Analyzing a key business leader. (Jack Welch, Henery Ford) Essay

Analyzing a key business leader. (Jack Welch, Henery Ford) - Essay Example His thinking in this direction helped him in coming up with the line assembly model. The first wonder of Henry Ford was to produce an affordable car. He is considered as an industry leader in the car manufacturing niche. He was the owner and founder of Ford Motor company, and till this day he is considered to be the most revolutionary and successful leader in the car manufacturing industry. He was not only a genius when it comes to thinking of the ways to produce cost effective cars, he was a perfect human resource mobilizer as well. In the times when industry was suffering from great economic depression, he managed to come up with increased wages policy of labor and still mange to scrape a lot of profit. This was all due to his participatory leadership approach. Ford’s approach towards leading was to lead from the front. Yet he was fond of participatory approach. As for the niche n which he was better than many, he introduced the concept of line assembly of cars. The concept itself is a proof that he believed in the perfectly finished product with the combined effort of all who are involved. This was his style of leadership. So in general we can say that his approach towards leadership was participatory in nature. Also, he was a firm believer of the fact that if you have some reward for those who perform better than the others, you will keep your workers motivated. This was the reason that his leadership was successful. His labor laws were just wonderful. (Kraft, 43) As a leader, one of the most important rule and policy for which Henry Ford is known was his labor laws. He was one of the very strong believers of welfare capitalism. He was one of those very few industrialist leaders of his times who believed in improving the conditions of his workers to get loyalty from them in return. At that time after the World War I employee turnover was great and the great depression was

Theoretical Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Theoretical Framework - Essay Example The focus would be the fire tragedy in Australia which would be used as a case study to show the differences in the two forms of media. In doing this, the perspective of theorists have to be incorporated. Modern dynamic theorists have various issues awaiting their input in different disciplines. They cover cultural theory, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, technology studies, and science among many more. Impulses ignite the academicians to move issues in these disciplines in addition to the references beyond present problems that the dual form. Changes are also aimed at redirecting ways of thinking. The media as an industry has undergone transformations over the years. Bloggers are contemporary media personnel whose mode of information dissemination is conspicuously different from traditional media personalities. This is discussed into detail in the following discourse. In the following part, the theoretical framework that underlies the two forms of media will be discusse d. There are several theories that relate to the two forms of media. In essence, either conventional or new school media only acts as a way of disseminating information. Conventional media refers to all forms of media which entail broadcast as well as print media. ... There are cases of media trivializing reports which usually cause unsolicited reactions from the public. In the same way, new media has been in existence due to technological advancements which have taken place in recent years. For instance, the advent of the internet as a modern form of communication has brought with it endless opportunities. In this case, blogging has evolved as way of reporting information. One notable attribute about blogging is the fact that the bloggers are usually not so much accountable for whatever they put out to the public. This is unlike in traditional media where the media houses usually bear responsibility for everything that they put up for broadcast. Consequently, bloggers have a boundless freedom in which they express themselves. However, they also have some limits regarding what they report. Theme The discussion that follows delves into the two forms of media with a particular reference to how they contrast in reference to the Australian fire traged y. In addition, references would be made to theories which are related to media or reporting (Paterson & Domingo, 2008). The motive is to find out if the theories are true in view of what happens following media reporting. Background on the Australian fire The Australian fire was a tragedy that affected the lives of many. Of significant importance to the many humans who were affected at the time was the media coverage. During disasters like in the fire, most people turn to the media for information and updates. It is at the time that media owners have to practice professionalism and ethics in disseminating the information that they have. This should be observed because the media at the time is relied upon as the official communication channel. Responsible

Tort Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tort Reform - Essay Example The escalating cost of medical bill has been attributed to excessive litigation also; therefore, the bill aims at reducing litigation by promoting patient safety. Hence, â€Å"states that apply for a grant to work on patient safety issues, rather than on other dispute resolution techniques† (Jones, 2010). In the opinion of Barack Obama, the new tort reform would improve patient safety and medical liability terms. According to Thomas Gallagher, an official of University of Washington, the goal of the reform is to improve the culture of health care communication with the objective of mitigating medical malpractices and thereby increasing patient safety. He adds that the proposed changes would provide better communication training to health care workers. Similarly, the J. D. of New York State Unified Court System, Judy Kluger argues that the reform would protect the patients who get injuries by providers’ mistakes. Kluger also says that costs associated with medical malpra ctices can be minimized by the introduction of the proposed tort reform (Point of Law.com). The state of Texas successfully implemented the tort reform in 2003 in order to improve the efficacy of the patient- friendly ‘malpractice laws’ in 2003.

