Music in Othello - 1633 Words

Music in Othello In Cyprus, observing the joyous reunion of Othello and Desdemona, Iago says to himself that he will wreck the lovers harmony: O, you are well tuned now! / But Ill set down the pegs that make this music, / As honest as I am (2.1.199-201). The pegs to which he refers are the tuning pegs on a stringed instrument. Their love is the instrument on which Iago is planning to loosen (set down) the pegs until the harmony is turned into discord. [Scene Summary] Because no one like to be a party-pooper, Iago sings drinking songs in order to encourage Cassio to get drunk. Drinking songs tend to be rollicking, jolly justifications of drinking. Iagos first song delivers the message that life is short, so you might as well†¦show more content†¦Othellos occupations gone! (3.3.345-357) The music of war, including the thunder of the cannon, makes Othello feel alive, fully himself, but without Desdemonas love he feels that hes nothing. [Scene Summary] Shortly after Othello has berated Desdemona about the handkerchief, Cassio appears to once again ask Desdemona to intervene on his behalf. She tells him that My advocation is not now in tune; / My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him, / Were he in favour [appearance] as in humour [attitude] alterd (3.4.123-125). In other words, now is not a good time to talk to Othello; hes not himself, and if his appearance had changed as much as his attitude, she wouldnt recognize him. The phrase in tune is so common (in Shakespeares time as well as ours) that it may be a stretch to call it a musical image. [Scene Summary] At a moment when Iago is trying to build Othellos jealousy into a murderous rage, Othello begins to think of what a beautiful, sweet woman Desdemona is. Iago tells him that he needs to put such thoughts out of his mind, and Othello says, Hang her! I do but say what she is. So delicate with her needle. An admirable musician! O, she will sing the savageness out of a bear (4.1.187-189). However, its not Desdemonas music, but Iagos words that win the battle for Othellos soul. Othellos mood becomes ever more savage, and he plans the time, place, and manner ofShow MoreRelatedMusical Characterization For Othello s Othello997 Words   |  4 Pages Musical Characterization for Othello In Verdi’s Othello, the music is used by Verdi to characterize each character in the opera. It is the music who describes the audience the personality traits of each character. Moreover, music accompanies every scene in the opera. In many cases, we can know what is happening or what the character is feeling through the music the orchestra is playing. This is an innovative way to characterize the characters in an opera used by Verdi that do not fit into theRead MoreOthello s Influence On The World Of Opera1295 Words   |  6 PagesVerdi’s Othello has had a profound influence on the world of opera, and considered by many critics to be his best work. Othello has been performed throughout the world, debuting in over 25 countries within the first fifty years of its creation (Stanford). It has been performed all over the globe by world-renowned operettists, in theatres such as the Lincoln Center in New York, the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, and the Bolshoi in Russia. Othel lo is about a general who is led to believe his wife isRead MoreShakespeare Movie vs Play712 Words   |  3 PagesShakespeares Othello: Movie (Oliver parker 1995) Vs. Play Oliver parkers Othello came out in 1995 with Laurence Fishburne as Othello this is also the first time Othello was played by a coloured actor, Kenneth Branagh as Iago and Irene Jacob as Desdemona. Parker kept the original plot and language intact, however the movie seemed to give Othello life through visual and audio aids. Parkers Othello enables the viewer to associate on a personal level and compliments to the anticipation and imaginationRead MorePractice HSC essay1060 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’ and the contemporary appropriation of a film ‘O’ by Tim Blake Nelson are based on the societal values and morals of their time. Issues such as racism, the use of language and deception are timeless making them evident throughout both contexts, hence the engagements in both textual forms. Differing contexts convey concerns in different ways through the use of diverse techniques. For example ‘Othello’ is a play which uses props, stage positioning and lighting comparedRead MoreRe-Contextualization of Othello for a Contemporary Audience Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesOthello is a Shakespearean tragedy involving the schemes and plots of the villainous Iago against the Moor, Othello, and his wife Desdemona. Frantic Assembly’s performance of Othello incorporates the dramatic languages and perspectives of Physical theatre, as well as heightened Realism, to effectively re-contextualize the play for a modern audience. The re-contextualized play is very successful whilst still being true to the original text, combining parts of the Shakespearean script with an arrayRead MoreIn Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello Is as Much a Victim of His Own Weaknesses as of Iago’s Plotting. Write an Essay That Explores the Construction of Othello’s Charact er in Parker’s Film and Shakespeare’s Play.910 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s 1600’s timeless classic Othello presents a differing construction of Othello from the original play, achieved through uses of a plethora of film devices. Both the play and the film masterfully spin a tale of romance, tragedy and death telling the fall of glory of Othello due to the acts of his ensign Iago, albeit with several differences in the presentation. Both Shakespeare and Parker explore themes of jealousy, power, and racism through the key characters of Othello and Iago. Parker utilisesRead MoreJealousy and Race in Othello 1430 Words   |  6 PagesOthello is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies; originally written as a play and performed to an Elizabethan audience. Othello and many of Shakespeare’s other plays have been performed to various audiences since, and have been adapted into Opera, Ballet, Film and television productions. Othello has survived the c enturies to this day and age; and continues to captivate and remain relevant to a modern audience; Othello certainly is a timeless classic work of art. â€Å"The object of tragic imitation is menRead MoreThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish scholars, but also appears on modern historical events and newspaper as well. Playwright and poetry are an art that appeals to the conscious mind, but the best classical playwright such as Othello not only appeals to conscious mind, but also to the subconscious mind. â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,† written by William Shakespeare from the sixteenth century is a tragic love play, and it is an excellent example of â€Å"Renaissance humanism,† said Paul A. Jorgensen, author of theRead MoreTragic Hero in Othello by William Shakespeare1306 Words   |  6 Pagesprojecting. The entire play of Othello conveys a motion that of a Shakespearean Tragedy. Firstly, the plot of a Shakespearean tragedy dictates that there will be multi-action and the culminating of one tragic hero. In Othello, the multi-action takes place between Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Cassio, and Roderigo and how their stories intertwine. The plot structure usually leads to or starts with the hero making a great error in judgment, which leads to his downfall. Othello makes the misjudgment in trustingRead MoreOthello by William Shakespeare790 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello makes numerous poor decisions due to his jealousy. Hitting Desdemona, trusting Iago, and killing Desdemona are among a few of the poor decisions that he makes. The word jealous can be defined as feeling or showing suspicion of someones unfaithfulness in a relationship. Othello feels suspicious of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s relationship because of the lies that Iago tells him. Many people try to tell Othello the truth but he only believes the wor ds

Conflicts Of Interest And Its Impact On Research - 1440 Words

Conflicts of interest appear in all aspects of life, yet in research the potential consequences of these conflicts may be disastrous. Allowing conflicts of interest to exist in science has a negative impact on research – they could damage public opinions of science and slow the progression of research. Scientific disciplines have the potential to harm society, highlighting the need to conduct ethical research free from conflicts of interest. In epidemiology, conflicting interests may have serious repercussions, as demonstrated by the case of Pat Buffler. These cases demonstrate the need to regulate conflicts of interest: strategies are necessary to prevent and manage any conflicts which may arise. Conflicts of interest are circumstances†¦show more content†¦The deliberate or unintentional bias arising from a conflict contributes to research misconduct2, and failure to address these conflicts may damage the public’s attitude towards science2. Furthermore, non-disclosure of secondary interests adds to the distrust between the researcher and other scientists2. Consequently, the efficiency of research is reduced2: modern research requires scientific collaboration to develop materials, specimens and information2, and doubtful results must be cross-examined to be validated. Furthermore, if the researcher’s actions damage the relationship between scientists and funders, future research may stop, as institutions providing financial support may be reluctant to invest in the researcher2. The researcher suffers the most from a discovered conflict of interest, as they are penalised for misconduct. The severity of the penalty reflects the misconduct, and can range fr om exclusion from a research project, retraction of research, or even the researcher’s dismissal5. The appropriate action is affected by the researcher’s scientific discipline, as each institution has different codes of conduct5. Conflicts of interest are present in all scientific disciplines. Epidemiological research has direct impacts for many people, so it is important for the research to be free from misconduct6. As such, research should be of high quality and unbiased by any

Once Bitten Twice Shy free essay sample

Once bitten twice shy is an old adage. In my case, It became a literal truth. I was very mischievous as a young boy. I enjoyed playing pranks and practical jokes on people. I also liked to chase cats and used a handmade catapult to shoot at birds on the trees. My parents did not approve of my behavior and constantly berated me for the mischief I caused. I was even given a good thrashing from my father from time to mime.But I did not mend my ways until this Incident. I had just finished lunch at home and I was feeling very bored. My brothers and sisters, all of them older than I, had not returned home from school. I decided to walk around the neighborhood and I brought my trusty catapult with me. Soon, I came to Mr. . Linings house. His pet dog, a giant Schnauzer, was tied too post outside his house. We will write a custom essay sample on Once Bitten Twice Shy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I looked around and saw that no one was in sight.I decided to make good use o my catapult and picked a few small pebbles from the ground and aimed at the dog. A few of the pebbles hit the poor dog and it began to howl and help in pain. Eventually, the dogs anger was aroused and it began growling and barking fiercely at me while it strained against the ropes to free itself.

Role of Bank Capital Essay Example

Role of Bank Capital Essay Introduction The main aim of this report is to identify the key roles played by bank capital in the banking business. This report briefly outlines the main functions of bank capital and takes a brief look at the benefits of bank capital to the bank and the banking industry. It is hoped that from reading this paper a general understanding of the roles of bank capital in the banking business can be gained. Bank Capital A banks capital also known as equity is the margin by which creditors are covered if the banks assets were liquidated. A bank must hold enough capital to protect lenders and depositors from losses and also allow the bank to meet its customer requirements. Banks must maintain capital levels equal with the amount of risks assumed and hold enough to weather severe and considerably long financial storms. Roles of Bank Capital Banks are susceptible to many forms of systematic risk which at times can evolve into industrial crisis. The risks they face include credit risk, market risk, business risk and interest rate risk to name a few. And bank capital plays an essential role in the absorption of losses related to these risks. Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an obligator will not make future interest payments or principle repayments when due and is the main risk faced by banks, considering how large global financial markets are and the proportion of transactions that may be at risk. Credit risk tends to vary with the business cycle as initial rapid expansion results in falling spreads, and a decline in credit widening spreads with banks being hit by large loses as the spread widens. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Bank Capital specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Bank Capital specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Bank Capital specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Banks are taking on more diverse forms of lending including direct finance, margin lending, over the counter derivatives transactions with the high number of potential defaults in these areas exposing them to large amounts of counterparty risk. There is also credit risk involved with futures brokerage involving intermediaries and the substantial credit risks from settling foreign exchange contracts which are often underestimated. Credit risk also may exist in credit derivatives and asset securitization transactions. To protect themselves banks need to identify the type of credit risk correctly, price it accurately and maintain adequately high amounts of capital in both good times and bad times. Market Risk Capital also protects banks against market risk. This is the risk associated with the movements and volatility in market prices which can cause large swings in bank profitability. Continuous changes in technology and market creativity are resulting in ever changing financial products and market risks making evident a relationship between markets that we had previously thought of as unrelated. These unpredictable changes require banks to maintain strong capital levels especially with the period a bank has to alter its risk profile becoming shorter due to greater competition. Business Risk Capital also provides a cushion against exposures to elements that can impact on the firms’ activities and may result in the bank losing ground relative to its competitors or failing to earn a market rate of return. Bank capital is a crucial aid in relation to operational risk which may result in loss by a bank of its critical business operations due to a disaster such as loss of a communications system which can lead to fraud or processing errors. With the continuing diversification of banking, the growing concentration of the crucial payments, the fast pace of financial innovation and settlements, the importance of operational risk is rising and bank capital becoming more crucial in this area. Liquidity Liquidity is the ability to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they become due. Banks still play a crucial role as liquidity providers in the global economy especially during market shocks or economic turbulence. Adequate bank capital helps reduces liquidity risk, that is, the risk that many depositors will request withdrawals beyond available funds. Banks have managed the general expected liquidity demands since the beginning of the banking business with occasional mismatches exposing banks to interest rate risk, which is the risk that the bank will become unprofitable if rising interest rates force it to pay relatively more on its deposits than it eceives on its loans. Normally this risk can also be managed easily by hedging interest rate changes by the use of derivative instruments. However unanticipated system wide shocks result in a greater demand for liquidity and are far more difficult to deal with. At such times significant liquidity demands emerge from both a banks asset and the liability side. Refinancing short-term debt in the money markets is liabili ty related and off-balance-sheet exposures can unexpectedly come onto the assets side of the balance sheet. Therefore a bank must be prepared when there is a market wide scramble for liquidity and be able to manage funding challenges and unplanned asset expansions simultaneously by having sufficient bank capital. Promote economic growth A strongly capitalized banking sector also is better able to promote innovation, whether in the form of new products, new services or new distribution channels. Banks do not just hold capital to overcome distress, but also because it provides them with financial flexibility. Banks with a strong capital base can take advantage of growth opportunities. A strong banking sector made up of banks with strong capital bases, is better able to supply credit to businesses and fund investment opportunities that promise to encourage growth, create employment and contribute to a stronger economy. On the other hand a weak banking sector with banks unable to function effectively as risk intermediaries inevitably leads to inadequate credit and liquidity in financial markets and to banks that are unable to help boost the productivity of the economy. Clearly this has a grave social impact given the importance of credit and liquidity to the overall economy. Benefits of strong bank capitalization Well capitalized banks will be able to continue with there normal lending practices in the event of an economic shock and will not be forced to reduce their asset base. As well as this they are able to assist weaker banks through the provision of deposit insurance premiums. Sufficient excess capital reserves enable banks to enter into large ventures without having to raise new capital. Banks are not inclined to take on numerous high risk borrowers purely for the potential benefit of high returns as they are not desperately seeking profits to increase their capital base. Excess capital holds the benefit of avoiding high financing costs. An example would be a bank having to pay a high rate of interest on loans from other banks if the banks excess capital reserves are found to be insufficient. With fast-paced technological change predominately in the information systems area well capitalized banks are cushion from the enormous costs of, for example total system upgrades. Finally a banks reputation will suffer if the bank finds it difficult to meet the regulatory body’s capital requirements. Large banks wish to keep their good ratings and therefore have considerable high capital reserves because rating agencies make demands regarding the banks excess capital reserves as a condition for a high rating Conclusion The role of capital is to act as a buffer against future unexpected and even relatively remote losses that a bank may incur and be a source of liquidity. Because banks can both create demand deposits and provide credit they act as shock absorbers during times of turbulence providing safety to risk weary investors and liquidity to borrowers. The dramatic effects of weak banking systems can be seen in both developed and developing economies and the repercussions these have had on financial markets everywhere. Each occasion is a reminder of the need for strongly capitalized financial institutions. References Viney C 2007, McGrath’s Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets, McGraw- Hill †¢Mehta D, Fung H 2004, International Bank Management, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK †¢Bacon F, Tai S, Shin, Suk H, Garg R 2004, Basics of Financial Management, Copley Publishing Company, Action, MA †¢Berger A N, Herring R J, Szego G P 1995, The role of capital in financial institutions, Journal of Banking and Finance 19, Nos. 3-4. †¢Diamond, Douglas W, Rajan R G 2000, A Theory of Bank Capital, The Journal of Finance, V ol. LV, no. 6

