.S. moral decline†. Market Watch May 29, 2013. Discussion Question Example Discussion Question – Coursework Example Kmart and Sears analysis Kmart and sears corporations were U.S. discount department stores dealing with hard goods. Kmart was strategically located in discount stores in populated and highly visible corner locations which are not very prone to competition. On the other hand, sears was located inside large shopping malls and majored strongly in hard goods like home appliances and tools. It was the second efficient store in sales after Walmart with the second-highest annual sales controlling 40% sales of major home appliances. However, up crop of new stores in the malls and in the stores presented upcoming tastes and preferences which rendered those of Kmart outdated. Competition and lack of viable business strategy has seen the Kmart struggle and go through bankruptcy petitions. It’s emergence from bankruptcy did less to solve its problems as the company did not have a business strategy which will reclaim their market share. Both stores were going through the same ordeal. Comp etition was threatening to oust Kmart out of business as other well-known stores like Korvettee’s, Grant’s, Woolco, Ames among others had become outdated and were already out of market. Sears was also going through the same fate as most of their customers were turning from shopping malls to big-box retailers on stand-alone stores like Lowe’s ad Home Depot to buy their home hard goods. The two were struggling to find a strategy that would improve their competitiveness and increase their sales. Kmart regained its profitability by closing some of their stores while selling some to Sears and Home Depot. This move was able to revitalize sales in the stores. The next move was the acquisition of Kmart by Sears. Despite the fact that both the holding and the acquired company were experiencing problems with their sales, they felt the move would cut their costs by $500 annually. The failure in the sales performance in the two stores can be attributed to lack of business strategy and a viable business model which would invest more in store and brand improvements as opposed to buying the already sluggish stores like sears and Restoration Hardware. The store continues to experience low sales. Work citedFrank, Rothaermel, Strategic Management: Concepts, 1 edition , McGraw-Hill; 2012.Wheelen, T. & Hunger, D., Strategic Management and Business and Business Policy, 13the edition, Pearson Education Inc. 2013.

Should gambling be illegal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Should gambling be illegal - Essay Example It is not surprising that 51 percent of American adults consider casino gambling â€Å"acceptable for anyone,† (Popkin and Hetter 1994), as the proliferation of sports books and new casinos on virtually every Indian reservation continues unabated. Adding gambling addictions, scams, the drain on taxes, and the unchecked expansion of Internet gambling to the mix, this lucrative industry is draining much of the life out of families and the economy to the point that its illegalization is the only answer. With America’s continued economic downturn, gambling is exacerbating society’s financial woes, as it also reported to feed into costly collateral damage seen in alcoholism, prostitution, drug abuse, destroyed families and various criminal behaviors. But compared to the revenues generated by other segments of the entertainment industry, does gambling really take that big of a bite out of America’s pocketbook? To get an idea, a government report stated that in 1 997, Americans spent some $50 billion on gambling, which was more than all the money spent on movie tickets, theme parks, recorded music, and video games combined, which generated a substantially lower $39.9 billion (Campbell 1999). The government has even gotten into the gambling business through seemingly harmless state lotteries, which are often touted as â€Å"supporting our schools,† yet many taxpayer dollars go into funding gambling winnings. And even though it is noted that â€Å"Legal gambling operations in the U.S. pay millions of dollars in taxes annually to the local and federal governments,† (Hammer 2001), it is also contended that gambling throws away a great deal our federal government’s money. Yet it is argued that shutting down the gambling industry could have disastrous effects, â€Å"What happened with alcohol [prohibition] was a disaster . . . Nobody wants this business, which is flourishing offshore, being pushed back onto the streets and th e back alleys of the U.S. . . . there’s a huge opportunity here [for the government to collect revenue],†(Carruthers 2004). But legal experts assert that legalized gambling has never been on the scale to resolve any social issues, as â€Å"States frequently overestimate the financial impact of gambling revenues,† (Popkin and Hetter 1994). Consequently, it is hard to argue that keeping gambling legal will outweigh the harmful financial and social ramifications that this frivolous pastime carries with it. Feeding into the burgeoning gambling industry with its lotteries, casinos and sports books is the expansion of Internet gambling, which has ensnared Americans in the dangerous privacy and comfort of their own homes. To give a perspective of its growth, it is estimated that worldwide Internet gambling accounted for $300 million in 1997 (Campbell 1999), $2.2 billion in 2000 (Bedell 2011), and the projected amount for 2006 came to $100 billion (Baker 1999). In additi on, â€Å"It is reported that more than 4.5 million Americans have gambled online at least once,† (Bedell 2001) and it is also reported that online sports books take in more money from the Super Bowl than all Las Vegas sports bookies combined (Any Given Sunday). And with increased Internet gambling, there has been a proliferation in criminals scamming gamblers by illegally obtaining personal information, including credit card, social security and pass code data. To curb the wide-scale online scams, much legislation has been