Quality and perf 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality and perf 1 - Assignment Example The data for the amount of time spent on each activity performed on the patient will be noted including transportation, waiting and the time spent on treatment. Also, comments from nurses, therapist and family-members of the patient will be noted to increase the efficiency of the project. Data collection will be a team work task among all the employees of all the departments. Each participant will note the time he spends on each activity and then submit the report to his respective department. All the final reports from each department will be organized in a â€Å"flow chart model with the timeline† as per organizational chart. The Quality Improvement Plan will be executed by the â€Å"Q-Team†. The team will consist of 6 senior members from each level of the organizational chart which includes the head of therapist, head of nurse, In charge of transportation, administrator, human resource manager and manager of strategic planning and financing. Head of the therapist will make sure that all the patients get the best care in an efficient manner considering the importance of time both for the organization and patient. Each therapist will fill a patient profile form mentioning the time spent on treatment and counseling. He then submits it to the head of therapist. In charge of the transportation will confirm that each patient will come to the centre, before his appointment time with the therapist. Transporters will note the time for transportation for each patient. Administrator will be in direct contact with the family members of the patient. In case of any complaint or request he will pass it on to the committee to refine the whole process. Any delays from the patients or complaints will be noted down and will be submitted to the committee later on. All the members of the committee being professional in their respective fields will utilize their

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Sociology - Essay Example Karl Marx was an infamous theorist whose â€Å"Alienation† theory describes society as a whole striving to perfect the world and at its peak of success with abundant resources; it fails to do so because it is flawed through individual isolation (Kivisto 3). Humans cannot conquer nature or practice self-control when it comes to the exploitation of resources. Even the heavy operation of an object alienates a man. Marx explains: For it is clear on this presupposition that the more the worker expends himself in work the more powerful becomes the world of objects which he creates in face of himself, the poorer he becomes in his inner life, and the less he belongs to himself. (Wendling 13) Although, mankind has the ability to feed every one and counter hunger, people continue to starve. Marx says this is due to the fact that when a man alienates himself from other men, he in-turn alienates himself from human life (Wendling 17). Marx believes that a man does not belong to himself when he is performing an act that constitutes as cultural practice because it is society that is placing its social imprint on him. For example, â€Å"The worker puts his life into the object, and his life then belongs no longer to himself, but to the object† (Wendling 13). A man, therefore, belongs to the object. This is society affecting the self. Durkheim’s theory of â€Å"Social Fact† does not stray far from Marx’s idea. That is because he divides social facts into two categories: material and nonmaterial. The material aspect corresponds with Marx’s description of an object and how it influences an individual’s social behavior. Where Marx says this is what alienates a man, Durkheim describes it as the drive behind what society cherishes or assigns purpose to communally (Kivisto 16). If the social facts are revealed, it can help scientists and sociologists examine the causes and effects of behaviors and laws among mankind. For instance, Durkheim studied suicide rates

Different Sociological Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Different Sociological Perspectives Essay Critically Analyse and Evalute The Different Sociological Perspectives On The Types of Family And Households In Britain. Evaluate Their Functions And Roles. To What Extent Do They Take Into Account The Diversity of Family Types In Britain? In this essay I will be looking at the different sociological theories as they relate to the family household, functions and roles. The socialists include The Functionalist , The Marxist, The Feminists, The New Rights and The Post Modernisms. There is an array of different family types. These include the nuclear family, reconstituted family/step family, single parent family, cultural family, and even more so in the modern times an evolution of different and alternative family types are getting more common such as gay families. The nuclear family is seen as the most traditional family type. It is one where you have a married couple with children, whereby the male is the head of the household and the sole breadwinner and the female takes on the responsibilities of the household and the care of the children. This type of family was a very common type in the early days compared to the present period in the Europe however, according to Browne (n.d), Pakistani and Bangladeshi families are most likely to live in the traditional nuclear family type. In modern days with divorce on the increase nuclear family types have been replaced with reconstituted families and single parented families. Reconstituted families consist of separated or divorced people who enter a new relationship with someone that already has children. Single parented families are one that consists of one parent that takes care of the child. According to Browne (n.d) ninety per cent of this type of family is headed by women. The nuclear family is the family type that is regarded to the Functionalist, Marxists and the New Rights as the most ideal. The main functionalists’ theories of the family are G.P Murdock and Talcott Parsons. They view the family as a tool in order for the society to function. Ken Browne (n.d) suggests that the Functionalists believe that the development of an individual is helped by the upbringing from the family. The reason why Parsons believes in the nuclear family is because he believes that the male and the female both serve a role within the family that benefits society. He believes that the female has an expressive role whereby the females’ nature