buy custom Israeli Palestinian Conflict essay

buy custom Israeli Palestinian Conflict essay The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a present conflict that has been there between Israel and Palestine. The conflict reaches far and wide. Its history dates back to the times of conflict between the Jewish and the Arab people of Palestine under the British rule. It is also a part of the larger Arab-Israeli conflict. The remaining main conflict issues are: security, borders, mutual recognition, control over Jerusalem, the settlement of Israeli, Palestinian freedom movement and the legalities about refugees. The violence that emanates from the conflict has enhanced international actions together with other human rights and security concerns both inside, between the two sides and globally. Moreover, the violence has prevented tourism expansion in the region that is characterized with a lot of religious and historic sites that are of a great interest to many people around the globe (Shlaim, 2000). The confrontation between the Palestinians and the Israelis came to being through two parties that sought the possession of a piece of land. They were both not willing to share the land peacefully. Having turned down many plans of dividing the land, tension grew into violence against guiltless people. Escalating tension and continuing violence has complicated the Israeli-Palestine conflict. It has become very hard to handle the conflict. Terrorism acts in the region started before Israel stated its independence in 1948. The 1920 Palestine riots or Nabi Musa riots started immediately after Israelis began drifting to the region that had been guaranteed to their state in Balfour Declaration. The riots were rather violent disturbances against the Jews by the Arabs in the Old Jerusalem city. The relations of the Arabs, Jews and the British people disintegrated due to the violence that erupted and the Jewish people took a very bold step towards establishing an autonomous security and infra structure system that was parallel to the one established by the British (Morris, 2008). The move taken by the Jews was meant to protect them. Jaffa riots emerged in 1921. The Jewish Communist Party that would afterward be known as the Palestine Communist Party went along the streets; this was a part of celebration of the Israel Day Parade (Bregman, 2002). On this occasion, they attacked the Zionist society calling to put down the British rule. The wish was to create the Palestine Soviet Union. As years passed, the violence was becoming increasingly devastating and frequent. The Hebron Massacre is an example of terrible and violent execution of sixty-seven Jews by their enemies, the Arabs in 1929. The Arabs were influenced by the impression that the Jewish people had been killing Arabs who dwelt in the city of Jerusalem and taking up the holy places of the Muslim community (Gelvin, 2005). The survivors of this 1929 massacre went to Hebron; their deserted property had been occupied and seized by the Arabs for a very long time. This was experienced up to the time of the war that took place for six days in 1967. The Jewish responded to the attacks by reorganizing the Haganah. This was a Jewish group of defense that ultimately developed into the Israel Defense Force. Jews are not just victims in this Israeli-Palestine conflict. There are many extremist groups of Israel that are allegedly guilty of committing terrorist acts against Arabs, the same way the Arabs have initiated attacks against the Jews (Shlaim, 2000). One of the renowned organizations of terrorist Israeli gangs is the Kach. The Kach advocates for the removal of Arabs entirely from the biblical areas of Israel. The Kach has not initiated an immense attack lately. The last attack that they launched was back in 1994. All the same, it is believed that the Kach has been behind a number of low level attacks dating back to 2000. The Kach terrorist group and the Kahane Chai gang grew together from the anti-Arab Rabbi Meir Kahane teachings. Rabbi Meir Kahane was an extremist born in the United States who was assassinated in 1990 in the New York City. After his death, a supporter of Kach shot and murder twenty-nine worshippers of Islam at a mosque in the West Bank. Immediately after that occurrence, Israel banned the operations of the two terrorist groups within Israel borders, and huge attacks from the two organizations have lately ended for quite some time. The current violence has had a huge harmful effect on the kind of peace negotiations for the region. It is difficult to imagine that the two groups having such levels of hostility could lay down their weapons of war to find a solution, specifically after peace talks failed in the past and more so were seen to agitate more attacks (Cohn-Sherbok, 2003). The propagation of violence enhances the formation of a wall between the Palestinians and the Israelis that gets more impregnable with time (Shlaim, 2000). Every attack moves the victim further from accepting terms for an enemy and the aggressor grows more anxious and hostile to attack again. The cycles continues with the roles of the victim and aggressor changing hands to the level where the two sides are hurt, hungry and are not ready to negotiate on peace matters. Terrorism has vividly contributed to a big role in impacting the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This issue started as a mere dispute over the piece of land and may have been handled cautiously. However it was left to violent extremists. With each llogical violent act through these organizations, the area is pushed far away from realizing any logical and sound solution. The best approach to handle this issue would be eliminating the threat of the terrorist groups as they only make the dispute more per sonal, intense and beyond reconciliation. During the World War II, the British inhabited Palestine (Morris, 2008). They gave out a declaration to the Jewish community that their homeland in Palestine would be handed over to them. However, the land was already inhabited by the Palestinians. Later on, Britain opened the way to the Jewish immigration from the European countries. This increased in the times of the WWII and later after the war due to the Holocaust. The United Nations partition plan was an intervention in the Israeli-Palestine conflict by the UN in 1947. All the same, the UN applied an outside power that brought more harm than help. The Israeli-Palestine conflict needed the use of self-determination of people principles. This way, the people of Israel and Palestine would create their own government system and state (Bregman, 2002). In 1948, the Jews comprised above 30% of the entire population and owned only 5% of the total land. Thus, the UN voted in an effort to split Palestine into equal portions for both the Palestinians and Jews to establish Arab and Jewish states to co-exist in Palestine. The move was also taken to make Jerusalem a region to be controlled internationally (Gelvin, 2005). However, the conflict began when the population of the Jews occupied almost 80% of the entire land and built Israel there on. In the process, Israel forcibly removed more than 60% of the refugees of the Palestinian community. Immediately, the UN told Israel to permit the refugees of the Palestinian community to go back to their matrimonial homes. The UNs medieval strategy appeared to divide the land of the people. Under the pressure of the Zionists, the UN sought to give 55% of Palestine to the state of the Jews even though the Palestine community formed 30% of the entire population. The Palestine community at the same tim e owned less than 7% of the land. However, Israel declined to do so even up to date. What was achieved in the UN effort was the returning of some piece of land to the Palestinian refugees (Shlaim, 2000). The 1947-1949 war had emerged earlier on comprised five Arab armies. However, it is hard to establish the fact that the Zionist forces had great numbers than all Palestinian and Arab combatants put together by a factor of about two. Additionally, the Arab armies did not actually assault Israel (Bregman, 2002). Virtually the battles that were fought during this time were conducted on the land that was thought to have been the state of the Palestine community. Ultimately, it is important to point out that the Arab armies went into this conflict only after the forces of the Zionists had carried out sixteen massacres (Gelvin, 2005). This included the gruesome massacre of more than 100 men, children and women at Deir Yassin. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, who was a leader of the Jewish groups of terror, these attacks were splendid. The Jewish people were committed to attacking and smiting their enemies. They believed that God had chosen them for the invasions. Th e Zionists forces carried out thirty three massacres altogether. Towards the end of the war, Israel got hold of almost 80% of the Palestine. A great number of Palestinians were made refugees after the war. Many towns and villages were destroyed and thus a new map was drawn, in which every river, hillock and city got a new Hebrew naming. At the same time, all Palestinian culture that had remained was completely erased. For several decades the Israeli had prevented the existence of the Palestinian population. They unanimously agreed that there was nothing known as Palestinian (Morris, 2008). The six day war broke up in 1967. Israeli went further in their conquest to conquer more land. The forces of Israel initiated a highly victorious surprise attack on Egypt. Israel then occupied the remaining percentage of the Palestine that was not captured in 1948. This was the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. According to the international law, it is not permitted to acquire territory through war. Therefore, the territories do not belong to the Israel community even though they occupy the lands. Moreover, Israel also occupied Egyptian sections and Syria, which have remained under occupation. In the Six-Day War, Israel hijacked the US navy ship, the USS Liberty. They went ahead to kill and injure more than 200 servicemen on board. President Johnson recalled flights of rescue because he did not want to embarrass a friend as he described the attack. This was thought to be an attack on the United States although it has never been fully confirmed (Dershowitz, 2005). There are two basic issues at the centre of the present conflict. For one, there is the unavoidably destabilizing effect of endeavoring to promote an ethnically preferential state, specifically when it is mainly of foreign origin. The original population of what is currently Israel was formerly 96% Christian and Muslim although the refugees are forbidden from going back to their homes in the self-defined Jewish state. The people in Israel are put under systematic discrimination. Another issue is the continued confiscation annd occupation of privately owned pieces of land by the Israeli military personnel in the West Bank. This has been coupled with having control over Gaza which is extremely oppressive. The Palestinians have insignificant control over their way of living. More than 10,000 men, children and women from the Palestinian community are held in Israeli prisons. A very small number among them has had legitimate trial. There is a lot of torture and physical abuse in the Israe li prisons. These events have continued to fuel the conflict silently (Morris, 2008). The Palestinian borders including the internal ones are mainly governed by the Israeli forces. Occasionally, children, women and men are strip searched. The people are normally beaten while women in labor are not allowed to access hospitals which at times cause death amongst them. Medicine and food are obstructed from getting into Gaza. This has led to a looming humanitarian crisis. The Israeli forces attack almost everyday kidnapping, injuring and occasionally killing the inhabitants. The 1993 Oslo peace records indicated that the territories were meant to ultimately become a state of the Palestinians. All the same, after many years of Israelis action to confiscate land and the situation worsening gradually, the population of the Palestinian community fought back (Shlaim, 2000). Arab uprising, commonly known as Intifada meaning shaking off, started towards the end of September in 2000. The United States involvement in the Israeli-Palestine conflict has been towards the support of the Israel community. Mainly as a result of special-interest lobbying, the United States taxpayers offer Israel with about $7 million on daily basis. The United States has financially supported the Israel country more than any other country in the history of the world. Many Americans however are not comfortable with the governments spending on Israel, as the funds have been used entirely for their conflict with Palestine (Dershowitz, 2005). Many people and nations have supported Israeli actions all through the history but the root cause of the Israeli-Palestine conflict seems to have been occasioned by the Israeli community. The Jewish persecution in Europe for centuries had been the worst of the many bad things linked to Europe. The desire of the Zionists to have a sanctuary place is definitely understandable. Same as every other colonial power, Zionism was founded in the absolute disregard of the rights of the aboriginals (Morris, 2008). This is morally indefensible. All subsequent crimes committed by the Israeli community follow from the initial injustice to the Palestinian community. With the damage that has been realized on the people of Palestine, the obligation of Israel is to come up with whatever amends feasible. The look of things in the 21st century seems to endeavor to create a sovereign Palestinian state in the whole of Gaza and the West Bank with its main city in the eastern part of Jerusalem. Israel must not object to this state and, moreover, must assist in the foundation process through generous reparations. Many historians believe that this would be the right thing to embark on. The sporadic violent acts against Israel are thought to come to an end through such measures. The conflict has still persisted because there has been a desire by the Palestinians to repossess their legitimate state. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has persisted even to the 21st century with discrimination going in Israel for the non-Jewish communities (Cohn-Sherbok, 2003). In these modern times, absolute justice would include letting any Palestinian go back to Israel at their own pleasure. However, this is somewhat impractical. It is a recipe for what could be seen as a gateway to more bloodshed. The tension between the two communities still exists. At present, there are some Israeli peace groups that advocate for negotiations to see the return of the many Palestinian refugees who are settling in the state of the Palestinian community. It is felt that the United States has a great role to play in facilitating the success of ensuring justice is realized in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The financial aid from the United States to Israel has been and is indeed enormous and the diplomatic support is the important factor that has allowed Israel to keep on occupying the territories of the Palestinians. There are concerns about the position held by Israel. Apparently, it is felt that Israel does not abide by the world opinion consensus. The UN votes have de manded the withdrawal of the borders that Israel established in 1967 (Dershowitz, 2005). The Israeli-Palestine conflict has continued to be a concern for many allies to both sides. The conflict has diversified and has now appeared like its a war of the Arabs against the rest of the world. Majority of citizens from both communities have advocated for creation of two states in order to end the conflict according to the 2007 polls record. The process of coming up with an amicable solution seems to be going through a vicious cycle (Morris, 2008). One process of change seems to brew more problems and the bad blood between the Israeli people and the Palestinians has persisted. Despite the efforts being made to come up with a solution to this conflict, it is not clear what would be the best approach to address it. Buy custom Israeli Palestinian Conflict essay

