Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Ethics - Essay Example As per his analogy, there exists three social classes; the noble, slaves and priestly class. Guided by their subjective inclinations, the noble class defines morality by rendering what they perceive as being favorable to be good and vise versa (Nietzsche, 2010 p. 167). Conversely, those in the slave class remain oppressed by the distinctions made by the noble class; whereby, they live a resigned life serving the nobles with any attempt to progress thwarted. However, Nietzsche recognized that not everyone outside of the noble class remain passive to oppression by the noble class. They belong to the priestly class characterized by their hatred for those in the noble class, and unwillingness to accept a lower position in the social hierarchy (Nietzsche, 2010 p. 171). As a result, they developed a feeling of ressentiment conjured up by a â€Å"slave revolt† mentality. Nietzsche defined ressentiment as a reactive feeling to a continuous perceived sense of oppression; whereby, pent up frustrations predispose individuals to creating an â€Å"imaginary place† where they can direct these feelings. Discussed below is the origin of this psychological orientation, ressentiment’s role in shaping attitudes held by people today, whether individual’s values stem from this attitude and avenues for transformation to become better (Nietzsche, 2010 p 172). Nietzsche referred to ressentiment as a psychic mechanism. Psychic mechanisms are products of the ego, which result from the ego’s need to protect itself from a situation it perceives as a threat; for example, situations that impact the mood and affect of an individual negatively. Psychologist Sigmund Freud later referred to these psychic mechanisms as defense mechanisms and added more; for example, denial, regression, sublimation and displacement among others. According to him, defense mechanisms acted as coping mechanisms for individuals. Moreover, they functioned to prevent a state of incong ruence within an individual. Nietzsche’s ressentiment feeling is no different from Freud’s defense mechanisms because they all function to protect the individual and ensure minimal interference with their internal state of balance. Normalcy in a person’s psychological, physiological, cognitive, spiritual and social realms can only be achieved in the presence of internal balance. In this case, ressentiment functions to preserve balance by providing an outlet for pent up frustrations (Nietzsche, 2010 p. 173). In spite of the good brought about by psychic mechanisms, they also prove unfavorable in the sense that they function to distort reality by cocooning an individual; therefore, preventing them from dealing with unfavorable situations. Ressentiment as a reactive feeling provided an outlet for pent up frustrations; however, it failed to equip the slaves and priests with the strength they needed to overcome the nobles. In fact, the dynamics in the social hierarch y remained unaltered with the nobles living in their blissful state whereas their subordinates living in their pitiful state. People living in today’s society have not undergone a huge transformation in their mindset. In fact, many find themselves taking the easier way out, cowering from confronting issues. This is because stratifications in different aspects of the society are still in present. Arising from these stratifications in the society is a privileged class equipped with resources and the power to define morality in its entirety. The underprivileged, subordinate class

Proof reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Proof reading - Essay Example Unlike the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, Aegean writing is not considered an art but was considered to be a craft that very few specialize during their time. The origins were blurry except for signs of Prepalatial Period influences. It also did not contain definite developments between periods found in the Aegean. Original scripts are found in ‘First Palace Period Crete’ and they are with preceding documents in written form. In Crete, the development of writing was highly necessary because of the need for recording and storying the commodities. However, this idea came from the East although it â€Å"does not characterize a completely imitative demonstration† (Dickinson, p.193). Crete writing shows no signs of its origins deriving from the Eastern civilizations which had early proofs of writing in their culture. It is regarded as inherent invention in the local level. Crete’s clay documents were sun-dried while Eastern people bake their documents. Some believe that some records were written in perishable material such as papyrus or parchment. However, the evidence was not strong enough to prove it as fact. This leaves question regarding the usage and the contents of the materials. The artifacts contained what are perceived to be records regarding commodities and other unclear matters that the era imposed. In many signs of writing, the hieroglyphics, which was the earliest script found in writing, is known to be of north Crete particularly Mallia (Dickinson p.193-194). Linear A which evolved from hieroglyphics found in Phylakopi and Ayia Irini as tablets fragments and also in Akrotiri, Kastri and Ayios Stephano. This had tremendous influence on the sc ripts found in Cyprus that later on evolved into another level of writing known as Linear B. During The Third Palace Period, Linear B seems to be a developed version of those found at Knossos. Linear B was not only the development of writing

Cyclic Voltammetry Principle