is to be emotionally supportive to her children and husband, providing them with love and nurture. The males’ role is to be instrumental, whereby his duty is to be the provider of the family. Browne (n.d) suggests that Parsons states that the male instrumental role can cause stress and anxiety in which the females’ expressive role takes place in order to soothe her husbands’ tension. The problem with this view is that the functionalists do not take into account that now in modern times we have an array of family types and family roles have been reversed. For instance, it is very common now for a woman to have a job and be the breadwinner in helping maintain the family. It is also very common for men to be the main carer of the home and the children, especially when you take into account that the rise of unemployed men is high due to the recession, and as a result of this, men are actually taking expressive role into action and the female the instrumental role. And also the nuclear family is now decreasing. The tradition of children within a marriage isn’t as common as it was in the past as now cohabitation is a common family type. Also divorce rates are high resulting in reconstituted families and single families. The expression for the instrumental and expressive roles isn’t as valid when you apply them into the roles of the sexes, as now with the increase of different family types the roles can be reversed or one parent could provide the instrumental and expressive role. Marxists do not view the family as acting in the interest of society as a whole but more in the form of a superstructure that benefits the capitalist system. â€Å"Marxist see the family within the framework of a capitalist society, which is based on private property, driven by profit and is riddled with conflict between social classes with opposing interest†. (Browne pg 123) According to the Marxists the industrial aspects and the reproduction of people and generations contributes to the system by them working to maintain the economic system. This view on the family fails to take into account the sociological benefits a family can have outside of the industrial perspective. Brown (n.d) states that Engles, an early Marxists, believed that the monogamous practice of the nuclear family guarantees the paternity of the children, therefore ensuring that private property was passed down to the right people. There is also the perception that women married for material gain as, like t he functionalists, they believed men should be the breadwinners and women should stay home and take care of the children. As their view concentrates mainly on the structural perspectives to society they fail to take into account the emotional side of the family and the fact that couples do actual marry for love. As I mentioned earlier, it is now very common for women to work and earn their own money and to be independent therefore minimising Engles’ view on the perception that women married for money and security. Their view on the importance of the nuclear family suggests they do not recognise the wide diversity in the families we now have today as not all families are nuclear. Reconstituted families, in some cases property or money could be shared equally amongst step-children and paternal children, this also indicates that Engles hadn’t taken to account the varieties of the different family types. However, in most Muslim marriages they tend to be arranged and due to the strong religious influence divorce rates are dramatically low in comparison with European and Afro-Caribbean marriages . Due to the nuclear family setting in Muslim marriages, Engles theory would best describes them. Browne (n.d) states that the Marxist Feminist has an extended view on the Marxist perspective as the feminists focuses mainly on the female contribution to the family. They highlight the key issues on the negative effects of family life towards women, e.g. domestic violence, which the Functionalist and the Marxists do not acknowledge. Radical Feminist highlights that patriarchy is the cause of restriction on women. They highlight that the duty that women undertake as carer of children restricts them in their workplace and that the upbringing they give to their children socializes them so that they are fit for the working environment. They believe that women’s unpaid domestic labour benefits the capitalist system. The key problem with the Marxist feminists is that they do not take into account the diversity of modern families. It’s as if they assume that every family consists of a heterosexual nuclear family. Gay families as well as other types of families are not even taken into account in this view. Browne suggests that they also paint a very negative perspective of family life making the family to the woman a burden when in reality not all women feel this way. Some women love the fact that they are considered in their family as the main nurturer, and in other families the roles are shared equally between the mother and father as it very common for both parents to work. With this said as women have their own source of income women are less obliged to remain with their partner if they are unhappy, highlighting the fact that, according to Browne (n.d) , 70 per cent of women initiate divorces. The New Right theory is politically themed as opposed to socially. They believe that the decline in the traditional nuclear family contributes to various social problems such as spending on welfare, underachievement and the existence of the ‘underclass’ (criminals). The New Right do not take into account that some nuclear families do also have their problems. The feminists have addressed that domestic violence does take place within the nuclear family. This in turn could affect a child to the point where that child is deeply affected by these incidents within the family home which results him/her to be a nuisance to society in which case, a single parented family would indeed lessen the problems as the domestic problem would have been taken out of the equation. The functions of the New Rights are just indeed theories that all of which do not have any evidence to back them up. The Post Modernisms embraces every family type and states that no family structure should be considered as more desirable than others. They state that an individual can experience various family structures throughout their lifespan. Although the Post Modernism’s theory does not discriminate households that are deemed as ‘not ideal for society’ by other