Tips For Writing A Microeconomics Essay

Tips For Writing A Microeconomics Essay Microeconomics Essay: Topic of Relevance A big challenge many students face is coming up with a unique topic to write about. Crafting the right question is a crucial part of your writing progression. Just one poor choice and the results can be devastating. In order to choose the right choice topic, figure out which topic you are conversant with because the more you know about it, the easier it will be for your writing process. Choosing your topic in haste can result in very disappointing results since your final work will be jumbled up. Take your time while figuring out the topic of discussion that you are familiar with, do personal research of how best you know it and if it fits your description, draft it. Many students assume that sitting down to brainstorm, conduct research and finally structuring the right question is a waste of time. What you should understand from this is that the time you have invested will save you more time and energy when writing down your essay. Our article has researched and came up with the 65 common topics, particularly in areas microeconomics essay papers focus on. The list consists of both broad and narrow scoped topics. Important Areas of Research Microeconomics is a branch of economic science that entails elements of a scientific study. This study through research has conveyed ways of helping economists predict economic propensities. For instance, they can foresee the market reaction when a specified group of individuals comes up with a purchasing decision. Keep in mind that this model is based on the predictions which are limited to highlighting possible changes on the market. This relates to the market incentives which may give you different results from the ones you predicted. Below is a list of 15 broad-spectrum topics that any micro-economics paper question can be crafted around: Finding a balance for supply and demand Opportunity costs Information economics Elasticity (the extent on variable response can quickly change in another variable) Ecological problems facing the US and Europe due to planned economies Production costs Game theory Flawless competition Consumer demand theory (the ability of the consumers to strike a balance between the need for buying a product, or services rendered and the costs charged). Economics of labor Market structure and the systems that run it Conditions to be met or a microeconomic model to be implemented. Mention the interaction between natural, industrial and household. An argumentative essay based on the microeconomic market organization Theory of production (a study that explains how inputs are converted to outputs). The effect of monopoly on the market (how a single dominant organization that supplies a particular commodity influences the marketplace dynamics and the consumer demand theory Microeconomics Essay Questions Relating to Supply and Demand How is pricing influenced by the dynamics of supply and demand How is the labor market a major influence of supply and demand? Is there an active role the labor union contributes to this? How do diverse market structures influence supply and demand? Microeconomics essay questions that focus on Ecology and Nature How do seasonal variations affect the economy? Discuss ways you can reduce the influence of a small business on an environment How do companies maneuver through ecology based on market and planned economies? What is the overall effect of enforced travel fees on eco-responsibility? What are the indicators of ecological economics that help define its effectiveness? What is your take on the concept of green business process management? Is a crucial part of environmental economics? Does the concept of sustainable development really assure sustainability in terms of Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics Green Economics? What is the ultimate purpose of Ecology, and what do we hope to achieve in advancing the field? What do you think are the differences between green economy and ecological economics? Which paradigm(s) is (are) the most suitable for assessing the economy-environment relationship? How can ecosystem service (ES) assessments be designed to include equity issues about the distribution of benefits and costs of ES use? Explain the concept of Payment of ecosystem services and watershed restoration How to quantify forest ecosystem services such as aesthetic values, recreation, etc.? What is an ecological modeling reference? Can green economies exist outside green markets? What is the basic difference between Ecological Economics and Environmental Economics’? Micro-economic Essay Based on Healthcare Economic models that are applicable in the informal payments of healthcare systems Describe what you can learn on cost-effectiveness analysis of healthcare interventions What are the main characteristics of a private healthcare care system? Explain the correlation of healthcare profits to taxation Micro-economic Essay Questions on Business, SMB, and Manufacturing Economics Problems experienced by a new business due to the current market dynamics? What is the law of diminishing returns and how do you handle its effect on input? How do you develop the profit returns of a business? What is the impact of local manufacturing to the community? What is the effect of purchasing local produce on the economy of a country? What are the main aspects of a successful business? What are the advantages of having a good working atmosphere for a business? What ways can a business employ to survive an economic crisis? How do small companies compete with well-established rivals? Do a case study of business foreseeing closure and make an analysis of alternatives? Carry out research and document the local trends within a community that influence the expansion or opening of a business Benefits of the no-sale policy on a business What are the effects of the recession on a company? Provide a specified company as your specific enterprise to talk about. What are the ways of reducing risk and loss in an expanding business? Define and analyze the traits of a strong leader in a business enterprise What are the strategies you need to employ to ensure a small business does not go bankrupt? Does crowdfunding have any benefits? discuss Discuss the benefits of creativity and their influence on the success of a company Micro-economic Essay Based on Aspects of Social Media, PR, and Advertising: Explain ways advertising influences purchasing decisions How are advertising and microeconomics associated? What are the benefits of this? What are the chances that a business will successfully maneuver through a quality related scandal? The importance of social media advertising in encouraging supply Explain pricing as compared to salary in relation to a minimum wage increase The above samples are relevant in your research for ideas about essays that relate to micro-economics. By reading through this list, I hope that you will get inspired to come up with your own. However, this list should be utilized as a guideline to tailor your own essay question that you can best handle based on your knowledge about it. The topics covered are just a few out of the many that you can find upon research. A Sample Essay for Microeconomics Below is an essay that we have created for you to give you an in-depth understanding of the writing of a microeconomics essay: QUESTION: Has industrialization posed a threat to nature? What effects does the destruction of nature have on economics? Between the years 1970 up to 2012, the economy of the United States has grown steadily to the 100 percent mark. This, however, was not easily achieved, since the natural environment has suffered pollution. Even with the many anti-pollution policies made and adopted by the United States government, the action towards upholding their integrity has been minimal.   Prior research estimated that carbon dioxide emissions have only decreased by 12% within the period of 2007 and 2012. Carbon dioxide, however, is the one out of the many toxins that affect the environment. This is a clear indication of the negative effects that many businesses and companies contribute to with their ignorance on controlling and eliminating pollution. Microeconomics describes pollution as an externality. The meaning of an externality is an act that distresses third party people who were not related to the action.   This phenomenon can pose both positive and negative problems. For instance, if you live in an area where there is a nightclub which you do not attend but you always hear the loud thuds and noises each time it is operational, you are considered an externality. This is a situation where you can you are not part of the activities that are around you but the events happening reach you. This can be either a positive or negative experience depending on how you feel about it. Pollution, however, will always be a negative externality since it poses harmful effects on humans, animals, and plants. With the increase of demand for commodities, production rates have been increased; thus an upsurge in the toxic by-products which pose a threat to the health of the environment.   This trend sieves through societys moral standards and eventually becomes a custom to them. Maintaining a healthy environment can only be achieved if the amounts of commodities manufactured by a company are reduced. This, however, will be hard to achieve because everyone is out to search for their source of wealth, and do not care about the consequences that might arise. As a way for managing this trend, most of the economists suggest that each cost of production should have a budget for the cost of pollution. The list provided should cover the following aspects; the influence that the pollution has on human health and safety, the resulting effect it extends to property value, its effect on recreation events and its effect on the wildlife habitat. Here is an example of how the cost consideration should be summed up: A company manufactures freezers at a production cost estimated at $700 per unit; the cost of production will increase to $150 per unit if pollution management production is included in the production of the freezer.   Several units that could be produced will take a downward dive due to the increased expense. This will affect the sales price which will shoot up since the cost production has significantly gone up. Within the customer’s perspective, when it comes to choosing a product that is eco-friendly, or the one that lacks this element and is cheaper, the customer will always opt for the cheaper option. This means that the eco-friendly companies will suffer a loss despite the fact that their product is of more quality than the one they chose. To reduce pollution, the consumer trends adopted by many should change and opt for eco-friendly products. To enforce this dynamic, government legislation may have to be put into order, where the damage cost exceeds the normal cost to ensure producers change their designs to more eco-friendly products. This type of conditions will be the reason for the shift of economic perspective to the protection of the environment.†

APPRASING THE EVIDENCE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

APPRASING THE EVIDENCE - Assignment Example The study has no clear indication of whether the researchers accurately measured the exposures and outcomes. Hence, it gives us no solid evidence to determine whether the researchers were biased or not biased in their data analysis. The study accounted for all confounding factors and they used the stratified research design to ensure all confounding factors are considered in the data analysis. It is hard to tell if the follow up was complete as the article does not address whether some respondents dropped out of the study. However, the follow up in general was long enough to ensure conclusive results. Results from the study show that tobacco smoking causes lung cancer. To be precise according to the study it decreases the life span of a person up to 10 years. The loss of year’s increases as one smokes for a long time, it is somehow time dependent. I do believe the results are valid and tobacco causes lung cancer. However, the quantification of the number of years it reduces is not appropriately measured as people usually have different immunities and smoking habits thus the effects would be different from one person to the

Neoliberal Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neoliberal Globalization - Essay Example As the research stresses there is a great difference in â€Å"being free to conduct a wisely-planned activity to gain both tangible and intangible outcomes† and â€Å"not to be under control†. Seemingly, those two aspects are mixed, and as the result the global situation is far from being perfect. The issue of freedom is closely intertwined with the topic of neo-liberalism. The present paper aims to review the issues of the neo-liberalism and worldwide integration and conclude if the positive outcomes will be possible in case neoliberal worldwide integration continues its movement without any changes applied to its current outlook. According to the paper findings despite the fact the key features of worldwide integration were widely implemented many decades ago, this definition appeared recently in 1970th. The story of international cooperation and trade turns back to even thousands years ago. However, that issue was mostly about trade. Nowadays, being global is rather the necessity. Of course, trade is a powerful instrument of enrichment, moreover, if it is about its international feature. However, even being a consequent element, trade is not the only one in the elements’ list of worldwide integration. In addition to trade, political achievements, religious features, economic successes, and scientific innovations are the important elements of global cooperation. Moreover, it is impossible in the current situation for this or that society to stay beside the global way of things, unless the situation is about a tribe somewhere deep in the jungle.