Cyclic Voltammetry Principle Cyclic voltammetry is the most widely used technique for acquiring qualitative information about electrochemical reactions [34, 35]. The power of cyclic voltammetry results from its ability to provide considerable information on the thermodynamics and kinetics of heterogeneous electron transfer reactions [47, 48], and coupled chemical reactions [36, 37]. It also provides mathematical analysis of an electron transfer process at an electrode [41, 49, 50]. Basic Principle of Cyclic voltammetry An electron transfer process with a single step may be represented as; O + ne à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ R (2.1) where O and R are oxidized and reduced form of electoractive species respectively, which either is soluble in solution or absorbed on the electrode surface and are transported by diffusion alone. Cyclic voltammetry consists of scanning linearly the potential of a stationary working electrode (in an unstirred solution), using a triangular potential waveform. Depending on the information sought, single or multiple cycles can be used. During the potential sweep, the potentiostat measures the current resulting from the applied potential. The resulting plot of current vs. potential is termed as cyclic voltammogram. The excitation signal in cyclic voltammetry is given in Fig. 2.1a. Initially the potential of the electrode is Ei. Then the potential is swept linearly at the rate of ÃŽÂ ½ volts per second. In cyclic voltammetry reversal technique is carried out by reversing direction of scan after a certain time t =ÃŽÂ » .The potential at any time E (t) is given by E (t) = Ei ÃŽÂ ½t t E (t) = Ei 2ÃŽÂ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ » + ÃŽÂ ½t tà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ » (2.2b) HereÃŽÂ ½ is scan rate in V/s. The shape of the resulting cyclic voltammogram can be qualitatively explained as follows: When potential is increased from the region where oxidized form O is stable, cathodic current starts to flow as potential approaches E0 for R/O couple until a cathodic peak is reached. After traversing the potential region in which the reduction process takes place, the direction of potential sweep is reversed. The reaction-taking place in the forward scan can be expressed as O + e- à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ R During the reverse scan, R molecule (generated in the forward half cycle, and accumulated near the surface) is reoxidized back to O and anodic peak results. R à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® O + e- In the forward scan as potential moves past Eo, the near-electrode concentration of O falls to zero, the mass transfer of O reaches a maximum rate, in unstirred solution, this rate then declines as the depletion of O further and further from electrode takes place. Before dropping again current passes through a maximum. Reversal of scan repeats the above sequence of events for the oxidation of electrochemically generated R that now predominates in near-electrode region. The continuous change in the surface concentration is coupled with an expansion of the diffusion layer thickness (as expected in the quiescent solutions). The resulting current peaks thus reflect the continuous change of the concentration gradient with time, hence, the increase to the peak current corresponds to the achievement of diffusion control, while the current drop (beyond the peak) exhibits a t-1/2 dependence (independent of the applied potential). For the above reasons, the reversal current has the same shape as the forward one. Electrochemical Cell Electrochemical cell is a sealed vessel which is designed to prevent the entry of air. It has an inlet and outlet to allow the saturation of solution with an inert gas, N2 or Ar. Removal of O2 is usually necessary to prevent currents due to the reduction of O2 interfering with response from system under study. The standard electrochemical cell consists of three electrodes immersed in an electrolyte; Working electrode (WE) Reference electrode (RE) Counter electrode (CE) Working Electrode (WE) The performance of the voltammetric procedure is strongly influenced by the working electrode material. Since the reaction of interest (reduction or oxidation) takes place on working electrode, it should provide high signal to noise characteristics, as well as a reproducible response. Thus, its selection depends primarily on two factors: the redox behaviour of the target analyte and the background current over the potential region required for the measurement. Other considerations include the potential window, electrical conductivity, surface reproducibility, mechanical properties, cost, availability and toxicity. A range of materials have found application as working electrodes for electroanalysis, the most popular are those involving mercury, carbon or noble metals (particularly platinum and gold). Reference Electrode (RE) This functional electrode has a constant potential so it can be used as reference standard against which potential of other electrode present in the cell can be measured. Commonly used reference electrodes are silver-silver chloride or the calomel electrode. Counter of Auxiliary Electrode (CE) It is also termed as auxiliary electrode and serves as source or sink for electrons so that current can be passed from external circuit through the cell. The potential at WE is monitored and controlled very precisely with respect to RE via potentiostat. This may be controlled in turn via interfacing with a computer. The desired waveform is imposed on the potential at the WE by a waveform generator. The potential drop V is usually measured by the current flowing between the WE and CE across a resistor R (from which (I=V/R), the latter connected in series with the two electrodes. The resulting I/V trace, termed as a voltammogram is then either plotted out via an XY chart recorder or, where possible, retained in a computer to allow any desired data manipulation prior to hard copy being taken. Single Electron Transfer Process Three types of single electron transfer process can be studied. Reversible process Irreversible process Quasi-reversible process Based on values of electrochemical parameters, i.e. peak potential Ep, half peak potential (Ep/2), half wave potential (E1/2), peak current (ip), anodic peak potential Epa, cathodic peak potential Epc etc, it can be ascertained whether a reaction is reversible, irreversible or quasi-reversible. Ep is the potential corresponding to peak current ip, Ep/2 is the potential corresponding to 0.5 ip, E1/2 is the potential corresponding to 0.85 ip. These  electrochemical parameters can be graphically obtained from the voltammogram as shown in the Fig. 2.2. Reversible Process The heterogeneous transfer of electron from an electrode to a reducible species and vice versa O + ne à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ R is a form of Nernstian electrode reaction with assumption that at the surface of electrode, rate of electron transfer is so rapid that a dynamic equilibrium is established and Nernstian condition holds i.e. CO(0,t) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ CR(0,t) = Exp[(nFà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢RT)(Ei-ÃŽÂ ½t-Eo)] (2.3) In equation (2.3), Co and CR are concentration of oxidized and reduced species at the surface of electrode as a function of time, Eo is the standard electrode potential, Ei is the initial potential and ÃŽÂ ½ is the scan rate in volts per second. Under these conditions, the oxidized and reduced species involved in an electrode reaction are in equilibrium at the electrode surface and such an electrode reaction is termed as a reversible reaction. Current Expression Due to difference in concentration of electroactive species at the surface of electrode and the concentration in the bulk, diffusion controlled mass transport takes place. Ficks second law can be applied to obtain time dependent concentration distribution in one dimension of expanding diffusion layer. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ci(x, t) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡t = Dià ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡2Ci(x, t) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡x2 (2.4) Peak current is a characteristic quantity in reversible cyclic voltammetric process. The current expression is obtained by solving Ficks law [51]. i = nFACo*(à Ã¢â€š ¬Doa)1/2 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(at) (2.5) where i = current, n = number of electrons transferred, A is the area of electrode, Co* is the bulk concentration of oxidized species, Do is the diffusion coefficient, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ (at) is the current function and a = nFÃŽÂ ½/RT At 298K, function à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(at) and the current potential curve reaches their maximum for the reduction process at a potential which is 28.5/n mV more negative than the half wave potential i.e. at n(Ep-E1/2) = 28.50 mV, à Ã¢â€š ¬1/2à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(at) = 0.4463 ( Table 2.1). Then the current expression for the forward potential scan becomes (2.6) where ip is the peak current or maximum current. Using T=298K, Area (A) in cm2, Diffusion coefficient (Do) in cm2/s, concentration of species O (Co*) in moles dm-3 and Scan rate (ÃŽÂ ½) in volts sec-1, equation (2.6) takes the following form, (2.7) Equation (2.7) is called Randles Sevick equation [39, 40]. Diagnostic Criteria of Reversibility Certain well-defined characteristic values can be obtained from the voltammogram, for a reversible electrochemical reaction. Relationship between peak potential (Ep) and half wave potential (E1/2) for a reversible reaction is given by, (2.8a) (2.8b) Where E1/2 is potential corresponding to i = 0.8817ip [41]. At 298 K (2.8c) From equations (2.8a) and (2.8b) one obtains, (2.9a) At 298K (2.9b) The peak voltage position does not alter as scan rate varies. In some cases, the precise determination of peak potential Ep is not easy because the observed CV peak is somewhat broader. So it is sometimes more convenient to report the potential at i = 0.5ip called half peak potential, which can be used for E1/2 determination [52]. (2.10a) At 298 K (2.10b) (2.10c) From equations (2.8a) and (2.10a) we obtain, (2.11a) At 298K (2.11b) The diagnostic criterion of single electron transfer reversible reaction is often sufficient to get qualitative as well as quantitative information about the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the system. For a reversible system, should be independent of the scan rate, however, it is found that generally increases with à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®. This is due to presence of finite solution resistance between the reference and the working electrode. Irreversible Process For a totally irreversible process, reverse reaction of the electrode process does not occur. Actually for this type of reaction the charge transfer rate constant is quite small, i.e. ksh à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ 10-5cm sec-1, hence charge transfer is extremely low and current is mainly controlled by the rate of charge transfer reaction. Nernst equation is not applicable for such type of reaction. The process can be best described by the following reaction O + ne à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® R Delahay [51] and later on Mastuda, Ayabe [48], and Reinmuth [53] described the stationary electrode voltammetric curves of the irreversible process. Irreversibility can be diagnosed by three major criteria. A shift in peak potential occurs as the scan rate varies. Half peak width for an irreversible process is given by (2.12) Here ÃŽÂ ± is transfer coefficient and na is the number of electrons involved in rate determining step of charge transfer process. At 298K (2.13) Current expression is given as, i = nFACo*(à Ã¢â€š ¬Dob)1/2 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(bt) (2.14) The function à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(bt) goes through a maximum at à Ã¢â€š ¬1/2à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡(bt) = 0.4958.(Table 2.2). Introduction of this value in equation (2.14) yields the expression (2.15) for the peak  current. A plot of ln ip vs. (Ep-Eo) for different scan rates would be a straight line with a slope proportional to -à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡naF and an intercept proportional to ks,h. Quasi-reversible Process Quasi-reversible process is termed as a process which shows intermediate behaviour between reversible and irreversible processes. Both charge transfer and mass transfer control current of the reaction. For quasi-reversible process value of standard heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, ks,h lies between 10-1 to 10-5 cm sec-1[42]. Cyclic voltammogram for quasi-reversible process is shown in Fig. 2.3. An expression relating the current to potential dependent charge transfer rate was first provided by Matsuda and Ayabe [48]. (2.17) where, ksh is the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant at standard potential Eo of redox system,is the transfer coefficient and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ = 1- à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡. In this case, the shape of the peak and the various peak parameters are functions of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ and the dimensionless parameter à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’, defined as [54] (2.18) For quasi-reversible process current value is expressed as a function