socialist groups, they appear not to have any boundaries which can be detrimental for society and the individual as they do not enforce a degree of structure. The commonality between all the sociological theories that I have discussed so far is that none of them have taken into account the cultural differences and views of the family. The nuclear family is not universally accepted. An example of this shown by (FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD BOOKLET-NO AUTHOR/DATE) mentions that Kibbutz, an Israeli family type, is one that consists of the community taking on the responsibility of the family as opposed to the parents. (THE BOOK STATES) â€Å"In the early Kibbutzim, childrearing was separated as much as possible from the marriage relationship, with children kept apart from their natural parents for much of the time and brought up in the children’s house by metapelets†¦. It is one of the most famous and successful attempts to establish an alternative to the family†. (p117) The Jewish way of life proves that other family type such as theirs can be successful, shadowing the Nuclear family type status to be the most effective way of family life. Another example as to why cultural differences have been overlooked is that Polygyny tends to be quite common in the Muslim culture. This type of family setting would not go in the favour of what the Marxist stand for as the Marxist believes in the monogamy setting where one husband and one wife is all that is required. The fact that socialists’ still use theories from the earlier period shows that their perspectives are very old fashioned and dated. In the earlier days the numbers of ethnic minorities, homosexuality and divorce in Great Britain was considerably lower to the numbers of today. This suggests that the perspectives were aimed solely for the European nuclear society. As the number of ethnic minorities, homosexuality and divorce features so largely in Britain, the perspectives is in some need of amending as they do not benefit people from different family types and cultures. Bibliography Aiken Dave; Chapman Steve: Moore Stephen, (n.d), Sociology AS For AQA Browne Ken, (n.d), Sociology for AS AQA 3rd Edition New Right and Postmodernist, (n.d), To introduce New Right and Postmodernist perspectives on the nuclear family, available at: http://www.educationforum.co.uk/sociology_2/post.htm Postmodern Sociology, (n.d), available at: http://www.allaboutworldview.org/postmodern-sociology.htm

Water Content Or Moisture Content Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Content Or Moisture Content Environmental Sciences Essay Water content  or  moisture content  is the quantity of  water  contained in a material, such as  soil  (called  soil moisture),  rock,  ceramics, fruit, or  wood. Water content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas, and is expressed as a ratio, which can range from 0 (completely dry) to the value of the materials  porosity  at saturation. It can be given on a volumetric or mass (gravimetric) basis. The water content of a material is used in expressing the phase relationships of air, water, and solids in a given volume of material. In fine-grained (cohesive) soils, the consistency of a given soil type depends on its water content. The water content of a soil, along with its liquid and plastic limits as determined by Test Method  D4318, is used to express   its relative consistency or liquidity index. The quality of the result produced by this standard is dependent on the competence of the personnel performing it, and the suitability of the equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the criteria of Practice  D3740  are generally considered capable of competent and objective testing/sampling/inspection/etc. Users of this standard are cautioned that compliance with Practice  D3740  does not in itself ensure reliable results. The mass of water used in the above expression is the mass of free pore water only. Hence for moisture content determination the soil samples are dried to the temperature at which only pore water is evaporated. This temperature was standardized 105 C to 110 C. Soils having gypsum are dried at 60C to 80 C. The quantity of soil sample needed for the determination of moisture content depends on the gradation and the maximum size of particles. Following quantities are recommended. Soil Max quantity used (gm) Coarse gravel 1000 to 2000 Fine gravel 300 to 500 Coarse sand 200 Medium sand 50 Fine sand 25 Silt and clays 10 to 25 Moisture content affection : Always the amount of moisture contents affects the soil strongly by different issues , and this is the dramatically classifications of the different amounts of the moisture content in the soil : The soil is called ( brittle solid ) when its in a dry state or have a very little amount of moisture content inside the soil , and it will be hard and brittle as a result of that , though it breaks before it will deform ( hard candy ). The soil is described as ( semi-solid ) when its have a little amount of moisture content in it , thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s not able to cancel the solidity in the soil because of the little amount of it in the soil , and the behavior of the soil will be between the brittle and ductile state , and though it deforms permanently but with cracks ( like stiff cheese ). The soil described also as ( plastic ) when it have a noticed amount of moisture content which have an appearance affect in the soil , when the amount of the water content is nor little neither much in the soil , and the behavior of the soil in the state will noticed directly while catching the samlple of the soil by hand , it will have a very ductile , malleable behavior , thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s will deform without cracking ( like play-doh ). The soil in the last case , is the ( liquid ) soil which will have for sure a big amount of moisture content inside it , it we can notice that easily by slight moving or even by the naked eye , which will be like a thick or thin viscous fluid or like a soup. Actually always there is a limits between each state of the moisture content for the soil , and these limits called the consistency or atterberg limits of the soil , and to talk more briefly about the ( Atterberg Limits ) : The  Atterberg limits  are a basic measure of the nature of a fine-grained  soil. Depending on the  water content  of the soil, it may appear in four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid. In each state the consistency and behavior of a soil is different and thus so are its engineering properties. Thus, the boundary between each state can be defined based on a change in the soils behavior. The Atterberg limits can be used to distinguish between  silt  and  clay, and it can distinguish between different types of silts and clays. These limits were created by  Albert Atterberg, a  Swedishchemist.