Alternative minimum taxable income Essay Example for Free

Alternative minimum taxable income Essay In 1969, Congress had noticed that 155 people with high incomes were legally using so many deductions and other tax breaks that they were virtually paying nothing in federal income taxes. This angered many tax paying citizens and embarrassed the government. In an effort to fix the system Congress came up with the alternative minimum tax. At the time the tax only affected the high income class but not so today. The alternative minimum tax was never adjusted for inflation and now affects more and more middle income taxpayers. Now a day the AMT affects people with an income over $75,000 and some large deductions. Most vulnerable are taxpayers with several children, interest deductions due to second mortgage, capital gains, and incentive stock options. The question I know you may be having is if you will be subject to the alternative minimum tax. A simple way to see if you are subject to paying AMT or how close you are to paying it. We can look at your Form 6251 from last year. We can compare the tentative minimum tax to your regular tax. Your change in income can leave you with an AMT liability. It could be because of a big item on your tax return or a lot of small items that would make you pay AMT. One of the best ways to understand the alternative minimum tax it to look at it as a separate tax system. This system has its own set of tax rates and its own rules for deductions. Let me explain how the AMT works. The AMT is reduced by an exemption amount to arrive at net alternative minimum taxable income. This income is then multiplied by 26% or 28% alternative minimum tax rate. If your income was to exceed $175,000 it will be subject the 28%. The first alternative minimum tax income of $175,000 will be subject to 26% tax rate. These rates are for individual returns. Corporations figure their tax under the regular system, which taxes corporate profits at a top rate of 35 percent. Then they figure it under the AMT system, which tosses out some deductions allowed under the regular system, and taxes the resulting profit at 20 percent. The corporation then pays whichever tax is higher. This amount then can be reduced by the alternative minimum tax foreign tax credit for the taxable year. For the last few years Congress has approved of temporary patches to increase the amount of income exempt from the AMT. Many AMT adjustments apply to businesses operated by individuals or corporations. The adjustments tend to have the effect of deferring certain deductions or recognizing income sooner. Depreciation deductions must be computed using the straight line method and longer lives than may be used for regular tax. (See MACRS) Deductions for certain preferences are limited. These include deductions related to circulation costs, mining costs, research and experimentation costs, intangible drilling costs, and certain amortization. Certain income must be recognized earlier like long term contracts and installment sales. Corporations are also subject to an adjustment (up or down) for adjusted current earnings. In addition, a partner or shareholders share of AMT income and adjustments flow through to the partner or shareholder from the partnership or S corporation. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. A corporation does get an exemption amount, which means that they can deduct $40,000. Furthermore, small corporations with average annual gross receipts less than $7,500,000 for the prior three years are exempt from AMT, but only so long as they continue to meet this test. â€Å"The tentative minimum tax of a corporation shall be zero for any taxable year if the corporation’s average annual gross receipts for all 3 taxable year periods ending before do not exceed $7,500,000.† (26 USC  § 55) If such taxable year is the first taxable year that such corporation is in existence, the tentative minimum tax of such corporation for such year shall be zero. Other than this Congress did a good job of making this tax difficult to avoid. The alternative minimum tax is a powerful and complicated tax system that is not easily avoidable. It was specifically made to not be avoided and to make up for the loopholes in the system. Given the company’s revenues exceeding $12,000,000 you can expect some form of alternative minimum tax. The best bet is to minimize the effect it has on you be being prepared. That means tax planning is essential in reducing or even avoiding AMT liability. I recommend we sit down and go thru all the different sections of AMT and look where we can maximize your deductions or how we can prepare you for future deductions.

Stop The Deforestation :: essays research papers fc

"This land is where we know where to find all that it provides for us--food from hunting and fishing, and farms, building and tool materials, medicines. This land keeps us together within its mountains; we come to understand that we are not just a few people or separate villages, but one people belonging to a homeland" (Colins 32). The "homeland" is the Upper Mazaruni District of Guyana, a region in the Amazon rain forest where the Akawaio Indians make their home (32). The vast rain forest, often regarded as just a mass of trees and exotic species, is to many indigenous people a home. This home is being destroyed as miners, loggers, and developers move in on the cultures of these people to strip away their resources and complicate the peaceful, simple lives of these primitive tribes. However, the tribes are not the only ones who lose in this situtation. If rain forest invasion continues, mankind as a whole will lose a valuable treasure: the knowledge of these people in utilizing the resources and plants of the forest for food, building, and medicine. To prevent this loss, the governments of the countries housing the rain forests should provide some protection for the forest and its inhabitants through legislation, programs. Also, environmentalists should pursue educating the tribes in managing thier resources for pragmatic, long-term profit through conservation. Although hard to believe, the environmental problems of today started a long time before electricty was invented, before automobilies littered the highways, and before industries dotted the countryside. From ancient times to the Industrial Revolution, humans began to change the face of the earth. As populations increased and technology improved and expanded, more significant and widespread problems arose. "Today, unprecedented demands on the environment from a rapidly expanding human population and from advancing technology are causing a continuing and acelerating decline in the quality of the environment and its ability to sustain life" (Ehrlich 98). Increasing numbers of humans are intruding on remaining wild land-even in those areas once considered relatively safe from exploitation. Tropical forests, especially in southest Asia and the Amazon River Basin, are being destroyed at an alarming rate for timber, conversion to crop and grazing lands, pine plantations, and settlements. According to researcher Howard Facklam, "It was estimated at one point in the 1980s that such forest lands were being cleared at the rate of 20 (nearly 50 acres) a minute; another estimate put the rate at more than 200,000 sq km (more than 78,000 sq mi) a year. In 1993, satellite data provided the rate of deforestation could result in the extinction of as many

National Health Care Spending Essay

National health care spending in the United States is out of control. I will identify national health care expenditure, and my opinion on the spending â€Å"is it too much or not enough†. This paper will explain the about public health and the needs to paid for various payers with total percentages. With that we will discuss the economic challenges and how the government will address the matter. Is our country going to be able to change our medical crisis? What needs to be done? And can it be done? The current dollar level or national health care expenditures: In 2011 US health care spending reached 2.7 trillion dollars. Health care spending is still growing. The GDP (gross domestic product) remains stable at 17.9 percent from 2009 through 2011. The America health care has become a major legislative and policy issues. These increase in the cost of health care is causing major stress on Federal, State, and in household budget across the nation. My opinion on the spending level on health care,† is it too much or not enough†. I feel the spending in the US on health care is too much, because the over abuse by doctors, hospitals, etc†¦ do. I feel that doctors and hospital will exhaust the insurance companies. I feel today we lost the quality of care and the services at medical offices, even in the hospitals. Our health care spending is high and keeps growing. Due to the economy and more and more people are out of work. Those people are all applying for government benefits such as; Medicaid, TANF and extension of unemployment benefits. These are just a few crises or country going through. Poverty is increasing and a large number of people have no medical insurance. Now there are some States cutting health benefits to children who are very needy. Congress and the White House still are arguing about no time and no money, and it doesn’t have to be this way. We have to protect our fellow Americans and come to a compromise with our spending. What to cut, what to increase. Our country has to make some adjustments to help offset the increases of our spending, not just in health care, but in our defense  and home land security. I feel that our sacrifices should be shared, and it cannot involve scaling back programs for lower or middle class income families and individual. Our country has many needs, but we also have many resources and we have to use them wisely. Remember the U.S. is still the richest country in the world. Now it is time to work together to get through our crisis. How are the public’s health needs paid for. Hospital spending has increase 4.3 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 which was 4.3 percent growth. In 2011 the growth was slower, which was influenced by a slowdown in price growth and a low growth in hospital services. (â€Å"CMS†,2011) Physician and clinical services; these services increased 4.3 percent in 2011 which was an increase from 2010 with a growth of 3.1 percent. Spending by private health insurance and Medicare they are the two largest payers of clinical services and physicians in 2011. (â€Å"CMS†, 2011). Physical Therapy, Optometry, Podiatry, and Chiropractic medicine increase 4.9 percent in 2011, it is slightly faster from 2010 at 4.6 percent. (â€Å"CMS,2011) Dental services increased in 2011 with a 3.0 percent slightly higher than in 2010 with a growth of 2.7 percent. Out-of-pocket spending increased 4.1 percent in 2011, but in 2010 the growth percentage was 0, 7 percent. (â€Å"CMS†, 2011) Health Residential, and Personal Care Services; the growth for health, residential and personal care services are lower in 2011, it is 4.o percent, but in 2010 it was 4.5 percent. This includes expenditure for medical services, which are delivered by providers in non-traditional settings such as; schools, community centers, workplaces, ambulance provider, and residential mental health and substance abuse facilities. (â€Å"CMS†, 2011). Home health care; home health care agencies were slow in 2011 with a growth of 4.5 percent. In 2010 had a growth of 5.8 percent, Medicaid and Medicare spending was 80 percent in home health care. (â€Å"CMS†,2011) Nursing Care Facilities and Continuing Care Retirement Communities; spending in this category increased in 2011 to 4.4 percent from the growth was due from Medicare spending for skilled nursing faci lities, which increase 16.5percent in 2011. (â€Å"CMS†,2011) What is the major future economic and major â€Å"challenge† for the health care system? Everyone has the own problems with The U.S. health care system. One of their concerns is how many people go without health care,  because of no choice in the matter.. Second will be costs, this is a big concern. Cost keeps going up, cost are shooting up faster than anything else in this economy. There are major challenges that our nation has to face. Is U.S. health care gives to little or too much care. The uninsured get little care, they skip doctors visit, and depend on the hospital ER for medical care. This process causes a burden on the ER, because people that need to use the ER for real emergencies don’t get to be seem right away or they have to wait for a bed. Over treatment is a challenge also, doctors and hospital get paid more for doing more even if the treatment is necessary or not. We all experience or heard discussion about doctors and hospital run all kinds of tests and no one will explain what’s going on, this is because the hospital wants to exhaust you r insurance. Medicare is at fault, they paid health care providers on a â€Å"fee-for-service†. Which accounts how fairly their patients are? Other medical providers are equally important; they take the time to understand their patients and their symptoms. Most health care professional want the best for their patients, and no one means to over treat. As a doctor we are susceptible to a economic incentives. Insuring healthy people and not sick people, health plans make more money. Members of a health plan that are young and healthy are going to make more money, than the chronically ill. They can rake in premiums and don’t have to pay a lot of costly medical care. Insures in this country has an incentive to insure healthy people and deny the sick. Just a few do aggressively. Keeping cost down insurers has a few tricks they use, such as; denying coverage for pre-existing condition, increasing up expensive premiums. Hamilton (2008) Do you know what medical treatments work the best? Studies that suggest† 15 percent of what doctors do is actually evidence based, but they rely on personal experiences, or their colleagues or what they picked up from misleading medical literature, and drug representatives that are at their clinics.† (Hamilton,2008) The Federal Government is the only one that can fill the informational vacuum, because it is necessary to establish a base of medical evidence are expensive. The FDA is already overwhelmed with ensuring new drugs, and safe and effective devices. The last challenge is people demand more care than they want to pay for. People who are insured insist on expensive but marginal test and treatments, because they don’t have to pay for it. They feel because they pay high premiums they have the  best and they should not be denied any type of treatment. â€Å"Direct-to-consumer† has exploded patient’s demands prescriptions for new expensive drugs, even if there is no difference between old and new. Everyone has a part in these challenges that we face as a nation, doctors and hospitals are just two. However the scale of problems has called for a national medical reform. The health care system and other industrialized nations, which the government will take responsibility for funding. I don’t know what will be the right solution, but I have more knowledge on our National Health Care spending in America. We need to find a way to improve the quality of health care, while driving down the prices of insurance, medical procedures, treatment and prescriptions. We also need to resolve the issues with the uninsured in this country. References Hamilton, D. (2008, April). Five Major Challenges for a $2 Trillion Industry. CBS News. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-3364005/fivemajorchallenges-for-a-2trillion-industry CMS.(2011). Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/research-statistic-data-and-system â€Å"

Phenomenon of Social Networking Essay

Social networking evolved as a result of the many challenges which were encountered in the past in the process of communication. Given that the loved ones and business associates wanted to keep in touch, a desire for a social network came into place in order to facilitate social networking where people can be able to communicate with ease. The social networking made possible for people to talk randomly globally to other millions of people thus helping to put out the communication thirst with people of like mind. The social networking evolved in order to offer more opportunities for people to meet and stay in touch both known and unknown. Furthermore, it made easy for people to exemplify personas and also feel unconventional. The social networking however is associated with a number of dangers. It leads to many new cyber crimes in that it creates a long term personal havoc which is regrettable later in life given that people do make fun of others or false identity online leading to enormous consequences as a result of online inappropriate behaviors. Scammers may try to steal or use ones personal information and use it to fraud, since they can stole your password and use it to send out spam messages which will ruin your reputation online (Hassam, 2010). Sexual predators can get information especially from kids and harm them. Children more so do not observe privacy and can leak out important information. Furthermore, information made online is public and thus no privacy is entailed. In conclusion, social networking plays a big role in helping people to make friends, market yourself or business and to find romance online nevertheless they can be misused thus ruining our privacy and reputation. Social networking is best used in sharing ideas but not private and confidential information’s.

Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy

Every year 445,944 teens aged 13-18 years old become pregnant. Many are not taught the importance of birth control let alone to abstain. Parents rely on the school system to teach their children about birth control and the educators expect it to be taught in the home. Children are not being taught the importance of being abstaining. By the time a child becomes a teenager they are faced with the hard decision of falling in to the trap of peer pressure. Most teenage girls think that if you do not have sex with your boyfriend you will lose them. What they do not realize is that they run the risk of getting pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. In 2002 more than 80% of the teens having unprotected sex were getting pregnant each year. Most teens have unprotected sex because they unaware that they can go to free clinics and get several different types of birth control at no cost. Most clinics will also perform pregnancy tests as well as pap smears and regular physicals. Most teenagers are embarrassed to ask for birth control pills or condoms. The easiest form of birth control for girls is the pill. Girls must also understand that birth control only protects you as long as you are taking it, if you mss even one day, or do not take it at the same everyday you are still at risk for pregnancy. There are several other forms of birth control especially for girls there are female condoms, spermicidal lubricants, and the diaphragm. All of these can be purchased in the supermarket or given out at the free clinic For boys there is only one type of birth control, the condom is 92-99.7% effective. Condoms cost around twenty-five cents a piece and are given out at every free clinic by the hundreds. When used with the pill they are almost totally 100 % effective. Another form of birth control is the IUD (intrauterine device) this is one of the most effective types of birth control to date. With a success rate of 98% the IUD should be tr... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Teen pregnancy has been around for generations; however, not until the twentieth century has teen pregnancy become a major issue. Statistics show that â€Å"11% of girls in the 15-19 age group get pregnant each year, while for out of ten girls become pregnant before they reach twenty.† (Bell) With teen pregnancy on such a rise, there are many issues that can be discussed: the many risks of teen pregnancy, society’s approval of teen pregnancy, the responsibilities of teen parents, and ways to handle or prevent teen pregnancy. Although these are not the only important factors that arise in the subject of teen pregnancy, they are among the most important. There are many risks for teens when they become pregnant. Young girls who get pregnant do not know what they are getting themselves into. Most young girls get pregnant by mistake. Children who are born to teen mothers are at risk because of their mother’s young age and undeveloped body. (Bell) By being born to younger women, infants are more than likely to face great dangers such as being born prematurely, dieing in the neonatal period, or being born with low birth weight. Most pregnant teens deny their pregnancies in their early stages, causing them not to seek the medical assistance they need. (Sylvester) Teenage mothers are less likely to finish their proper schooling. (A.A.P) A teenage mother of one is more than likely to have one more child in two years. If she has a second child, she is less likely to finish high school, get married, and go through welfare for a major part of her life. (Sylvester) Teenage mothers are likely to be single parents, and they do not get the proper prenatal care. Risks that teenage mothers may encounter include, but are not limited to, poor maternal weight gain, anemia, and pregnancy –induced hypertension. These problems are worse with younger teenagers. (A.A.P) Drug and alcohol use, mental illness, suicide, poor educat... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen pregnancy is a controversial issue because it effects society as a whole. Teenage mothers often raise children who never learn how to live productive lifestyles. Negative elements like drug addiction and crime seem to be the only outlets that are available to lonely, confused children who live in poverty-stricken cities. For many of these children there are only the options of bad jobs, jail or early death. Many of these children end up having their own children at an early age; therefore perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty, poor education, joblessness, and lack of hope for the future. These mothers are only able to give their children the bare minimum for survival, Medicaid insurance or at least receive a generous amount of financial aid from the government to attend. There are a lot of people who attend colleges all over the country thanks to financial aid and grants. Government aid is good and people who are in need deserve to receive it. After all it is the governments ' duty to ensure its people the right to pursue happiness. Teenage girls that get pregnant in our community become overwhelmed with the pressures of supporting their children financially while trying to instill morals and ethics in their lives. We as a community need to come together with the government and help these mothers out. The problems of a teenage mother and her children eventually become the problem of all of society. Children come first because they are our future. Every child in the country should be afforded an equal opportunity to succeed no matter its family, racial, or financial background. Supporting teen mothers and their families and educating people about the responsibilities and the risks of having sex can do this. . Now that the country is realizing how the problem of teen pregnancy affects not only children, but also society at large, numerous options have become available for people who need help. The more people are educated about ... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teenage Pregnancy Despite the recently declining teen pregnancy rates, 35% of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before they reach age 20, resulting in more than 850,000 teen pregnancies a year. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the fully industrialized world. Teen pregnancy is bad for the mother. Teen mothers are less likely to complete school and more likely to be single parents. Less than one-third of teens who begin their families before age 18 ever earn a high school diploma. Only 1.5% earn a college degree by the age of 30. There are serious health risks for adolescents who have babies. Young adolescents experience a maternal death rate 2.5 times greater than that of mothers aged 20-24. Common medical problems among adolescent mothers include poor weight gain, pregnancy-induced hypertension, anemia, and sexually transmitted diseases. Later in life, adolescent mothers tend to be at greater risk for obesity and hypertension than women who were not teenagers when they had their first child. Teen pregnancy is closely linked to poverty and single parenthood. A 1990 study showed that almost  ½ of all teenage mothers and over  ¾ of unmarried teen mothers began receiving welfare within five years of the birth of their first child. The growth in single-parent families remains the single most important reason for increased poverty among children over the last twenty years, as documented in the 1998 Economic Report of the President. Out-of-wedlock childbearing is currently the driving force behind the growth in the number of single parents, and half of first out-of-wedlock births are to teens. Therefore, reducing teen pregnancy and child-bearing is an obvious place to anchor serious efforts to reduce poverty in future generations. Children of teen mothers often receive inadequate parenting. Children born to teen mothers are at higher risk of poor parenting because their mothers and often their fathers... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Human Sexuality: Assignment 2 America is a country run by pop culture. We as Consumers react to trends. From the cars we drive to the clothes we wear, we try to model ourselves after the â€Å"haves†. We look to the television, the radio, the movies and the magazines for salvation. We are in search of an escape to our everyday lives. The one message that is prevalent in all forms of media today is sex. We cannot leave our homes without having sex shoved in our faces. Even our monuments are phallic symbols. The idea is that cool people have sex and we as Americans want to be cool. We are a far cry from the times when premarital sex meant eternal damnation. Nowadays, we hand out condoms in high school and sex-ed is taught as early as junior high. Sex sells, and the corporate world is turning us into sex craving maniacs in order to turn over a profit. The biggest difference between the US and other developed countries is the way we handle pregnancy. Just like sex sells, it pays to have a kid. Our pregnant wom en are waited on hand and foot throughout the pregnancy, given all sorts of aid and encouraged to go through with the pregnancy. In other countries such as China and India, the population crisis means that pregnancy is frowned upon. Also, these other developed countries aren’t as advanced in the corporate/media world as the US is. The best way to not be affected by the media is to have no contact with it to begin with. I believe that because we have more access to all stages of sex, sex itself is more prevalent. Sex is initiated easily seeing as though it is always on our minds as Americans. Our media not only entices sex, but it entices sexual behaviors. One example of this is the Oral sex â€Å"epidemic†. However, we are reminded that sex leaves the bed room with you. Whether with a child being created, or a disease being contracted, or just a good experience being remembered. We are also reminded that we have access to emergency ... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teenagers in the United States are experimenting with sexual activities more and more today than ever before. According to Charles Krauthammer, "Sex oozes from every pore of the culture and there's not a kid in the world who can avoid it." (Meier, 1994, p. 7). Teenagers are surrounded by some sort of sexual connotations all the time. Whether it is television, radio, school, or even the Internet, teenagers are hearing the affects of sex on our society. The price that teenagers pay for being sexually active greatly outweighs any advantages. The period of puberty occurs somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14 for most but can vary for different people. Heredity, health problems, and emotional and physical stress can cause these variations. Teens begin to experiment with the opposite sex by hugging, kissing and other forms of sexual expression. People are capable of creating babies as soon as puberty begins. Teens also watch more television and listen to more music developing their own u nique personalities. According to one study, about 65,000 sexual acts or comments on prime-time television occur every year (Meier, 1994, p. 9). In the movies or on television, the actors and actresses make sex look easy, fun and glamorous. It appears to be something everyone is doing. On television shows like "Dawson's Creek", sex is usually the major topic of the entire show. Whether it is guys and girls, guys and guys, girls and girls, or multiple persons of each sex, the sex act itself is a major conflict. Movies, such as "Cruel Intentions", portray sex as a game. The main characters are placing bets on each other that one of them will have sex with some girl who is against the idea of premarital sex. That movie is rated R, but little kids were in there with their parents. Those types of movies are not meant for a young audience. Now those kids might end up having sex when they become teenagers. Those same teenagers might often be the ones that get pregn... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy The Truth About Teen Pregnancy Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has declined greatly within the past few years, it is still an enormous problem that needs to be addressed. These rates are still higher in the 1990's than they were only a decade ago. The United State's teenage birthrate exceeds that of most other industrialized nations, even though American teenagers are no more sexually active than teenagers are in Canada or Europe. (Gormly 348) Recent statistics concerning the teen birthrates are alarming. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all births in the United States are to teenage women are to teenage women. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. (Gormly 347) By the age of eighteen, one out of four teenage girls will have become pregnant. (Newman 679) Although the onset of pregnancy may occur in any teenager, some teens are at higher risk for unplanned pregnancy than others. Teenagers who become sexually active at an earlier age are at a greater risk primarily because young teenagers are less likely to use birthcontrol. African-American and Hispanic teenagers are twice as likely to give birth as are white teenagers. Whites are more likely to have abortions. Teenagers who come from poor neighborhoods and attend segregated schools are at a high risk for pregnancy. Also, teenagers who are doing poorly in school and have few plans for the future are more likely to become parents than those who are doing well and have high educationsl and occupational expectations. Although the rate of teenage pregnancy is higher among low- income African-Americans and Hispanics, especially those in inner city ghettoes, the number of births to teenagers is highest among white, nonpoor young women who live in small cities and towns. (Calhoun 309) In addition to the question of which teenagers become pregnant, interest is shown in the social consequences of early pa... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy An increasing number of teenagers in America have and are becoming sexually active, and as a result, they are having children at a young age when they cannot properly provide for another human being. I believe that the reason teenagers are becoming sexually active at a young age is because today’s youth is maturing at younger age than in the past. They are also receiving a larger amount of freedom. As always, a person has sex, they are at a higher risk of getting pregnant. Teenagers do not have the education or the experience to be financially responsible for themselves or another person. There are a few causes that have been associated with the subject of teen pregnancy. The media is one of these causes. â€Å" In various surveys of teen behavior, investigators find American teens spend more time watching television than attending school, regard television as a primary source of information, and say television follows only parents and peers as an influential force in their lives† (William 1561). The media is also considered an influence in premature sexual activity. Some believe that sex is portrayed too much and too casually on television shows that are directed towards today’s adolescents. Further sexualization is shown through explicit lyrics in songs and explicit scenes in movies (William 1561). Another cause being associated with teen pregnancy is how the child is raised. Having children at a young age is being associated with the raising of children in poverty and not having enough values on education. Another family aspect that is being associated with teen pregnancy is having a mother who had a child as a teenager. Poor communication, violence in the family, and poor discipline are also considered a cause of teen pregnancy. Parents often show a lack of preparedness when it comes to telling their children about normal sexual development and appropriate sexual behavior. By not discussing the subject, or not taking a realis... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today's society; there are many ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, many decisions you will have to make, and many challenges you will face. Over recent years, it seems that all the efforts to fight teen pregnancy are beginning to pay off. Thanks to the continued dedication of our parents, teachers and community leaders, the young people today have more support and education concerning the dangers, consequences, and challenges of adolescent sex. We constantly ask the question of why, and what causes teens to disregard what they have been taught about sex and STD’s and still engage in unprotected sex, and ultimately and unfortunately becoming another statistic. The statistics tell that the U.S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births (teenpregnancy.org). Currently at its lowest annual rate in over 20 years, teen pregnancies have declined 14 percent in this decade alone (teenpregnancy.org). But despite this recent downward trend, the issue still stands prominently and remains a critical concern to everyone. While these improving numbers are encouraging on the surface, the number of children having children of their own, remains higher than acceptable and progress must continue to be made. In 2000, more than one million teenage girls got pregnant and of those, 479,067 girls gave birth, that number is down almost 50,000 since 1990 (teenpregnancy.org). One in ten young women will get pregnant at least once before they turn twenty-one (teenpregnancy.org). For many of the 500,000, it was an unintended occurrence, usually the result of young men and women having unprotected sex while relying on misinformation (or none at all), poor planning, and failing to recognize the consequences that would arise from their actions. By the age of nin eteen, eighty percent of teen have had sex a least on time (Teen Sex and Pregnancy). For some, however, it was an intentional decision ... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Adolescent pregnancy has long been a societal concern, but in the past decade, this issue has become one of the most frequently cited examples of the perceived societal decay in the United States. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. (McCuen 16). Sorting out cause and effect would be easy if pregnant teens all lived in the same area with the same disadvantages or if these women chose to become mothers early in life. But such mothers are not randomly dotted across the social landscape. Increased rates of sexual activity, illegitimacy, and welfare receipt raise public concerns. Although the onset of pregnancy may occur in any teenager, some teens are at higher risk for unplanned pregnancy than others. Despite the recent decline in the teen birth rates, teen pregnancy remains a significant problem facing our nation. Social problems, a vast amount of emotional and psychological problems often contribute to teen pregnancy. Promiscuous is defined as careless, casual, or even aimless. Teens are being promiscuous more than ever before. Teenagers are participating in the new world of sexual freedom. Social behavior is no longer restricted to the higher class. Today, teens become sexually active not when they move out of the parental home and into a family of their own, but while they are still considered as children. Young women are just as likely as young men today to be sexually active before marriage. With more and more teens having casual sex, the risks of pregnancy goes up. They do not weigh their options and take into consideration the consequences of their behavior that could possibly change their entire life. They do not realize that it could happen to them. They only see it as something that happens to other people. They feel they are invincible. We should recognize that sexual behavior is a matter of c... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Issues Teen pregnancy has declined greatly within the past few years but its still an enormous problem that needs to be addressed. The United States has one of the highest birth rates than any other country. This doesn’t mean that our teens are having more sex than other foreign teens its just means that they aren’t educated enough to know the consequences. In 2000, Pennsylvania alone had 50,610 pregnancies among girls under 20 and that is a low statistic compared to some states such as California or Texas. (U.S Teenage†¦) We as parents and educators need to teach our children what the consequences are so they don’t end up having kids them selves. Below are some statistics of teen pregnancy and abortion. Rates of pregnancy, birth and abortion among U.S. teenagers continued their downward trend in 2000 (Table 1). Nationwide, the teenage pregnancy rate declined by 2% between 1999 and 2000 (from 85.7 to 83.6 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–19). From 1986-2000, the rate dropped by 22% and, more importantly, fell by 28% since peaking in 1990. The birthrate for teenagers also declined by 2% between 1999 and 2000 (from 48.8 to 47.7 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19). The 2000 rate was 5% lower than the 1986 rate and 23% lower than the peak rate of 61.8 births per 1,000 women reached in 1991. (U.S. Teenage†¦) Teenagers’ abortion rate in 2000 was 24.0 per 1,000 women aged 15–19- some 3% lower than the 1999 rate of 24.7 per 1,000. From 1986 to 2000, the abortion rate dropped by 43%; during the same period, the proportion of teenage pregnancies ending in abortion fell from 46% to 33%- a decline of more than one-quarter (27%). Overall in 2000, one-third of pregnancies among 15–19-year-olds ended in abortion (Table 2). However, in New Jersey, 60% of teenage pregnancies ended in abortion, as did at least 50% in New York, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. By contrast, only 13% of pregnancies amon... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Every year 445,944 teens aged 13-18 years old become pregnant. Many are not taught the importance of birth control let alone to abstain. Parents rely on the school system to teach their children about birth control and the educators expect it to be taught in the home. Children are not being taught the importance of being abstaining. By the time a child becomes a teenager they are faced with the hard decision of falling in to the trap of peer pressure. Most teenage girls think that if you do not have sex with your boyfriend you will lose them. What they do not realize is that they run the risk of getting pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. In 2002 more than 80% of the teens having unprotected sex were getting pregnant each year. Most teens have unprotected sex because they unaware that they can go to free clinics and get several different types of birth control at no cost. Most clinics will also perform pregnancy tests as well as pap smears and regular physicals. Most teenagers are embarrassed to ask for birth control pills or condoms. The easiest form of birth control for girls is the pill. Girls must also understand that birth control only protects you as long as you are taking it, if you mss even one day, or do not take it at the same everyday you are still at risk for pregnancy. There are several other forms of birth control especially for girls there are female condoms, spermicidal lubricants, and the diaphragm. All of these can be purchased in the supermarket or given out at the free clinic For boys there is only one type of birth control, the condom is 92-99.7% effective. Condoms cost around twenty-five cents a piece and are given out at every free clinic by the hundreds. When used with the pill they are almost totally 100 % effective. Another form of birth control is the IUD (intrauterine device) this is one of the most effective types of birth control to date. With a success rate of 98% the IUD should be tr... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Unwanted Pregnancy Deciding not to continue with a pregnancy is a difficult and often painful decision to make, and not one that is made lightly. Often a lot of talking is needed before a woman can make her choice and be sure that the choice she makes is right for her. There are several professional organisations that can help such as Brook Advisory, British Pregnancy Advisory Service or The Family Planning Association and if you are thinking of terminating a pregnancy it is essential that you talk to a professional. In addition to speaking to professional counsellors, you must consult your GP, if you decide to have an abortion. In the UK it is legal for termination to be carried out up to 24 weeks of pregnancy but most hospitals and clinics will not consider termination beyond 18 to 20 weeks, so it is essential that you seek help as soon as you decide not to continue with the pregnancy. Before an abortion can be carried out two doctors need to sign a consent form agreeing that the woman’s health (physical or mental) will be damaged to a greater extent than if she proceeded with the pregnancy. Social factors are also considered when doctors are making their decision. The doctor will then carry out a pelvic examination on the woman to determine the stage of her pregnancy, and discuss the options for termination and the risks involved. The doctor will send this request to the nearest hospital or clinic, which will then make an appointment for the termination to be performed. Sometimes t... Free Essays on Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy and Prenatal Testing Teen pregnancy is when a girl between the ages of twelve and nineteen become pregnant. Teen pregnancy is very common in young girls’ nation wide. Some girls become pregnant to keep a boyfriend. But in actual fact the choice is up to the boyfriend weather or not he wants to still be with the girl. Some girls get pregnant to feel loved by the baby, or because their friends have babies. Some girls have unplanned pregnancies because they risk having unprotected sex. Teen girls risk having low birth weight babies or, babies with abnormalities especially those who have a history of genetic diseases, or a known history of miscarriages. And, some young girls have very painful deliveries because the pelvis has not fully developed as yet. Many girls do not take the time out to find out about prenatal learning. They continue to use drugs in the earliest stages of pregnancy. Some girls may also have low birth weight babies because of nutritional reasons, not eating healthy or not eating enough. Following the advice of a professional physician during pregnancy provides the best prenatal care possible. Statistics of teen pregnancy. According to the National Survey of adolescent males (NSAM) in (1995) , many teenage males engage in unprotected sex. Several may use contraceptives responsibly but the contraceptives are not being used consistently. In some cases the after effect is a girl becoming pregnant. When she decides she wants to keep the baby, the transition of ‘girl’ now changes to ‘mother’ and the transition of ‘boy’ changes to ‘father’. One study (Sonenstein et al., 1997) Explains sexual experience by age in males. Some males choose to have no involvement with the expectant mother and fetus. On the other hand, some males become involved in the pregnancy. Just as the mother goes through physical changes such as gaining weight, morning si...