Children's behaviour towards undiected recreational play Research Paper

Children's behaviour towards undiected recreational play - Research Paper Example A fact that is not often recognised is that play can even function as a type of therapy for children who suffer from behavioural problems. In the present world, children are exposed to numerous problems that affect them physically and psychologically. The rate of divorce has risen significantly across all nations. This means that children are increasingly being raised in single families, and having to live with the complex emotions that this triggers even though they do not have the capacity to process them. This can cause behavioural problems to arise even in the well-adjusted children. Children today are also exposed to greater levels of stress than their counterparts dealt with in past generations. Many parents today prefer for their children to entertain themselves indoors rather than exploring their surroundings outside. This is because parents tend to be committed to work activities outside the home, and so cannot supervise their children when they are outside school (Ohannessian 2014). Furthermore, parents and guardians today have more access to information through various media channels. This means that parents are more likely to think that their children are endangered due to the sheer numbers of child molesters, kidnappers, and drug traffickers that they imagine are walking through neighbourhoods. It is a fact that such miscreants existed in the past when children were allowed to play outside unsupervised; however, the parents of past generations may not have been exposed to information about child molesters on a regular basis. All children use play as a natural medium to express themselves. This means that when children have accumulated stress from family problems that they have no control over, they can actually play out their negative feelings. It is an established fact that undirected play is far more productive than directed play. This is because there are definite distinctions between child directed play and adult directed play.

Discuss the portrayal of women Essay Example for Free

Discuss the portrayal of women Essay On the one hand, Hardy portrays how negative life was for women in Victorian society. However, on the other hand, he clearly shows sympathy for the plight of women which suggests he had a desire for change. Hardy shows how the role of women in Victorian society was to get married. If a woman did not get married, she was treated as though there was something wrong with her and indeed was often ignored by both men and women. Hardy shows us this when he tells of how Rhoda sat apart from the rest in the milking barn and lived on a lonely spot away from the other milkmaids. We learn that Rhoda has had a child out of wedlock with Farmer Lodge. For this terrible sin, Rhoda is effectively excluded from society; however, no blame is attached to Farmer Lodge. This is an example of the double standards that women in Victorian England had to live with. Hardy uses this concept throughout the story to emphasise the plight of women in Victorian society. Women were also expected to marry young and produce an heir and a spare. When Gertrude failed to do this, she invited the scorn of her husband who was bitter over her failure to continue his family line. At no time was it suggested that it was the mans fault that they were unable to have a child. It was always considered the womans fault. In Victorian times, beauty was a desirable quality for any young brides and an absence of this led to rifts between partners. Hardy shows this by comparing Farmer Lodges attitude to Gertrude before and after her arm became disfigured; Before Gertrudes arm becomes disfigured, Farmer Lodge views Gertrude as a pretty young girl who will serve well as his wife and he is pleased with her. However, after her arm becomes disfigured Gertrude tells of how she thinks that Farmer Lodge cares for her less. From then on, we get the impression that Farmer Lodge feels very displeased by his wife. All this shows that women were expected to conform to societys expectations of them and if they did not they were ostracized from society. An extreme example of this is illustrated by Hardy later on in the story when he tells of how Rhoda is even viewed as a witch because she is not fulfilling the usual criteria of a woman. On the other hand, Hardy shows he had sympathy for the way women were treated by the way he ends the story. Hardy punishes Farmer Lodge for not taking care of Rhoda and her son by killing his wife and making him live a remorseful life from then on. This shows that Hardy desired change in the way the women were being treated but understood that innocent lives would have to be lost first. He drew a parallel between this and the death of Gertrude.