[1]  They were later refined by  Arthur Casagrande. These distinctions in soil are used in picking the soils to build structures on top. Soils when wet retain water and expand in volume. The amount of expansion is related to the ability of the soil to take in water and its structural  make up  (the type of atoms present). These tests are mainly used on clayey or silty soils since these are the soils that expand and shrink due to moisture content. Clays and silts react with the water and thus change sizes and have varying shear strengths. Thus these tests are used widely in the preliminary stages of building any structure to ensure that the soil will have the correct amount of  shear strength  and not too much change in volume as it expands and shrinks with different moisture contents, aand here is the informations about the three atterberg limits , shrinkage , plastic and liquid limit : Shrinkage limit The shrinkage limit (SL) is the water content where further loss of moisture will not result in any more volume reduction.[2]  The test to determine the shrinkage limit is  ASTM International  D4943. The shrinkage limit is much less commonly used than the liquid and plastic limits. [edit]Plastic limit The plastic limit is determined by rolling out a thread of the fine portion of a soil on a flat, non-porous surface. The procedure is defined in ASTM Standard D 4318. If the soil is plastic, this thread will retain its shape down to a very narrow diameter. The sample can then be remoulded and the test repeated. As the moisture content falls due to evaporation, the thread will begin to break apart at larger diameters. The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content where the thread breaks apart at a diameter of 3 mm (about 1/8). A soil is considered non-plastic if a thread cannot be rolled out down to 3mm at any moisture. [edit]Liquid limit The liquid limit (LL) is the water content at which a soil changes from plastic to liquid behavior. The original liquid limit test of Atterbergs involved mixing a pat of clay in a round-bottomed porcelain bowl of 10-12cm diameter. A groove was cut through the pat of clay with a spatula, and the bowl was then struck many times against the palm of one hand. Casagrande subsequently standardized the apparatus and the procedures to make the measurement more repeatable. Soil is placed into the metal cup portion of the device and a groove is made down its center with a standardized tool of 13.5 millimetres (0.53  in) width. The cup is repeatedly dropped 10mm onto a hard rubber base at a rate of 120 blows per minute, during which the groove closes up gradually as a result of the impact. The number of blows for the groove to close is recorded. The moisture content at which it takes 25 drops of the cup to cause the groove to close over a distance of 13.5 millimetres (0.53  in) is defined as the liquid limit. The test is normally run at several moisture contents, and the moisture content which requires 25 blows to close the groove is interpolated from the test results. The Liquid Limit test is defined by ASTM standard test method D 4318.[3]  The test method also allows running the test at one moisture content where 20 to 30 blows are requi red to close the groove; then a correction factor is applied to obtain the liquid limit from the moisture content..[4] The following is when you should record the N in number of blows needed to close this 1/2-inch gap: The materials needed to do a Liquid limit test are as follows Casagrande cup (liquid limit device) Grooving tool Soil pat before test Soil pat after test Another method for measuring the liquid limit is the  fall cone test. It is based on the measurement of penetration into the soil of a standardized cone of specific mass. Although the Casagrande test is widely used across North America, the  fall cone test  is much more prevalent in Europe due to being less dependant on the operator in determining the Liquid Limit. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Atterberg_limits_02.JPG/220px-Atterberg_limits_02.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Casagrande_2.JPG/220px-Casagrande_2.JPG [edit]Importance of Liquid Limit test The importance of the liquid limit test is to classify soils. Different soils have varying liquid limits. Also to find the plasticity index of a soil you need to know the liquid limit and the plastic limit. [edit]Derived limits The values of these limits are used in a number of ways. There is also a close relationship between the limits and properties of a soil such as compressibility, permeability, and strength. This is thought to be very useful because as limit determination is relatively simple, it is more difficult to determine these other properties. Thus the Atterberg limits are not only used to identify the soils classification, but it allows for the use of empirical correlations for some other engineering properties. [edit]Plasticity index The plasticity index (PI) is a measure of the plasticity of a soil. The plasticity index is the size of the range of water contents where the soil exhibits plastic properties. The PI is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit (PI = LL-PL). Soils with a high PI tend to be clay, those with a lower PI tend to be silt, and those with a PI of 0 (non-plastic) tend to have little or no silt or clay. PI and their meanings 0 Nonplastic (1-5)- Slightly plastic (5-10) Low plasticity (10-20)- Medium plasticity (20-40)- High plasticity >40 Very high plasticity [edit]Liquidity index The liquidity index (LI) is used for scaling the natural water content of a soil sample to the limits. It can be calculated as a ratio of difference between natural water content, plastic limit, and liquid limit: LI=(W-PL)/(LL-PL) where W is the natural water content. The effects of the water content on the strength of saturated remolded soils can be quantified by the use of the liquidity index, LI: When the LI is 1, remolded soil is at the liquid limit and it has an undrained shear strength of about 2 kPa. When the soil is at the plastic limit, the LI is 0 and the undrained shear strength is about 200 kPa.