Complete Guide to Integers on SAT Math (Advanced)

Complete Guide to Integers on SAT Math (Advanced) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Integer questions are some of the most common on the SAT, so understanding what integers are and how they operate will be crucial for solving many SAT math questions. Knowing your integers can make the difference between a score you’re proud of and one that needs improvement. In our basic guide to integers on the SAT (which you should review before you continue with this one), we covered what integers are and how they are manipulated to get even or odd, positive or negative results. In this guide, we will cover the more advanced integer concepts you’ll need to know for the SAT. This will be your complete guide to advanced SAT integers, including consecutive numbers, primes, absolute values, remainders, exponents, and roots- what they mean, as well as how to handle the more difficult integer questions the SAT can throw at you. Typical Integer Questions on the SAT Because integer questions cover so many different kinds of topics, there is no â€Å"typical† integer question. We have, however, provided you with several real SAT math examples to show you some of the many different kinds of integer questions the SAT may throw at you. Over all, you will be able to tell that a question requires knowledge and understanding of integers when: #1: The question specifically mentions integers (or consecutive integers). Now this may be a word problem or even a geometry problem, but you will know that your answer must be in whole numbers (integers) when the question asks for one or more integers. If $j$, $k$, and $n$ are consecutive integers such that $0jkn$ and the units (ones) digit of the product $jn$ is 9, what is the units digit of $k$? A. 0B. 1C. 2D. 3E. 4 (We will go through the process of solving this question later in the guide) #2: The question deals with prime numbers. A prime number is a specific kind of integer, which we will discuss in a minute. For now, know that any mention of prime numbers means it is an integer question. What is the product of the smallest prime number that is greater than 50 and the greatest prime number that is less than 50? (We will go through the process of solving this question later in the guide) #3: The question involves an absolute value equation (with integers) Anything that is an absolute value will be bracketed with absolute value signs which look like this:| | For example: $|-210|$ or $|x + 2|$ $|10 - k| = 3$ $|k - 5| = 8$ What is a value for k that fulfills both equations above? (We will go through how to solve this problem in the section on absolute values below) Note: there are several different kinds of absolute value problems. About half of the absolute value questions you come across will involve the use of inequalities (represented by $$ or $$). If you are unfamiliar with inequalities, check out our guide to inequalities. The other types of absolute value problems on the SAT will either involve a number line or a written equation. The absolute value questions involving number lines almost always use fraction or decimal values. For information on fractions and decimals, look to our guide to SAT fractions. We will be covering only written absolute value equations (with integers) in this guide. #4: The question uses perfect squares or asks you to reduce a root value A root question will always involve the root sign: $√$ $√81$, $^3√8$ You may be asked to reduce a root, or to find the square root of a perfect square (a number that is the square of an integer). You may also need to multiply two or more roots together. We will go through these definitions as well as how all of these processes are done in the section on roots. (Note: A root question with perfect squares may involve fractions. For more information on this concept, look to our guide on fractions and ratios.) #5: The question involves multiplying or dividing bases and exponents Exponents will always be a number that is positioned higher than the main (base) number: $2^7$, $(x^2)^4$ You may be asked to find the values of exponents or find the new expression once you have multiplied or divided terms with exponents. We will go through all of these questions and topics throughout this guide in the order of greatest prevalence on the SAT. We promise that integers are a whole lot less mysterious than...whatever these things are. Exponents Exponent questions will appear on every single SAT, and you will likely see an exponent question at least twice per test. An exponent indicates how many times a number (called a â€Å"base†) must be multiplied by itself. So $4^2$ is the same thing as saying $4 * 4$. And $4^5$ is the same thing as saying $4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4$. Here, 4 is the base and 2 and 5 are the exponents. A number (base) to a negative exponent is the same thing as saying 1 divided by the base to the positive exponent. For example, $2^{-3}$ becomes $1/2^3$ = $1/8$ If $x^{-1}h=1$, what does $h$ equal in terms of $x$? A. $-x$B. $1/x$C. $1/{x^2}$D. $x$E. $x^2$ Because $x^{-1}$ is a base taken to a negative exponent, we know we must re-write this as 1 divided by the base to the positive exponent. $x^{-1}$ = $1/{x^1}$ Now we have: $1/{x^1} * h$ Which is the same thing as saying: ${1h}/x^1$ = $h/x$ And we know that this equation is set equal to 1. So: $h/x = 1$ If you are familiar with fractions, then you will know that any number over itself equals 1. Therefore, $h$ and $x$ must be equal. So our final answer is D, $h = x$ But negative exponents are just the first step to understanding the many different types of SAT exponents. You will also need to know several other ways in which exponents behave with one another. Below are the main exponent rules that will be helpful for you to know for the SAT. Exponent Formulas: Multiplying Numbers with Exponents: $x^a * x^b = x^[a + b]$ (Note: the bases must be the same for this rule to apply) Why is this true? Think about it using real numbers. If you have $2^4 * 2^6$, you have: $(2 * 2 * 2 * 2) * (2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2)$ If you count them, this give you 2 multiplied by itself 10 times, or $2^10$. So $2^4 * 2^6$ = $2^[4 + 6]$ = $2^10$. If $7^n*7^3=7^12$, what is the value of $n$? A. 2B. 4C. 9D. 15E. 36 We know that multiplying numbers with the same base and exponents means that we must add those exponents. So our equation would look like: $7^n * 7^3 = 7^12$ $n + 3 = 12$ $n = 9$ So our final answer is C, 9. $x^a * y^a = (xy)^a$ (Note: the exponents must be the same for this rule to apply) Why is this true? Think about it using real numbers. If you have $2^4 * 3^4$, you have: $(2 * 2 * 2 * 2) * (3 * 3 * 3 * 3)$ = $(2 * 3) * (2 * 3) * (2 * 3) * (2 * 3)$ So you have $(2 * 3)^4$, or $6^4$ Dividing Exponents: ${x^a}/{x^b} = x^[a-b]$ (Note: the bases must be the same for this rule to apply) Why is this true? Think about it using real numbers. ${2^6}/{2^2}$ can also be written as: ${(2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2)}/{(2 * 2)}$ If you cancel out your bottom 2s, you’re left with $(2 * 2 * 2 * 2)$, or $2^4$ So ${2^6}/{2^2}$ = $2^[6-2]$ = $2^4$ If $x$ and $y$ are positive integers, which of the following is equivalent to $(2x)^{3y}-(2x)^y$? A. $(2x)^{2y}$B. $2^y(x^3-x^y)$C. $(2x)^y[(2x)^{2y}-1]$D. $(2x)^y(4x^y-1)$E. $(2x)^y[(2x)^3-1]$ In this problem, you must distribute out a common element- the $(2x)^y$- by dividing it from both pieces of the expression. This means that you must divide both $(2x)^{3y}$ and $(2x)^y$ by $(2x)^y$. Let's start with the first: ${(2x)^{3y}}/{(2x)^y}$ Because this is a division problem that involves exponents with the same base, we say: ${(2x)^{3y}}/{(2x)^y} = (2x)^[3y - y]$ So we are left with: $(2x)^{2y}$ Now, for the second part of our equation, we have: ${(2x)^y}/{(2x)^y}$ Again, we are dividing exponents that have the same base. So by the same process, we would say: ${(2x)^y}/{(2x)^y} = (2x)^[y - y] = (2x)^0 = 1$ (Why 1? Because, as you'll see below, anything raised to the power of 0 = 1) So our final answer looks like: ${(2x)^y}{((2x)^{2y} - 1)}$ Which means our final answer is C. Taking Exponents to Exponents: $(x^a)^b = x^[a * b]$ Why is this true? Think about it using real numbers. $(2^3)^4$ can also be written as: $(2 * 2 * 2) * (2 * 2 * 2) * (2 * 2 * 2) * (2 * 2 * 2)$ If you count them, 2 is being multiplied by itself 12 times. So $(2^3)^4 = 2^[3 * 4] = 2^12$ $(x^y)^6 = x^12$, what is the value of $y$? A. 2B. 4C. 6D. 10E. 12 Because exponents taken to exponents are multiplied together, our problem would look like: $y * 6 = 12$ $y = 2$ So our final answer is A, 2. Distributing Exponents: $(x/y)^a = {x^a}/{y^a}$ Why is this true? Think about it using real numbers. $(2/4)^3$ can be written as: $(2/4) * (2/4) * (2/4)$ $8/64 = 1/8$ You could also say $2^3/4^3$ = $8/64$ = $1/8$ $(xy)^z = x^z * y^z$ If you are taking a modified base to the power of an exponent, you must distribute that exponent across both the modifier and the base. $(3x)^3$ = $3^3 * x^3$ (Note on distributing exponents: you may only distribute exponents with multiplication or division- exponents do not distribute over addition or subtraction. $(x + y)^a$ is NOT $x^a + y^a$, for example) Special Exponents: For the SAT you should know what happens when you have an exponent of 0: $x^0=1$ where $x$ is any number except 0 (Why any number but 0? Well 0 to any power other than 0 is 0, because $0x = 0$. And any other number to the power of 0 is 1. This makes $0^0$ undefined, as it could be both 0 and 1 according to these guidelines.) Solving an Exponent Question: Always remember that you can test out exponent rules with real numbers in the same way that we did above. If you are presented with $(x^2)^3$ and don’t know whether you are supposed to add or multiply your exponents, replace your x with a real number! $(2^2)^3 = (4)^3 = 64$ Now check if you are supposed to add or multiply your exponents. $2^[2+3] = 2^5 = 32$ $2^[2 * 3] = 2^6 = 64$ So you know you’re supposed to multiply when exponents are taken to another exponent. This also works if you are given something enormous, like $(x^23)^4$. You don’t have to test it out with $2^23$! Just use smaller numbers like we did above to figure out the rules of exponents. Then, apply your newfound knowledge to the larger problem. And the philosophical debate continues. Roots Root questions are common on the SAT, and you should expect to see at least one during your test. Roots are technically fractional exponents. You are likely most familiar with square roots, however, so you may have never heard a root expressed in terms of exponents before. A square root asks the question: "What number needs to be multiplied by itself one time in order to equal the number under the root sign?" So $√36 = 6$ because 6 must be multiplied by itself one time to equal 36. In other words, $6^2 = 36$ Another way to write $√36$ is to say $^2√36$. The 2 at the top of the root sign indicates how many numbers (2 numbers, both the same) are being multiplied together to become 36. (Note: you do not expressly need the 2 at the top of the root sign- a root without an indicator is automatically a square root.) So $^3√27 = 3$ because three numbers, all of which are the same ($3 * 3 * 3$), multiplied together equals 27. Or $3^3 = 27$. Fractional Exponents If you have a number to a fractional exponent, it is just another way of asking you for a root. So $16^{1/2} = ^2√16$ To turn a fractional exponent into a root, the denominator becomes the value to which you take the root. But what if you have a number other than 1 in the numerator? $16^{2/3} = ^3√16^2$ The denominator becomes the value to which you take the root, and the numerator becomes the exponent to which you take the number under the root sign. Distributing Roots $√xy = √x * √y$ Just like with exponents, roots can be separated out. So $√20$ = $√2 * √10$ or $√4 * √5$ $√x * √y = √xy$ Because they can be separated, roots can also come together. So $√2 * √10$ = $√20$ Reducing Roots It is common to encounter a problem with a mixed root, where you have an integer multiplied by a root (like $3√2$). Here, $3√2$ is reduced to its simplest form, but let's say you had something like this instead: $2√12$ Now $2√12$ is NOT as reduced as it can be. In order to reduce it, we must find out if there are any perfect squares that factor into 12. If there are, then we can take them out from under the root sign. (Note: if there is more than one perfect square that can factor into your number under the root sign, use the largest one.) 12 has several factor pairs. These are: $1 * 12$ $2 * 6$ $3 * 4$ Well 4 is a perfect square because $2 * 2 = 4$. That means that $√4 = 2$. This means that we can take 4 out from under the root sign. Why? Because we know that $√xy = √x * √y$. So $√12 = √4 * √3$. And $√4 = 2$. So 4 can come out from under the root sign and be replaced by 2 instead. $√3$ is as reduced as we can make it, since it is a prime number. We are left with $2√3$ as the most reduced form of $√12$ (Note: you can test to see if this is true on most calculators. $√12 = 3.4641$ and $2 *√3 = 2 * 1.732 = 3.4641$. The two expressions are identical.) Now to finish the problem, we must multiply our reduced form of $√12$ by 2. Why? Because our original expression was $2√12$. $2 * 2√3 = 4√3$ So $2√12$ in its most reduced form is $4√3$ Remainders Questions involving remainders generally show up at least once or twice on any given SAT. A remainder is the amount left over when two numbers do not divide evenly. If you divide 12 by 4, you will not have any remainder (your remainder will be zero). But if you divide 13 by 4, you will have a remainder of 1, because there is 1 left over. You can think of the division as $13/4 = 3{1/4}$. That extra 1 is left over. Most of you probably haven’t worked with integer remainders since elementary school, as most higher level math classes and questions use decimals to express the remaining amount after a division (for the above example, $13/4 = 3 \remainder 1$ or $3.25$). But for some situations, decimals simply do not apply. Joanne’s hens laid a total of 33 eggs. She puts them into cartons that fit 6 eggs each. How many eggs will she have left that do NOT make a full carton of eggs? $33/6 = 5 \remainder 3$. So Joanne can make 5 full baskets with 3 eggs left over. Some remainder questions may seem incredibly obscure, but they are all quite basic once you understand what is being asked of you. Which of the following answers could be the remainders, in order, when five positive consecutive integers are divided by 4? A. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4B. 2, 3, 0, 1, 2C. 0, 1, 2, 0, 1D. 2, 3, 0, 3, 2E. 2, 3, 4, 3, 2 This question may seem complicated at first, so let’s break it down into pieces. The question is asking us to find the list of remainders when positive consecutive integers are divided by 4. This means we are NOT looking for the answer plus remainders- we are just trying to find the remainders by themselves. We will discuss consecutive integers below in the guide, but for now understand that "positive consecutive integers" means positive integers in a row along a number line. So positive consecutive integers increase by 1 continuously. , 12, 13, 14, 15, etc. are an example of positive consecutive integers. We also know that any number divided by 4 can have a maximum remainder of 3. Why? Because if any number could be divided by 4 with a remainder of 4 left over, it means it could be divided by 4 one more time! For example, $16/4 = 4 \remainder 0$ because 4 goes into 16 exactly 4 times. (It is NOT $3 \remainder 4$.) So that automatically lets us get rid of answer choices A and E, as those options both include a 4 for a remainder. Now we also know that, when positive consecutive integers are divided by any number, the remainders increase by 1 until they hit their highest remainder possible. When that happens, the next integer remainder resets to 0. This is because our smaller number has gone into the larger number an even number of times (which means there is no remainder). For example, $10/4 = 2 \remainder 2$, $/4 = 2 \remainder 3$, $12/4 = 3 \remainder 0$, and $13/4 = 3 \remainder 1$ Once the highest remainder value is achieved (n - 1, which in this case is 3), the next remainder resets to 0 and then the pattern repeats again from 1. So we’re looking for a pattern where the remainders go up by 1, reset to 0 after the remainder = 3, and then repeat again from 1. This means the answer is B, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2 Luckily, Joanne's remaining eggs did not go unloved for long. Prime numbers The SAT loves to test students on prime numbers, so you should expect to see one question per test on prime numbers. Be sure to understand what they are and how to find them. A prime number is a number that is only divisible by two numbers- itself and 1. For example, is a prime number because $1 * $ is its only factor. ( is not evenly divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10). 12 is NOT a prime number, because its factors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12. It has more factors than just itself and 1. 