Growing Up In a Small Town essays

Growing Up In a Small Town essays Growing up in a small town out in the country, an hour away from any city, riding my horse was what I did with my friends, or alone. I started riding horses when I was 7 years old, and my parents bought me my first horse when I was 11. From the ages of 7-27 years old, I owned and rode horses. I would ride in the woods, along the rivers and railroad tracks, through town, it didnt matter to me, I just went. My best friend and I would even tie our horses outside the town store on the bike rack and go inside, old school style. I did rides at birthday parties for little kids, I taught friends and family how to ride, I even got into 4H and did gaming for a while; I absolutely loved barrel racing, and I got pretty good too. To not have a horse now or to even be around them anymore is very hard, and I feel as if a part of me is missing, theres just a slight void there. I was 26, my husband and I had been married for 6.5 years and we finally had our first child that weve been trying to have for nearly 5 years. I felt I had to choose between my son and my horse, and that wasnt fair to any of us. My son was around Dexter since he was 2-3 months old; he was going to the barn with me every day, watched me ride, groom him, and then feed him, and he loved it all! I believe the feeling was mutual between the two of them because my son would put his hand up Dexters nose, and all he would do is either lick or sniff him. Dexters ears were always up and perky whenever my son made any noise, and Dexter would want to go check on him, as if it were his own colt. It was very comical to watch actually; a newborn baby and a 16.3 Thoroughbred horse bonding, it was amazing to see. My son was 9 months old when I decided to sell Dexter, and now he is 3 years 9 months and he loves horses. This makes me very happy and excited for our future, because I have a goa l to have another horse when my son is 5-6 years old,...

Primary Standards in Chemistry

Primary Standards in Chemistry In chemistry, a primary standard is a reagent which is very pure, representative of the number of moles the substance contains and easily weighed. A reagent is a chemical that is used to cause a chemical reaction with another substance. Often, reagents are used to test for the presence or quantity of specific chemicals in a solution. Properties of Primary Standards Primary standards are typically used in titration to determine an unknown concentration and in other analytical chemistry  techniques. Titration is a process in which small amounts of a reagent are added to a solution until a chemical reaction occurs. The reaction provides confirmation that the solution is at a specific concentration. Primary standards are often used to make standard solutions (a solution with a precisely known concentration). A good primary standard meets the following criteria: high level of puritylow reactivity (high stability)high equivalent weight (to reduce error from mass measurements)not likely to absorb moisture from the air (hygroscopic) to reduce changes in mass in humid versus dry environmentsnon-toxicinexpensive and readily available In practice, few chemicals used as primary standards meet all of these criteria, although its critical that  a standard is of high purity. Also, a compound which may be a good primary standard for one purpose may not be the best choice for another analysis. Examples of Primary Standards and Their Uses It may seem odd that a reagent is needed to establish the concentration of a chemical in solution. In theory, it should be possible to simply divide the mass of the chemical by the volume of the solution. But in practice, this isnt always possible. For example, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) tends to absorb moisture and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus changing its concentration. A 1-gram sample of NaOH may not actually contain 1 gram of NaOH because additional water and carbon dioxide may have diluted the solution. To check the concentration of NaOH, a chemist must titrate a primary standard (in this case a solution of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP). KHP does not absorb water or carbon dioxide, and it can provide visual confirmation that a 1 gram solution of NaOH really contains 1 gram. There are many examples of primary standards; a few of the most common include: Sodium chloride (NaCl) is used as a primary standard for silver nitrate (AgNO3) reactions.Zinc powder may be used to standardize EDTA solutions after it has been dissolved in hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid.Potassium hydrogen phthalate or KHP may be used to standardize perchloric acid and an aqueous base in an acetic acid solution. Secondary Standard Definition A related term is secondary standard. A secondary standard is a chemical that has been standardized against a primary standard for use in a specific analysis. Secondary standards are commonly used to calibrate analytical methods. NaOH, once its concentration has been validated through the use of a primary standard, is often used as a secondary standard.

Changes in media and its effects on personal, social and work lives Essay

Changes in media and its effects on personal, social and work lives - Essay Example However, all this came to change with the fast development of technology. Before we knew it, we had television, and all this changed everything because we could not only hear the news but could also see who was presenting it as well as videos of the news itself. It has indeed been a privilege for me to live long enough to see the development of media from its infancy to where it is today. Question: What are your feelings concerning the development of the Internet and social networking? Granddad: it is quite fascinating how the technology for transmitting media has developed and how fast that development has been. The things that we used to think were impossible have now become reality and this is something quite extraordinary. The Internet is a technology that I did not become aware of until sometime in the mid nineties when it was first introduced to me. I found it to be most useful because I could use email to send information, which I would have otherwise sent by mail, and I could find information instantly online, without having to go to a library, as used to be the case. I have come to adapt to this new technology like a fish in water, because it has made my life all much easier, especially now that I do not move around as much as I used to. I am an avid user of social networking sites such as Facebook, where I have come to encounter plenty of information as well as made many friends. I have also been able to rekindle old relationships with people whom I knew when I was younger, but life put us in different paths. Furthermore, the different sources of news have ensured that any biased news can be detected. I personally prefer watching news online and during the Iraq War, recently, I used to watch Al Jazeera and BBC to get a balanced picture of the news. Question: Which media do you think has managed to survive way into the modern times? Granddad: In my opinion, I believe that television, and most especially cartoons, have not lost the charm that kept peopl e hooked to them. When I was young, I used to love the Disney cartoons and I followed them every chance I got. I still see the same fascination in cartoons among kids today and this, I believe, is continuity. Personally, I am still a huge fan of cartoons because they not only remind me of my younger days but also make me laugh, something that I have to admit, has become extremely rare for me in other forms of entertainment. Question: What was the relationship between politicians and media, and has this relationship changed? Granddad: In previous decades, it was extremely difficult to find politicians who were open with any form of media. In fact, media was always treated with suspicion because of the belief that their main purpose was to destroy political careers by creating scandals. This, I believe, has changed since many politicians have come to embrace the media to further their own political careers. President Obama in the United States is an example of this new trend among pol iticians. He has used the media so well that he has managed to maintain his popularity where other presidents would have fallen from grace. I may add that media has come to influence change in society because without it, the Americans would not have been able to elect a black president. Essay Media has experienced plenty of changes, especially from the mid twentieth century to the present day. It has not only led to the development of better means of communication between people but has