[4][11] [edit]Activity The activity (A) of a soil is the PI divided by the percent of clay-sized particles (less than 2 ÃŽÂ ¼m) present. Different types of clays have different specific surface areas which controls how much wetting is required to move a soil from one phase to another such as across the liquid limit or the plastic limit. From the activity, one can predict the dominant clay type present in a soil sample. High activity signifies large volume change when wetted and large shrinkage when dried. Soils with high activity are very reactive chemically. Normally the activity of clay is between 0.75 and 1.25, and in this range clay is called normal. It is assumed that the plasticity index is approximately equal to the clay fraction (A = 1). When A is less than 0.75, it is considered inactive. When it is greater than 1.25, it is considered active. After briefly explaining the the differences between the amounts of moisture content in the soil , we should explain a vey important issue , which is the methods of affection of the moisture content in the soil which is : Strength decreases as water content increases. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Soils swell-up when water content increases. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Fine-grained soils at very high water content possess properties similar to liquids. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ As the water content is reduced, the volume of the soil decreases and the soils become plastic. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ If the water content is further reduced, the soil becomes semi-solid when the volume does not change. And to talk more about the affection of the moisture aontent in the soil , this is a general affection of the moisture content in the soil at nature : The effect of increasing soil  moisture content  on soil temperature, soil reflectance and soil heat storage is studied in this work. The results show that an increase in  moisture content  decreases the soil temperature differences between day-time and night-time, which provides protection to the plant root system against sharp and sudden changes of soil temperature. It is also found that the solar energy absorption increases as the  moisture content  increases, which results in a higher heat storage capacity at higher  moisture content. Finally, plant growth rate and yield increased due to the modification of plant climate at higher moisture content Water content is an important property of soils, in ¯uencing soil solution chemistry and nutrient uptake by plants.Morphology and other speci ®c properties of the root, nutrient concentration in the soil solution, the mobility of nutrients in the soil, and supply from solid phases, aÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ect nutrient uptake (Nye and Tinker, 1977; Barber, 1995). Consequently, there are consistent diÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬erences in concen- trations of elements near the rhizoplane at a range of soil water contents (Dunham and Nye, 1976). Soil chemical properties may exert a profound in ¯uence on growth and performance of plants (Grime and Curtis, 1976), and soil concentrations of several elements may be closely related to oristic composition (Tyler, 1996a). Under  ®eld conditions, soil moisture  ¯uctuates with temperature and rainfall. By changing soil solution chemistry, moisture  ¯uctuations could regulate the availability of nutrients, and the  ®eld distributi on of plant species. Water has a very different thermal conductivity than most soil particles and air (the thermal properties of the soil are determined by these three). The thermal conductivity of water is much greater than that of air, so the higher the soil moisture content the greater the thermal conductivity.  The greater the soil moisture content, the more the soil thermal conductivity is like that of water. Therefore, a saturated soil has a conductivity near that of water.  However, just because the soil moisture content is high, doesnt mean that the soil will warm up faster in the Sun than a dry soil. Evaporation of the water will remove much of the Suns energy before the soil will have a chance to warm.  Therefore, dry soils do warm up faster from sunlight and cool faster at night. This is assuming that there isnt a vegetation cover over the soil. Most wet soils evaporate the water, keeping the soil from warming as fast during the day, and cool more slowly at night because of their greater heat capacity (because of the higher water content).   Moisture content phase diagrame : this is a rough photo about the general form of the phase diagram of the soil , that we use always for calculation done for moisture contents and all other issues in the soil : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Soil-phase-diagram.svg/300px-Soil-phase-diagram.svg.png Weight Components: à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Solids = Ws à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Water = Ww à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Air ~ 0 Volume Components: à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Solids = Vs à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Water = Vw à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Air = Va à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Voids = Va + Vw = Vv Weight-Volume Relationships : à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Steps to develop the weight-volume relationship à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Separate the three phases à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ The total volume of a soil à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Assuming the weight of air (Wa) to be negligible, the total weight is then given as V = Vs + Vv = Vs + Vw + Va W =Ws +Ww Objectives Practical Applications This is some properties that we could conclude the state of it in the soil from knowing the amount of moisture content in the soil : à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Storability of the soil à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Agglomeration in the case of powders à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Microbiolgical stability à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Flow properties, viscosity à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Dry substance content à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Concentration or