1 is NOT a prime number, because its only factor is 1. The only even prime number is 2. Questions about primes come up fairly often on the SAT and understanding that 2 (and only 2!) is a prime number will be invaluable for solving many of these. A prime number $x$ is squared and then added to a different prime number, $y$. Which of the following could be the final result? An even number An odd number A positive number A. I onlyB. II onlyC. III onlyD. I and III onlyE. I, II, and III Now this question relies on your knowledge of both number relationships and primes. You know that any number squared (the number times itself) will be an even number if the original number was even, and an odd number if the original number was odd. Why? Because an even * an even = an even, and an odd * an odd = an odd ($6 * 6 = 36$ $7 * 7 = 49$). Next, we are adding that square to another prime number. You’ll also remember that an even number + an odd number is odd, an odd number + an odd number is even, and an even number + an even number is even. Knowing that 2 is a prime number, let’s replace x with 2. $2^2 = 4$. Now if y is a different prime number (as stipulated in the question), it must be odd, because the only even prime number is 2. So let’s say $y = 3$. $4 + 3 = 7$. So the end result is odd. This means II is correct. But what if both x and y were odd prime numbers? So let’s say that $x = 3$ and $y = 5$. So $3^2 = 9$. $9 + 5 = 14$. So the end result is even. This means I is correct. Now, for option number III, our results show that it is possible to get a positive number result, since both our results were positive. This means the final answer is E, I, II, and III If you forgot that 2 was a prime number, you would have picked D, I and III only, because there would have been no possible way to get an odd number. Remembering that 2 is a prime number is the key to solving this question. Another typical prime number question on the SAT will ask you to identify how many prime numbers fall in a certain range of numbers. How many prime numbers are between 30 and 50, inclusive? A. TwoB. ThreeC. FourD. FiveE. Six This might seem intimidating or time-consuming, but I promise you do NOT need to memorize a list of prime numbers. First, eliminate all even numbers from the list, as you know the only even prime number is 2. Next, eliminate all numbers that end in 5. Any number that ends is 5 or 0 is divisible by 5. Now your list looks like this: 31, 33, 37, 39, 41, 43, 47, 49 This is much easier to work with, but we need to narrow it down further. (You could start using your calculator here, or you can do this by hand.) A way to see if a number is divisible by 3 is to add the digits together. If that number is 3 or divisible by 3, then the final result is divisible by 3. For example, the number 31 is NOT divisible by 3 because $3 + 1 = 4$, which is not divisible by 3. However 33 is divisible by 3 because $3 + 3 = 6$, which is divisible by 3. So we can now eliminate 33 ($3 + 3 = 6$) and 39 ($3 + 9 = 12$) from the list. We are left with 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 49. Now, to make sure you try every necessary potential factor, take the square root of the number you are trying to determine is prime. Any integer equal to or less than the square root will be a potential factor, but you do not have to try any numbers higher. Why? Well let’s take 36 as an example. Its factors are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 36. But now look at the factor pairings. 1 36 2 18 3 12 4 9 6 6 (9 4) (12 3) (18 2) (36 1) After you get past 6, the numbers repeat. If you test out 4, you will know that 9 goes evenly into your larger number- no need to actually test 9 just to get 4 again! So all numbers less than or equal to a potential prime’s square root are the only potential factors you need to test. Going back to our list, we have 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 49. Well the closest square root to 31 and 37 is 6. We already know that neither 2 nor 3 nor 5 factor evenly into 31 and 37. Neither do 4, or 6. You’re done. Both 31 and 37 must be prime. As for 41, 43, 47, and 49, the closest square root of these is 7. We already know that neither 2 nor 3 nor 5 factor evenly into 41, 43, 47, or 49. 7 is the exact square root of 49, so we know 49 is NOT a prime. As for 41, 43, and 47, neither 4 nor 6 nor 7 go into them evenly, so they are all prime. You are left with 31, 37, 41, 43, and 47. So your answer is D, there are five prime numbers (31, 37, 41, 43, and 47) between 30 and 50. Prime numbers, Prime Directive, either way I'm sure we'll live long and prosper. Absolute Values Absolute values are a concept that the SAT loves to use, as it is all too easy for students to make mistakes with absolute values. Expect to see one question on absolute values per test (though very rarely more than one). An absolute value is a representation of distance along a number line, forward or backwards. This means that an absolute value equation will always have two solutions. It also means that whatever is in the absolute value sign will be positive, as it represents distance along a number line and there is no such thing as a negative distance. An equation $|x + 3| = 14$, has two solutions: $x = $ $x = -17$ Why -17? Well $-17 + 3 = -14$ and, because it is an absolute value (and therefore a distance), the final answer becomes positive. So $|-14| = 14$ When you are presented with an absolute value, instead of doing the math in your head to find the negative and positive solution, rewrite the equation into two different equations. When presented with the above equation $|x + 3| = 14$, take away the absolute value sign and transform it into two equations- one with a positive solution and one with a negative solution. So $|x + 3| = 14$ becomes: $x + 3 = 14$ AND $x + 3 = -14$ Solve for $x$ $x = $ and $x = -17$ $|10 - k| = 3$ $|k - 5| = 8$. What is a value for $k$ that fulfills both equations above? We know that any given absolute value expression will have two solutions, so we must find the solution that each of these equations shares in common. For our first absolute value equation, we are trying to find the numbers for $k$ that, when subtracted from 10 will give us 3 and -3. That means our $k$ values will be 7 and 13. Why? Because $10 - 7 = 3$ and $10 - 13 = -3$ Now let's look at our second equation. We know that the two numbers for $k$ for $k - 5$ must give us both 8 and -8. This means our $k$ values will be 13 and -3. Why? Because $13 - 5 = 8$ and $-3 - 5 = -8$. 13 shows up as a solution for both problems, which means it is our answer. So our final answer is 13, this is the number for $k$ that can solve both equations. Consecutive Numbers Questions about consecutive numbers may or may not show up on your SAT. If they appear, it will be for a maximum of one question. Regardless, they are still an important concept for you to understand. Consecutive numbers are numbers that go continuously along the number line with a set distance between each number. So an example of positive, consecutive numbers would be: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 An example of negative, consecutive numbers would be: -8, -7, -6, -5, -4 (Notice how the negative integers go from greatest to least- if you remember the basic guide to integers, this is because of how they lie on the number line in relation to 0) You can write unknown consecutive numbers out algebraically by assigning the first in the series a variable, $x$, and then continuing the sequence of adding 1 to each additional number. The sum of four positive, consecutive integers is 54. What is the first of these integers? If x is our first, unknown, integer in the sequence, so you can write all four numbers as: $x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) + (x + 3) = 54$ $4x + 6 = 54$ $4x = 48$ $x = 12$ So, because x is our first number in the sequence and $x= 12$, the first number in our sequence is 12. You may also be asked to find consecutive even or consecutive odd integers. This is the same as consecutive integers, only they are going up every other number instead of every number. This means there is a difference of two units between each number in the sequence instead of 1. An example of positive, consecutive even integers: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 An example of positive, consecutive odd integers: 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 Both consecutive even or consecutive odd integers can be written out in sequence as: $x, x + 2, x + 4, x + 6$, etc. No matter if the beginning number is even or odd, the numbers in the sequence will always be two units apart. What is the median number in the sequence of five positive, consecutive odd integers whose sum is 185? $x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) + (x + 6) + (x + 8) = 185$ $5x + 20 = 185$ $5x = 165$ $x = 33$ So the first number in the sequence is 33. This means the full sequence is: 33, 35, 37, 39, 41 The median number in the sequence is 37. Bonus history lesson- Grover Cleveland is the only US president to have ever served two non-consecutive terms. Steps to Solving an SAT Integer Question Because SAT integer questions are so numerous and varied, there is no set way to approach them that is entirely separate from approaching other kinds of SAT math questions. But there are a few techniques that will help you approach your SAT integer questions (and by extension, most questions on SAT math). #1: Make sure the question requires an integer. If the question does NOT specify that you are looking for an integer, then any number- including decimals and fractions- are fair game. Always read the question carefully to make sure you are on the right track. #2: Use real numbers if you forget your integer rules. Forget whether positive, even consecutive integers should be written as $x + (x + 1)$ or $x + (x + 2)$? Test it out with real numbers! 14, 16, 18 are consecutive even integers. If $x = 14$, $16 = x + 2$, and $18 = x + 4$. This works for most all of your integer rules. Forget your exponent rules? Plug in real numbers! Forget whether an even * an even makes an even or an odd? Plug in real numbers! #3: Keep your work organized. Like with most SAT math questions, integer questions can seem more complex than they are, or will be presented to you in strange ways. Keep your work well organized and keep track of your values to make sure your answer is exactly what the question is asking for. Santa is magic and has to double-check his list. So make sure you double-check your work too! Test Your Knowledge 1. If $a^x * a^6 = a^24$ and $(a^3)^y = a^15$, what is the value of $x + y$? A. 9B. 12C. 23D. 30E. 36 2. If $48√48 = a√b$ where $a$ and $b$ are positive integers and $a b$, which of the following could be a value of $ab$? A. 48B. 96C. 192D. 576E. 768 3. What is the product of the smallest prime number that is greater than 50 and the greatest prime number that is less than 50? 4.If $j, k$, and $n$ are consecutive integers such that $0jkn$ and the units (ones) digit of the product $jn$ is 9, what is the units digit of $k$? A. 0B. 1C. 2D. 3E. 4 Answers: C, D, 2491, A Answer Explanations: 1. In this question, we are being asked both to multiply bases with exponents as well as take a base with an exponent to another exponent. Essentially, the question is testing us on whether or not we know our exponent rules. If we remember our exponent rules, then we know that we must add exponents when we are multiplying two of the same base together. So $a^x * a^6 = a^24$ = $a^{x + 6} = a^24$ $x + 6 = 24$ $x = 18$ We have our value for $x$. Now we must find our $y$. We also know that, when taking a base and exponent to another exponent, we must multiply the exponents. So $(a^3)^y = a^15$ = $a^{3 * y} = a^15$ $3 * y = 15$ $y = 5$ In the final step, we must add our $x$ and $y$ values together: $18 + 5 = 23$ So our final answer is C, 23. 2. We are starting with $48√48$ and we know we must reduce it. Why? Because we are told that our first $48 = a$ and our second $48 = b$ AND that $a b$. Right now our $a$ and $b$ are equal, but, by reducing the expression, we will be able to find an $a$ value that is greater than our $b$ So let's find all the factors of 48 to see if there are any perfect squares. 48 $1 * 48$ $2 * 24$ $3 * 16$ $4 * 12$ $6 * 8$ Two of these pairings have perfect squares. 16 is our largest perfect square, which means that it will be the number we must use to reduce $48√48$ down to its most reduced form. Though we are not explicitly asked to find the most reduced form of $48√48$, we can start there for now. So $48√48 = 48 * √16 * √3$ $48 * 4 *√3$ $192√3$ This means that our $a = 192$ and our $b = 3$, then: $ab = 192 * 3 = 576$ So our final answer is D, 576. (Special note: you'll notice how we are told to find one possible value for $ab$, not necessarily $ab$ when $48√48$ is at its most reduced. So if our above answer hadn't matched one of our answer options, we would have had to reduce $48√48$ only part way. $48√48 = 48 * √4 * √12$ $48 * 2 * √12$ $96√12$ This would make our $a = 96$ and our $b = 12$, meaning that our final answer for $ab$ would be $96 * 12 = 52$.) 3. This question requires us to be able to figure out which numbers are prime. Let us use the same methods we used during the above section on prime numbers. All prime numbers other than 2 will be odd and there is no prime number that ends in 5. So let's list the odd numbers (excluding ones that end in 5's) above and below 50. 41, 43, 47, 49, 51, 53, 57, 59 We are trying to find the ones closest to 50 on either side, so let's first test the highest number in the 40's. 49 is the perfect square of 7, which means it is divisible by more than just itself and 1. We can cross 49 off the list. 47 is not divisible by 3 because $7 + 4 = $ and is not divisible by 3. It is also not divisible by any even number (because an even * an even = an even), by 5, or by 7. This means it must be prime. (Why did we stop here? Remember that we only have to test potential factors up until the closest square root of the potential prime. $√47$ is between $6^2 = 36$ and $7^2 = 49$, so we tested 7 just to be safe. Once we saw that 7 could not go into 47, we proved that 47 is a prime.) 47 is our largest prime less than 50. Now let's test the smallest number greater than 50. 51 is odd, but $5 + 1 = 6$, which is divisible by 3. That means that 51 is also divisible by 3 and thus cannot be prime. 53 is not divisible by 3 because $5 + 3 = 8$, which is not divisible by 3. It is also not divisible by 5 or 7. Therefore it is prime. (Again, we stopped here because the closest square root to 53 is between 7 and 8. And 8 cannot be a prime factor because all of its multiples are even). This means our smallest prime less than 50 is 47 and our largest is 53. Now we just need to find the product of those two numbers. $47 * 53 = 2491$ Our final answer is 2491. 4. We are told that $j$, $k$, and $n$ are consecutive integers. We also know they are positive (because they are greater than 0) and that they go in ascending order, $j$ to $k$ to $n$. We are also told that $jn$ equals a number with a units digit of 9. So let's find all the ways to get a product of 9 with two numbers. $1 * 9$ $3 * 3$ The only way to get any number that ends in 9 (units digit 9) from the product of two numbers is in one of two ways: #1: Both the original numbers have a units digit of 3 #2: The two original numbers have units digits of 1 and 9, respectively. Now let's visualize positive consecutive integers. Positive consecutive integers must go up in order with a difference of 1 between each variable. So $j, k, n$ could look like any collection of three numbers along a consistent number line. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, etc. There is no possible way that the units digits of the first and last of three consecutive numbers could both be 3. Why? Because if one had a units digit of 3, the other would have to end in either 1 or 5. Take 13 as an example. If $j$ were 13, then $n$ would have to be 15. And if $n$ were 13, then $j$ would have to be . So we know that neither $j$ nor $n$ has a units digit of 3. Now let's see if there is a way that we can give $j$ and $n$ units digits of 1 and 9 (or 9 and 1). If $j$ were given a units digit of 1, $n$ would have a units digit of 3. Why? Picture $j$ as . $n$ would have to be 13, and $ * 13 = 143$, which means the units digit of their product is not 9. But what if $n$ was a number with a units digit of 1? $j$ would have a units digit of 9. Why? Picture $n$ as now. $j$ would be 9. $9 * = 99$. The units digit is 9. And if the last digit of $j$ is 9 and the numbers $j, k, \and n$ are consecutive, then $k$ has to end in 0. So our final answer is A, 0. The Take-Aways Integers and integer questions can be tricky for some students, as they often involve concepts not tested in high school level math classes (when’s the last time you dealt with integer remainders, for example?). But most integer questions are much simpler than they appear. If you know your definitions- integers, consecutive integers, absolute values, etc.- and you know how to pay attention to what the question is asking you to find, you’ll be able to solve most any integer question that comes your way. What’s Next? Whew! You’ve done your paces on integers, both basic and advanced. Now that you’ve tackled these foundational topics of the SAT math, make sure you’ve got a solid grasp of all the math topics covered by the SAT math section, so that you can take on the SAT with confidence. Find yourself running out of time on SAT math? Check out our article on how to buy yourself time and complete your SAT math problems before time’s up. Feeling overwhelmed? Start by figuring out your ideal score and check out how to improve a low SAT math score. Already have pretty good scores and looking to get a perfect 800 on SAT Math? Check out our article on how to get a perfect score written by a full SAT scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? 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