of. (2.19) where is expressed as (2.20) is shown in Fig. 2.4. It is observed that when à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’ > 10, the behavior approaches that of a reversible system. It is observed that for a quasi-reversible reaction, ip is not proportional to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ®1/2. For half peak potential we have at 298K (2.21) This implies, These parameters attain limiting values characteristic of reversible or totally irreversible processes as à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’ varies. For à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’ >10, à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾(à ¯Ã‚ Ã…’,à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡) = 2.2 which gives Ep-Ep/2 = 56.5mV (value characteristic of a reversible wave). For Variation of Ά with Άº and ÃŽÂ ± is shown in Fig. 2.5. For three types of electrode processes Matsuda and Ayabe [48] suggested following zone boundaries. a) Reversible (Nernstian) ΆºÃƒ ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³15; ksh à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ 0.3 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1/2cm s-1 b) Quasi-Reversible 15à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ Άº à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ 10-2 (1+ÃŽÂ ±); 0.3 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1/2 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ ksh à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ 2 10-5 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1/2 cm s-1 c) Totally Irreversible Άº Source: Bard, A.J.; Faulkner, L.R. Electrochemical Methods, Fundamentals and Applications, John Wiley, New York, 1980, pp 225. Source: Bard, A.J.; Faulkner, L.R. Electrochemical Methods, Fundamentals and Applications, John Wiley, New York, 1980, pp 227. Multi Electron Transfer Process Multi-electron transfer process usually takes place in two separate steps. Two-steps mechanism, each step characterized by its own electrochemical parameters is called EE mechanism. Stepwise reversible EE mechanism is given by following reaction, A + n1e à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ B (E10) (2.22a) B + n2e à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ C (E20) (2.22b) where, A and B are electroactive species and n1 and n2 are the number of electrons involved in successive steps. If A and B react at sufficiently separated potentials with A more easily reducible than B, the voltammogram for overall reduction of A to C consists of two separated waves. The first wave corresponds to the reduction of A to B with n1 electrons and in this potential range the substance B diffuses into the solution. As potential is scanned towards more cathodic values, a second wave appears which is made up of two superimposed parts. The current related to substance A, which is still diffusing toward electrode increases since this species now is reduced directly to substance C by (n1+n2) electrons. In addition, substance B, which was the product of the first wave, can be reduced in this potential region and a portion of this material diffuses back towards the electrode and reacts. Each heterogeneous electron transfer step is associated with its own electrochemical parameters i.e. ks,hi and ÃŽÂ ±i, where i =1, 2 for the 1st and 2nd electron transfer respectively. Based on the value of à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Eo, we come across three different types of cases [50] as shown in the Fig. 2.6. Types of Two Electron Transfer Reactions [50] Case 1: Separate Peaks When à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Eo à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ³ -150mV the EE mechanism is termed as disproportionate mechanism [55]. Cyclic voltammogram consists of two typical one-electron reduction waves. The heterogeneous electron transfer reaction may simultaneously be accompanied by homogenous electron transfer reactions, which in multi-electron system leads to disproportionation. Each disproportionation reaction can be described as, 2R1 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ O+ R2 (2.23) The equilibrium constant K (disproportionation constant) is given by (2.24) It can be derived from the difference between the standard potentials using (2.25) Case 2: In this case, the individual waves merge into one broad distorted wave whose peak height and shape are no longer characteristics of a reversible wave. The wave is broadened similar to an irreversible wave, but can be distinguished from the irreversible voltammogram, in that the distorted wave does not shift on the potential axis as a function of the scan rate. Case 3: = 0mV Single peak In this case, in cyclic voltammogram, only a single wave would appear with peak current intermediate between those of a single step one electron and two electron transfer reactions and Ep-Ep/2 = 21 mV. Case 4: E1o If the energy required for the first second electron transfer is less than that for the first, one wave is observed having peak height equal to 23/2 times that of a single electron transfer process. In this case, Ep E1/2 = 14.25 mV. The effective E0 for the composite two electron wave is given by [50]. Source: Polcyn, D.S.; Shain, I. J. Anal. Chem. 1966, 38, 370. Cyclic Voltammetric Methods for the Determination of Heterogeneous Electron Transfer Rate Constant Cyclic voltammetry provides a systematic approach to solution of diffusion problems and determination of different kinetic parameters including ks,h. Various methods are reported in literature to determine heterogeneous rate constants. Nicholson [41, 42], Gileadi [56] and Kochi [37] developed different equations to calculate heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants. Nicholsons Method [41, 42] Nicholson derived an expression for determination of heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant ksh. This method is based on correlation between and ks,h through a dimensionless parameter by following equation, (2.26) where is scan rate. for different values of ΆEp can be obtained from the Table 2.3. Hence, if ΆEp (Epa-Epc) is determined from the voltammogram, can be known from Table 2.3. From the knowledge of, , ksh can be calculated using equation (2.27). If D o= DR then ÃŽÂ ³=1 (2.27) This method is applied for voltammograms having peak separation in the range of 57mV to 250mV, and between this range, the electrode process progresses from reversible to irreversible. With increasing scan rate, the peak separation and hence à Ã‹â€  decreases. It can be seen from the Table 2.3, that for reversible reactions i.e. for the current voltage curves and is independent of . For totally irreversible reaction i.e. for the back reaction becomes unimportant, anodic peak and is not observed. For quasi-reaction i.e. for 0. 