kodak brief review :: essays research papers

Note: The examination will be in two parts. Part 1 will comprise a set of multiple-choice questions designed to check your understanding of all of the lectures material. Part 2 will concern this case study, with the examination paper including a set of questions about it. The case study describes a situation, which you need to research further and resolve. In preparation for the examination, you should analyse this case study and relate it to the lectures so that you arrive at the examination with an understanding of how you might proceed. CASE STUDY Kodak, based in Rochester, New York, where it pioneered the use of photographic film 100 years ago, has been facing weak profits and job cuts as it struggles to turn round its business. Wednesday, 21 June, 2000, 11:26 GMT 12:26 UK Kodak looks to digital salvation by BBC News Online's Steve Schifferes The world's most famous film company is hoping that the digital film revolution will come to its rescue. Dan Carp, Kodak's chief executive, told BBC News Online that he was "very frustrated" by the low share price for his company which is trading at around 10 times earnings despite five quarters of record profits. "There is no question that digital imaging is going to expand the use of photography and make it more user friendly," he explained to News Online during a whirlwind tour of Europe. "What's holding us back is some scepticism that the digital revolution is yet to be finalised," he said. Fresh investment Mr Carp told the BBC that the company would invest two-thirds of its $900m research and development budget in digital technologies. It was also spending over $1bn in buying back its own shares in order to boost their price. Analysts say the share buybacks are needed to boost the company's earnings per share which have been diluted by employees cashing in some 20m stock options last year. Mr Carp said he was not worried by the threat of a takeover. However, he admitted that the marketplace for digital imaging technology was likely to be more crowded than traditional photography, with companies like Sony vying with Kodak, Fuji, and Olympus. Kodak had been slow to introduce full digital technology, fearing that it would hurt sales of existing photographic products. But it now aims for 45% of its sales, and 27% of profits, to come from digital sales by 2005. Mr Carp said that the introduction of broadband and other high-speed internet connections would speed the take-up of digital technology. There were more than 4m digital cameras sold in the USA, and 1m in Europe, last year, and