purity à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Commercial grade (compliance with quality agreements) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Nutritional value of the product à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Legal conformity (statutory regulations governing food) Objectives : To learn the procedures of finding moisture content in the soil , and the variety in methods using to determine the moisture content. To determine the quantity of moisture content in the soil by good , accurate , safe , sheep way. To learn the differences in affection on the soil due to different amounts of moisture content in the soil To know the performance of the soil due to different amounts of moisture contents. To know how to use geotechnical laboratory tools, Such as the oven , balance , soil containers and all other different tools To know the importance of this experiment in the field work and how it affects the type and method of foundations must put upon different types of structures. Practical Applications : Moisture content plays an important role in understanding the behavior of fine grained soils. It is the moisture content which changes the soils from liquid state to plastic and solid states. Its value controls the shear strength and compressibility of soils. Compaction of soils in the field is also controlled by the quantity of water present. Densities of soils are directly influenced by its value and are used in calculating the Stability of slopes, bearing capacity of soils-foundation system, earth pressure behind the retaining walls and pressure due to overburden. The knowledge of determining the moisture content is helpful in many of the laboratory tests such as Atterbergà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s limits, shears strength compaction and consolidation. This experiment may be performed by two different methods. Geotechnical Engineering- I A. Oven drying method B. Torsion balance moisture content Actully we use the moisture content experiment mainly for getting the amount of water content inside the soil to be able to make the classification needs in the field for this soil ,and though to know how could we use this soil and where it could work and the amount of compaction needs of the soil containing a different amounts of water contents , to get the last conclusion from this important experiment , which is that the moisture content determination in the in situ in all field project is from the most important things that getting me ready to know the method of foundation thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s need above this soil to build on it at the end , stable , strong and good structure on it . In biological applications there can also be a distinction between physisorbed water and free water à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ the physisorbed water being that closely associated with and relatively difficult to remove from a biological material. The method used to determine water content may affect whether water present in this form is accounted for. For a better indication of free and bound water, the  water activity  of a material should be considered. Water molecules may also be present in materials closely associated with individual molecules, as water of crystallization, or as water molecules which are static components of protein structure. In conclusion , Knowing the amount of moisture content of a substance helps determining if the soil is suitable for a specific use. Such like:- To know if the soil can hold structure safely for long time safely and serviceability or not. To be able and ready for the design of the foundation of any type of the structures. Determining and controlling the moisture in substances is unique and necessary for many products, and the process borders between art and science , in many and variable sides of the life and nature knowing how the Soil water regulates soil temperature by different amounts and shape of moisture content. Soil water serves as a solvent and carrier of food nutrients for plant growth. Tools , equipments and specimens Equipments that we have use in the laboratory for the moisture content determination experiment : Soil container : Ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s a container which is ceramic containers of various shapes on light wood background Stock Photo 8282849 used to put different types of soil inside it or a combined types with others in the same container , and we have used it in this experiment to put a random type of fine-grained soil inside it and mix it with to determine the wight of it , and actually Soil container there are many sizes of the soil container upon to the quantity of soil need to put it in the container. IMG_0212.JPG SpatulaSpatula : it is an aluminum thin tool use to put soil by it in the soil container and for mixing the soil and water with each other in the soil container and also ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s used for transfering soil from container and put it into heat resistance pot which is made of steel. IMG_0209.JPG Steel ContainerSteel Container : it is a container made of steel that have a heat resistance quality , which used to put the moist (wet) sample of soil inside it , to put the moist sample then inside the oven to dry the sample of the soil. Digital Balance : is the instrument use to weigh the different things , that not have an enormous weights , and it used in this experiment to weigh the soil container alone once , and to weight the soil container with soil inside it then. Digital Balance http://www.supplierlist.com/photo_images/167132/Vacuum_Drying_Oven.jpg Oven DryOven Dry : it is an apparatus used to heat the specimens needs to heat in the laboratories , and it was used in this experiment to dry the moist sample of soil. moist soil sample : the wet soil > Dry soil sample : the dry soil sample before putting in the oven sample after putting in the ovenIMG_0209.JPGIMG_0211.JPG Moist Soil Sample Dry soil sample Background Based on the literature review, the feasibility of using microwave oven to determine moisture content of soils is well demonstrated. In addition to the GS, there is an available international standard test method (ASTM D4643) for such determination. This method includes requirements to control the power ratings of microwave ovens and the period of drying procedure. Therefore, the possibility of overheating of a soil sample can be greatly reduced. In addition, the soil