001 Separation of cathodic and anodic peak potential as a function of the kinetic parameter à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¹ in the cyclic voltammogram at room temperature. Kochis Method Kochi and Klinger [37] formulated another correlation between the rate constant for heterogeneous electron transfer and peak separation. The expression for ksh given by Kochi was (2.28) The standard rate constant ksh can be calculated from the difference of peak potentials and the sweep rates directly. This equation applies only to sweep rates which are large enough to induce electrode irreversibility. The relation derived by Kochi is based on following expressions derived by Nicholson and Shain [41]. (2.29a) (2.29b) where ÃŽÂ ² = 1-ÃŽÂ ± , and à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ is the scan rate. Equations (2.29a) and (2.29b) yield (2.30) This expression is used for the determination of the transfer coefficient. Assuming that (for reversible reaction). We have, (2.31) Gileadis Method Gileadi [56] formulated a more sophisticated method for the determination of heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, ks,h, using the idea of critical scan rate, c. This method can be used in the case where anodic peak is not observed. When reversible heterogeneous electron transfer process is studied at increasing scan rates, peak potential values also vary and process progresses towards irreversible. If are plotted against the logarithm of scan rates, a straight line at low scan rates and ascending curve at higher scan rate is obtained. Extrapolation of both curves intersects them at a point known as toe. This toe corresponds to the logarithm of critical scan rate, c. as shown in Fig. 2.7. Hence critical scan rate can be calculated experimentally. ks,h can be calculated as, (2.32) where à Ã¢â‚¬ ¦c is the critical scan rate, ÃŽÂ ± is a dimensionless parameter, called transfer coefficient and Do is the diffusion coefficient. Coupled Chemical Reactions Although charge transfer processes are an important part of entire spectrum of chemical reactions, they seldom occur as isolated elementary steps. Electron transfer reactions coupled with new bond formation or bond breaking steps are very frequent. The occurrence of such chemical reactions, which directly affect the available surface concentration of the electroactive species, is common to redox processes of many important organic and inorganic compounds. Changes in the shape of the cyclic voltammogram resulting from the chemical competition for the electrochemical reactant  or product, can be extremely useful for elucidating the reaction pathways and for providing reliable chemical information about reactive intermediates [35]. It is convenient to classify the different possible reaction schemes in which homogeneous reactions are associated with the heterogeneous electrons transfer steps by using letters to signify the nature of the step. E represents an electron transfer at the electrode surface, and C represents a homogenous chemical reaction. While O and R indicate oxidized and reduced forms of the electroactive species, other non electroactive species which result from the coupled chemical complication are indicated by W, Y, Z, etc [57]. The order of C with respect to E then follows the chronological order in which the two events occur [58]. So according to sequence of step, the systems are classified as EC, ECE, CE etc. These reactions are further classified on basis of reversibility. For example, subclasses of EC reactions can be distinguished depending on whether the reactions are reversible (r), quasi-reversible (q), or irreversible (i), for example Er Cr, ErCi, EqCi, etc. Two Steps Coupled Chemical Reactions In two steps reactions, a variety of possibilities exist, which include chemical reactions following or preceding a reversible or an irreversible electron transfer [59, 60, 61, 62]. The chemical reactions themselves may be reversible or irreversible. a) Preceding Chemical Reactions (CE) In a preceding chemical reaction, the species O is the product resulting from a chemical reaction. Such a reaction influences the amount of O to be reduced so forward peak is perturbed. For a preceding chemical reaction, two mechanisms are possible, depending on whether the electron transfer is reversible CrEr or irreversible CrEi [58]. Reversible Electrode Process Preceded by a Reversible Chemical Reaction (CrEr Reaction) The process in which a homogeneous chemical reaction precedes a reversible electron transfer is schematized as follows: (2.33) where Y represents the non electroactive species and O and R are the electroactive congeners. Since the supply of electroactive species O results from the chemical reaction, it is important to know that how much of O is formed during the time scale of cyclic voltammogram. In this connection, it must be noted that the time scale of voltammetry is measured by the parameter a = nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT for a reversible process and b = ÃŽÂ ±naFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT for a quasi reversible or an irreversible process It means that the time scale of cyclic voltammetry is a function of the scan rate, in the sense that higher the scan rate, the higher is the competition of the voltammetric intervention with respect to the rate of chemical complication. The limit at which the chemical complication can proceed is governed either by the equilibrium constant K or the kinetics of the homogeneous reaction (l = kf+kr). In this regard, it is convenient to distinguish three limiting cases depending on the rate of chemical complication [41]. Slow preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr When K is large (i.e. K > 20) most of O will already be present in solution, the response is apparently not disturbed by the latter, i.e. it appears as a simple reversible electron transfer. When K is small, the small electron transfer again appears as a simple reversible process except that the