Critique of Pure Reason Essay

Immanuel Kant, (born April 22, 1724, Konigsberg, Prussia [now Kaliningrad, Russia]—died February 12, 1804, Konigsberg), German philosopher whose comprehensive and systematic work in epistemology (the theory of knowledge), ethics, and aesthetics greatly influenced all subsequent philosophy, especially the various schools of Kantianism and idealism. Kant was one of the foremost thinkers of the Enlightenment and arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time. In him were subsumed new trends that had begun with the rationalism (stressing reason) of Rene Descartes and the empiricism (stressing experience) of Francis Bacon. He thus inaugurated a new era in the development of philosophical thought. BACKGROUND AND EARLY YEARS Kant lived in the remote province where he was born for his entire life. His father, a saddler, was, according to Kant, a descendant of a Scottish immigrant, although scholars have found no basis for this claim; his mother, an uneducated German woman, was remarkable for her character and natural intelligence. Both parents were devoted followers of the Pietist branch of the Lutheran church, which taught that religion belongs to the inner life expressed in simplicity and obedience to moral law. The influence of their pastor made it possible for Kant—the fourth of nine children but the eldest surviving child—to obtain an education. At the age of eight Kant entered the Pietist school that his pastor directed. This was a Latin school, and it was presumably during the eight and a half years he was there that Kant acquired his lifelong love for the Latin classics, especially for the naturalistic poet Lucretius. In 1740 he enrolled in the University of Konigsberg as a theological student. But, although he attended courses in theology and even preached on a few occasions, he was principally attracted to mathematics and physics. Aided by a young professor who had studied Christian Wolff, a systematizer of rationalist philosophy, and who was also an enthusiast for the science of Sir Isaac Newton, Kant began reading the work of the English physicist and, in 1744, started his first book, Gedanken von der wahren Schatzung der lebendigen Krafte (1746; Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces), dealing with a problem concerning kinetic forces. Though by that time he had decided to pursue an academic career, the death of his father in 1746 and his failure to obtain the post of undertutor in one of the schools attached to the university compelled him to withdraw and seek a means of supporting himself. Tutor and Privatdozent He found employment as a family tutor and, during the nine years that he gave to it, worked for three different families. With them he was introduced to the influential society of the city, acquired social grace, and made his farthest travels from his native city—some 60 miles (96 km) away to the town of Arnsdorf. In 1755, aided by the kindness of a friend, he was able to complete his degree at the university and take up the position of Privatdozent, or lecturer. Period of the three Critiques In 1781 the Kritik der reinen Vernunft (spelled Critik in the first edition; Critique of Pure Reason) was published, followed for the next nine years by great and original works that in a short time brought a revolution in philosophical thought and established the new direction in which it was to go in the years to come. The Critique of Pure Reason The Critique of Pure Reason was the result of some 10 years of thinking and meditation. Yet, even so, Kant published the first edition only reluctantly after many postponements; although convinced of the truth of its doctrine, he was uncertain and doubtful about its exposition. His misgivings proved well founded, and Kant complained that interpreters and critics of the work were badly misunderstanding it. To correct these wrong interpretations of his thought, he wrote the Prolegomena zu einer jeden kunftigen Metaphysik die als Wissenschaft wird auftreten konnen (1783; Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will be Able to Come Forward as Science) and brought out a second and revised edition of the first Critique in 1787. Controversy still continues regarding the merits of the two editions: readers with a preference for an idealistic interpretation usually prefer the first edition, whereas those with a realistic view adhere to the second. But with regard to difficulty and ease of reading and understanding, it is generally agreed that there is little to choose between them. Anyone on first opening either book finds it overwhelmingly difficult and impenetrably obscure. The Critique of Practical Reason Because of his insistence on the need for an empirical component in knowledge and his antipathy to speculative metaphysics, Kant is sometimes presented as a positivist before his time, and his attack upon metaphysics was held by many in his own day to bring both religion and morality down with it. Such, however, was certainly far from Kant’s intention. Not only did he propose to put metaphysics â€Å"on the sure path of science,† he was prepared also to say that he â€Å"inevitably† believed in the existence of God and in a future life. It is also true that his original conception of his critical philosophy anticipated the preparation of a critique of moral philosophy. The Kritik der praktischen Vernunft (1788, spelled Critik and practischen; Critique of Practical Reason), the result of this intention, is the standard sourcebook for his ethical doctrines. The earlier Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten (1785; Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals) is a shorter and, despite its title, more readily comprehensible treatment of the same general topic. Both differ from Die Metaphysik der Sitten (1797; The Metaphysics of Morals) in that they deal with pure ethics and try to elucidate basic principles; the later work, in contrast, is concerned with applying these principles in the concrete, a process that involved the consideration of virtues and vices and the foundations of law and politics. The Critique of Judgment The Kritik der Urteilskraft (1790, spelled Critik; Critique of Judgment)—one of the most original and instructive of all of Kant’s writings—was not foreseen in his original conception of the critical philosophy. Thus it is perhaps best regarded as a series of appendixes to the other two Critiques. The work falls into two main parts, called respectively Critique of Aesthetic Judgment and Critique of Teleological Judgment. In the first of these, after an introduction in which he discussed â€Å"logical purposiveness,† he analyzed the notion of â€Å"aesthetic purposiveness† in judgments that ascribe beauty to something. Such a judgment, according to him, unlike a mere expression of taste, lays claim to general validity, yet it cannot be said to be cognitive because it rests on feeling, not on argument. The explanation lies in the fact that, when a person contemplates an object and finds it beautiful, there is a certain harmony between his imagination and his understanding, of which he is aware from the immediate delight that he takes in the object. Imagination grasps the object and yet is not restricted to any definite concept, whereas a person imputes the delight that he feels to others because it springs from the free play of his cognitive faculties, which are the same in all humans. LAST YEARS The critical philosophy was soon being taught in every important German-speaking university, and young men flocked to Konigsberg as a shrine of philosophy. In some cases the Prussian government even undertook the expense of their support. Kant came to be consulted as an oracle on all kinds of questions, including such subjects as the lawfulness of vaccination. Such homage did not interrupt Kant’s regular habits. Scarcely five feet tall, with a deformed chest, and suffering from weak health, he maintained throughout his life a severe regimen. It was arranged with such regularity that people set their clocks according to his daily walk along the street named for him, â€Å"The Philosopher’s Walk. † Until old age prevented him, he is said to have missed this regular appearance only on the occasion when Rousseau’s Emile so engrossed him that for several days he stayed at home. From 1790 Kant’s health began to decline seriously. He still had many literary projects but found it impossible to write more than a few hours a day. The writings that he then completed consist partly of an elaboration of subjects not previously treated in any detail, partly of replies to criticisms and to the clarification of misunderstandings. With the publication in 1793 of his work Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der blossen Vernunft (Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone), Kant became involved in a dispute with Prussian authorities on the right to express religious opinions. The book was found to be altogether too rationalistic for orthodox taste. He was charged with misusing his philosophy to the â€Å"distortion and depreciation of many leading and fundamental doctrines of sacred Scripture and Christianity† and was required by the government not to lecture or write anything further on religious subjects. Kant agreed but privately interpreted the ban as a personal promise to the king, Frederick William II, from which he felt himself to be released on the latter’s death in 1797. At any rate, he returned to the forbidden subject in his last major essay, â€Å"Der Streit der Fakultaten† (1798; â€Å"The Conflict of the Faculties†). In 1797 Kant published Die Metaphysik der Sitten (The Metaphysics of Morals), comprising Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Rechtslehre (The Philosophy of Law) and Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Tugendlehre (The Doctrine of Virtue). The former was the major statement of his political philosophy, which he also discussed in Zum ewigen Frieden (1795; Project for a Perpetual Peace) and in the essay â€Å"Uber den Gemeinspruch: Das mag in der Theorie richtig sein, taugt aber nicht fur die Praxis† (1793; â€Å"On the Old Saw: That May Be Right In Theory, But It Won’t Work in Practice†). The large work at which he laboured until his death—the fragments of which fill the two final volumes of the great Berlin edition of his works—was evidently intended to be a major contribution to his critical philosophy. What remains, however, is not so much an unfinished work as a series of notes for a work that was never written. Known as the Opus postumum, its original title was Ubergang von den metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft zur Physik (â€Å"Transition from the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science to Physics†). It may have been Kant’s intention in this work to carry further the argument advanced in the Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft (1786; Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science) by showing that it is possible to construct a priori not merely the general outline of a science of nature but a good many of its details as well. But judging from the extant fragments, however numerous they are, it remains conjectural whether its completion would have constituted a major addition to his philosophy and its reputation. After a gradual decline that was painful to his friends as well as to himself, Kant died in Konigsberg on February 12, 1804. His last words were â€Å"Es ist gut† (â€Å"It is good†). His tomb in the cathedral was inscribed with the words (in German) â€Å"The starry heavens above me and the moral law within me,† the two things that he declared in the conclusion of the second Critique â€Å"fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and the more steadily we reflect on. † IMMANUEL KANT Prepared by: Cherry B. Ordonez Alliona Gem S. Tolentino N- 201.