sample is required to be carefully mixed after each time of ovens heating for a certain period in order to prevent non-uniform heating of the sample. And in this experiment we going to compute the moisture content using this test method method be determine the weight of the soil before and after the dry process by the laboratory oven dry ,and then compute by a dramatically series of calculations the amount of moisture content in that sample of soil given in the laboratory. Procedures According to ASTM 2216, the dry and clean container should be weighted using balance and its mass recorded. A representative sample should be selected . The moist representative sample should be placed in the container. The lid should be secured in its position. The mass of the container with the sample should be taken and recorded. The lid should be removed and specimen should be placed in the oven. The sample should be dried in the oven at. The container should be removed from the oven when the sample reach a constant weight which means all the water has been evaporated. The specimen should be weighted and recorded. The moisture content then calculated by a series of calculations , and below in the next paragraph , all of the data and calculations is explained preefly by a list of numbers. Work Sheet DETERMINATION OF WATER (MOISTURE) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ CONTENT Lab. Humidity : 57% Lab. Temperature : 20.5 0C Moist Fine Grained Sample Of Soil Testing Stander ASTM : D2216-92 Moisture Condition : Moisture Added Type Of Oven : Convection Oven Method Of Drying : Continuous Heating Mass Of Moist Sample = 20 g Soil Passing 4.75 mm. (No.4) Sieve = 100% Soil Passing 37.5 mm. Sieve =100% B3 6 OBSERVATIONS Sample No. Container No. 9.5 g Mass Of Container 29.5 g Mass Of Wet Soil + Container 28.0 g Mass Of Dry Soil + Container CALCULATIONS 1.5 g Mass Of Water 18.5 g Mass Of Dry Soil 8.1% % Water Content Formulas Calculation Formulas: 1) Mass of water = (Mass of wet soil + container ) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (Mass of dry soil + container) Mw = Mcws à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Mcs 2) Mass of dry soil = (Mass of dry soil + container ) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (Mass of container ) Ms = Mcs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Mc 3) water content = (Mass of water)/(Mass of dry soil) *100 w = Mw / Ms *100 Calculation: 1) Mass of water = 29.5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 28.0 = 1.5 (g) 2) Mass of soil = 28.0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 9.5 = 18.5 (g) 3) Water content = 1.5/18.5 * 100 = 8.1% Discussion The  measurement  of  moisture  content is a lab or a  procedure  used  to measure  the  amount of  moisture  or water that is embedded in a certain content in the soil , actually , the intended purpose for this lab or  procedure  once again as stated before is  to measure  the amount of  moisture  in a content. Times  in construction  we often need soil that must be suitable for building. In some cases  the soil  there and depending on where the land is located,  the soil  may not hold  foundation of  a building well.  In order for us to find out if  the soil  is durable enough to hold the  foundation of  a building we might have  to measure  the  moisture  of the content. When the percent of water is found we can than choose of  the soil  is suitable enough for the  foundation of  the building. actully the most important thing we have concluded from the experiment of determining the moisture content in the soil , is to know how much amount of compaction needs for this soil under the foundation to held the structure safely. Actully all foundations (including abutment) surfaces shall be shaped one horizontal to one vertical or flatter except as otherwise specified.And after stripping (due to stripping specification), the foundation shall be loosened thoroughly by scarifying or plowing to a minimum depth of six inches. The foundation shall then be compacted to the density and moisture requirements specified for the fill Areas that are too low after stripping and shaping must be filled to base grade with compacted fill equal to that used in other parts of the project, and eventhough the moisture content determination is from the most important tests that is from the basics we need in the Geo-technichal engineering, and later on in the foundation design. Conclusion The result of water content we get in the experiment after quit dry of the sample in the oven dry was 8.1% which is not acceptable to be able for building over it. Ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s quite high for fine grain. This means ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s not safe to build a structure, because the maximum allowable water content for grain is 1 %. Also this experiment is very important in Civil Engineering. Before construction ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s very obligatory to know the water content of the soil. If the water content is very high and construction is done, that might cause damage to structure which will appear later. Actully , for each type of soil has its own capacity to keep the structure safe. For example, If the sample is coarse the maximum allowable water content is 6%. While for fine its 1% , so the last result we get from the determination of the moisture contents in this soil is that , with this high amount of moisture content we can not use this soid for the construction purposes , and if we try to do , it will cause a big proplems and damage in the building later in the future and will neve ever by safety to use it in the civil society. Type of errors Personal errors:- Personal errors such as mistakes in reading from the balance , or mistakes done by wrong transferring data to the data sheet ,also the delaying of time taking out sample from oven it can cause error. Instrumental errors:- Errors might occur in digital balance due to the amount of accuracy of the digital balance. The reading also will change because of air condition. To eliminate such type of errors the reading should be taken several times. Environmental errors:- Moisture in lab and air of air condition can cause errors in readings , and though will not give us the absolute amount of moisture content , and the temperature in the laboratory affecting the sample of soil and instruments in the lab , all of these invironmental factors could give us wrong readings in the esperiment.