peak current will be smaller than is expected on the basis of quantity of Y in the solution. This results because the concentration of the electroactive species CO, being determined by the equilibrium of the preceding reaction is equal to a fraction of species Y placed in the solution. where C* = CO (x,0) +CY(x,0) Fast preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr >> nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) When K is large, once again the response appears as a simple reversible electron transfer, but the measured standard potential Eo/* is shifted toward more negative values compared to the standard potential Eo/ of the couple O/ R by a factor of . When K is small, because of the fast continuous maintaining of the small equilibrium amount of O, the complete depletion of O at the electrode surface will never be reached, so that the forward profile no longer maintains the peak shape form, rather assumes a sigmoidal S-shaped curve, the height of which remains constant at all scan rates. Intermediate preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr = nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) In this case, the kinetics can be studied using the ratio between the kinetic and the diffusive currents according to the relationship (2.34) Irreversible Electrode Process Preceded by a Reversible Chemical Reaction (CrEi Reaction) This process is schematizes as. (2.35) In this case, not only the thermodynamic K (kf / kr) and kinetic (kf + kr) parameters of preceding chemical reaction but also the kinetic parameters of the electron transfer (ÃŽÂ ±, k0) play a role. Obviously the lack of reverse peak is immediately apparent, due to the irreversibility of the charge transfer. The curves are also more drawn out because of the electron transfer coefficient, ÃŽÂ ±. Slow preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr In this case, the process appears as a simple irreversible electron transfer. The peak height of the process depends on the equilibrium constant because, as mentioned in the previous case, the concentration of the active species CO is a fraction of the amount C* put in the solution: Fast preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr >> nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) If instead the reaction kinetics is fast, there are two possibilities: If K is large, again the response appears as if the preceding chemical reaction would be absent. However, the peak potential is shifted towards more negative values than those that would be recorded in the absence of the chemical complication by a factor equal to . If K is small, as in the preceding case, an easily recognizable S-like curve voltammogram is obtained having a limiting current independent from the scan rate (2.36) Intermediate preceding chemical reaction (kf+kr = nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) Here again, the kinetics can be studied using the ratio between the kinetic and diffusive currents according to the relationship (2.37) b) Following Chemical Reactions (EC) The process in which the primary product of an electron transfer becomes involved in a chemical reaction is indicated by EC mechanism. It can be represented by O + ne à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ R R à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ Z (2.38) where O and R are the electroactive congeners and Z represents the non electroactive species. Several situations are possible depending on the extent of electrochemical reversibility of the electron transfer and on the reversibility or irreversibility of the chemical reaction following the electron transfer. As a general criterion, in cyclic voltammetry, the presence of a following reaction has little influence on the forward peak, whereas it has a considerable effect on the reverse peak. Reversible Electrode Process Followed by a Reversible Chemical Reaction (ErCr Reaction) ErCr mechanism can be written as (2.39) Once again the voltammetric response will differ to a greater or lesser extent with respect to a simple electron transfer depending on the values of either the equilibrium constant, K, or the kinetics of the chemical complication (kf+kr) [58]. Analogously to that discussed for preceding equilibrium reactions, three limiting cases can be distinguished. Slow following chemical reaction (kf+kr If the rate of chemical reaction is low, it has a little effect on the process, thus reducing it a simple reversible electron transfer. Fast following chemical reaction (kf+kr >> nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) If the rate of the chemical complication is high, the system will always be in equilibrium and the voltammogram will apparently look like a non complicated reversible electron transfer. However, as a consequence of the continual partial removal of the species R from the electrode surface, the reduction occurs at potential values less negative than that of a simple electron transfer by an amount of . Due to the fast kinetics of the chemical complication, the potential will remain at this value regardless of the scan rate. Intermediate following chemical reaction (kf+kr=nFà Ã¢â‚¬ ¦/RT) If the kinetics of the chemical reaction are intermediate with the scan rate the response gradually shifts from previous value for a fast chemical reaction [which was more anodic by w.r.t. to value of the couple O/R] towards the Eo/ value assuming more and more the values predicted by the relationship (2.40) In other words, the response (which for the fast kinetics is more anodic compared to E0/) due to the competitive effects of the potential scan rate moves towards more cathodic values by 30/n (mV) for every ten fold increase in the scan rate. However, it is noted that at the same time, the reversible peak tends to disappear, in that on increasing the scan rate, the species Z does not have time to restore R. This is demonstrated by the current ratio which is about one at low scan rates, but it tends to zero at high scan rates. Reversible Electrode Process Followed by an Irreversible Chemical R

My Trip to Italy Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