What Is a Photon in Physics

A photon is a particle of light defined as a discrete bundle (or quantum) of electromagnetic (or light) energy. Photons are always in motion and, in a vacuum (a completely empty space), have a constant speed of light to all observers. Photons travel at the vacuum speed of light (more commonly just called the speed of light) of c 2.998 x 108 m/s. Basic Properties of Photons According to the photon theory of light, photons: behave like a particle and a wave, simultaneouslymove at a constant velocity, c 2.9979 x 108 m/s (i.e. the speed of light), in empty spacehave zero mass and rest energycarry energy and momentum, which are also related to the frequency (nu) and wavelength (lamdba) of the electromagnetic wave, as expressed by the equation E h nu and p h / lambda.can be destroyed/created when radiation is absorbed/emitted.can have particle-like interactions (i.e. collisions) with electrons and other particles, such as in the Compton effect in which particles of light collide with atoms, causing the release of electrons. History of Photons The term photon was coined by Gilbert Lewis in 1926, though the concept of light in the form of discrete particles had been around for centuries and had been formalized in Newtons construction of the science of optics. In the 1800s, however, the wave properties of light (by which is meant electromagnetic radiation in general) became glaringly obvious and scientists had essentially thrown the particle theory of light out the window. It wasnt until Albert Einstein explained the photoelectric effect and realized that light energy had to be quantized that the particle theory returned. Wave-Particle Duality in Brief As mentioned above, light has properties of both a wave and a particle. This was an astounding discovery and is certainly outside the realm of how we normally perceive things. Billiard balls act as particles, while oceans act as waves. Photons act as both a wave and a particle all the time (even though its common but basically incorrect, to say that its sometimes a wave and sometimes a particle depending upon which features are more obvious at a given time). Just one of the effects of this wave-particle duality (or particle-wave duality) is that photons, though treated as particles, can be calculated to have frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and other properties inherent in wave mechanics. Fun Photon Facts The photon is an elementary particle, despite the fact that it has no mass. It cannot decay on its own, although the energy of the photon can transfer (or be created) upon interaction with other particles. Photons are electrically neutral and are one of the rare particles that are identical to their antiparticle, the antiphoton. Photons are spin-1 particles (making them bosons), with a spin axis that is parallel to the direction of travel (either forward or backward, depending on whether its a left-hand or right-hand photon). This feature is what allows for polarization of light.