My Trip to Italy I stood in the town square of the small village. Like any other normal day, people were going about their day-to-day business. Old men sat on a wooden bench beneath a large tree and predicted this year’s crop. Women shared town gossip as they shopped for groceries, and children sucked on lollipops while they played along the cobblestone streets. However, unlike any other day, the whole crowd had stopped in unison and darted their eyes in my direction, their full attention on me. I heard hushed whispers as I passed by the crowd, â€Å"Americano!† â€Å"Oh mio Dio, guarda com’à ¨ alto!† I lowered my head as I thought to myself, â€Å"What the hell am I doing here? I’m in a country where I don’t know the language or the culture, and I have another nine and a half months until I go home!† I didn’t know it then, but those nine and a half months that lay in front of me would be the experience that would challenge my views and goals a nd help shape the person I am today. My journey started when I came to the conclusion that, after high school, I wanted (and needed) a break. My senior year had been less than perfect, as I didn’t apply myself, was lazy, partied, and lost my parents’ trust and respect. I was a man without direction or a purpose, and knew that college would be just like high school but with more parties and less parental supervision. I quickly decided that instead of going straight to college, I would take a year off and participate in an exchange program. I’m part Italian, and I’ve always had a desire to trace my roots and to experience Italy and â€Å"la dolce vita† or â€Å"the sweet life.† When I signed the papers to go to Italy for the exchange program, I pictured myself lying in a hammock on a beach, surrounded by three... ...unfair when I left, suddenly became people when I returned. I suddenly realized their good intentions and how they had sacrificed so much so that I would be able to educate and better myself. I made time for friends, and went out of my way to acknowledge and help people who I wouldn’t have noticed before. I fully appreciated everything in my life, and all the things I had taken for granted suddenly became important and meaningful. Katharine Butler Hathaway once said, â€Å"A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change.† In doing this, I broadened my horizons and changed my outlook on life. Now, as I move on to college, I am leaving my family and friends again to educate and better myself so that I am prepared to walk down any path on the road of life.

‘The Making of Modern Russia’, 1856-1964

a) To what extent do these sources agree that Russian government policy on agriculture consistently failed and that peasants resisted it under both Tsarist and Communist rule? Source1 concerns the emancipation statute of 1861. Western historian Ronald Hingley cites the introduction of redemption payments â€Å"serfs resented receiving too little land for their needs† this undermines the fundamental aims of the policy. Source 1 makes reference to how the Mir was in charge of paying the redemption payments for the whole village. Hingley points out that â€Å"individual peasants were bound in various ways to their village communes†; peasants were detained in their villages until the payments were received. Hingley notes the creation of Special Courts delegated to discipline unruly peasants â€Å"the flogging of recalcitrant peasants† this is evidence of peasant rebellion, mainly due to the fact they were in a poorer position after emancipation than they were before the policy was introduced. Source 1 suggests agricultural policies were a failure, and provoked peasant uprising, due to the hope the emancipation edict gave peasants of being free. Source 2, meanwhile, presents a mixed view on Stolypin's agricultural reforms. Unlike Source 1 from 1992, this piece of evidence was documented circa 1906. It is therefore unaffected by later analysis or post-Communist interpretation. The first quote is from Stolypin himself, stating that the government has placed â€Å"its wager† on the â€Å"sturdy and the strong†, this indicates that past agricultural reform, such as emancipation have failed, as further â€Å"wagers† or reforms were needed. The other two quotes deal with Stolypin's reforms more directly. The second quote is from a Tsarist Official. It provides direct evidence of rebellion by peasants towards Stolypin's reforms â€Å"The peasants were very hostile to the Law of 9 November† rebellions were commonplace, peasants feared that if land belonged to an individual as opposed to the commune, a consequence would be some would be left with nothing. The third quote is from a peasant, it is important to not that 10% of the peasants in Russia did take up Stolypin's proposals. Segei Semenov endorses Stolypin's reforms anticipating a â€Å"bright new future† this challenges the notion that all agricultural policies consistently failed. Stolypin's reforms were based on good principles that could have revitalized agriculture in Russia. This does suggest that this reform did bring some success, but the general consensus confirms that many peasants preferred social security resulting in the failure of the policy. Source 3 is an excerpt from a meeting between Churchill and Stalin during the Second World War. We se Stalin's personal view regarding the collective farm policy, it is thus a subjective piece of evidence. Stalin implies suggests that the collective farm policy was a failure; he refers to the policy as â€Å"a terrible struggle†. Stalin insinuates peasant resistance against the policy, stating some kulaks were â€Å"wiped out by their labourers† the resistance was a product of peasant reluctance to work on collectivised farms. The farms provided little reward or incentive to the actual peasants growing the grain resulting in the dramatic deterioration of the quality and quantity of the grain. Source 3 ends with an important comment that food supply had been â€Å"vastly increased† this indicates policy victory. However modern evidence undermines Stalin's statement, STATISTIC more and more people were dying of famine during the period of collectivization. Although, Source 3 opposes the view that agricultural policy failed, its reliability is debateable and should be questioned before it is taken into account. Source 4 is an extract from Eduard Shevardandse's ‘The future belongs to Freedom' Source 4 describes the Virgin Land Schemes introduced by Khrushchev/. One must note that the writer was a Communist Youth League activist, and may have been more likely to exaggerate the support the peasants actually gave to the scheme. There is no mention of opposition to the scheme, on the contrary Shevardandse describes the â€Å"trains packed with young volunteers† this stands for optimism on part of peasantry towards the scheme. Source 5 confirms the implication in Source 4 of support in some measure for the project as the scheme did successfully increase the amount of grain produced between 1958 to 1965 from 100 to 114. While the evidence in Source 4 may be true to some extent, the reliability of the source is questionable. The other factor source 4 presents is the relative success of the scheme. Source 5 does seem to disagree with the statement that the policy failed due to the increase in grain production. In Source 4 it is suggested that the policy could have been a triumph had it not been for â€Å"stupid decisions† which weighed down many successes. These â€Å"ill-conceived strategies† included lack of coherence between the crops and the terrain, and deficiency of storage place for the grain, consequently the â€Å"crops rotted in the fields†. Source 5 reinforces the feeling that the scheme was a failure, as the agricultural output during the seven year plan only increased by 14%, the target for 1965 was 170, only 114 was achieved. Source 6 also argued that Khrushchev's policy was for the most part unsuccessful. However the failure is blamed on Khrushchev's inheritance of â€Å"a generation of neglect†. The reliability of some sources must be taken into consideration. Some sources suggest subjectivity and bias such as Sources 3 and 4. Policies such as Stolypin's land reforms and Khrushchev's Virgin Land Schemes are shown to have limited success, but ultimately they both failed to reach targets required. By and large, all the sources do converge in the belief that most of the agricultural policies did fail consistently to a degree. Similarly there is evidence that it was resisted by Peasantry both under Tsarist and Communist rule.

Japanese Internment During World War 2 Essay

Over the span of nine months 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forced from their homes, stripped of their belongs and denied basic human rights (1). During World War 2, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Canadian government felt people of Japanese origin could be a threat to the Canadian war effort. Because of this, thousands of Japanese Canadian citizen’s were moved to internment camps in British Columbia. The internment of the Japanese Canadians was wrong because it was completely unjustified, most of the people put in the internment camps had a Canadian citizenship, were treated very poorly and there wasn’t any proof that they would do anything negatively effect Canada during the war. No human being should have ever been treated this way. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor Canadian racism towards Japanese citizens intensified. Although the Canadian military didn’t feel that the Japanese were a threat to them, the public believed that the Japanese citizens showed too much sympathy for Japan and were a threat to the country’s security as they could be spies (2). This common belief led to the decision of the Japanese being moved to a â€Å"safety zone† in interior British Columbia. I feel that this was extremely wrong because the Japanese hadn’t done anything to deserve this. Many of the people who were interned had lived in Canada their whole lives and considered themselves to be loyal Canadian citizen. They felt just as afraid and threatened by the war as every other Canadian was. Shortly after the internment began, an RCMP officer wrote a secret letter to a government agent stating, â€Å"We have had no evidence of espionage or sabotage among the Japanese in British Columbia† (1). This helps to prove the Japanese were innocent and should not have been put in internment camps; they clearly hadn’t done anything wrong. After the Japanese were brutally ripped from their homes, humiliated, and had their belongings taken from them they were forced to live in internment camps. They were forced to do hard labor and their knew houses lacked the basic standards of living. This is another reason why what the Canadian government did was so terrible. People were crammed into small houses that may have had a stove (3). There was an enormous amount of people being shipped to the internment camps but there weren’t nearly enough houses, because of this people were forced to live in tents. When families did get to move from a house to a tent I wasn’t an upgrade; the houses were very poorly insulated and unsanitary. At times there were houses with ten families living in them. When the Japanese people left their homes their land was considered the government’s property and the original owners wouldn’t acquire anything when it was sold. The war had caused a large labor shortage for farmers so the Japanese were used to help fix this problem. Men were given the option to work on a farm and be with their families or work on the road as slaves. The Japanese had to live terrible lives because of a poor decisions made by the Canadian government. The Japanese had done nothing wrong, they were being punished for a crime that they did not commit (1). The only defense that Canada had for doing what they did was the Japanese weren’t white and they could potentially be spies. A main reason that the Canadians put the Japanese into internment camps was because of racism. The Japanese were discriminated against for the reason that they were new to the country and took jobs away from other Canadians. The Japanese were willing to work longer hours for less pay then the average Canadian worker, because of this Canadians feared they would lose their jobs to the knew immigrants (2). Canadians also began to blame things on the Japanese that couldn’t possibly be their fault. Things like a poor harvest or a flat tire would be blamed on the Japanese when they couldn’t possibly be at fault. The Canadian Government did what they did based on fear and racism, but not any facts and this I what made it so terrible. The choice the Canadian government made in interning the Japanese was without a doubt a terrible decision. It was so wrong because there weren’t any real reasons to intern the Japanese, they treated the Japanese terribly and Canadians didn’t have any evidence that the Japanese had done anything wrong. The fact that Canadians could do something so terrible to the Japanese or fellow humans in general based on fear is horrifying. Interning the Japanese was completely unnecessary and shouldn’t ever have happened.