Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for University

Fundamental Concepts in Earth Physics

Elastic Moduli and Seismic Waves

Elastic Moduli Definitions

• Young's Modulus (Y): Describes the fractional change in length of an object when subjected to a tensile stress. The formula is: Y = (F/A) / (ΔL/L₀)
• Bulk Modulus (K): Describes how a fractional change in volume depends on the applied pressure.
• Shear Modulus (G): Describes how an angle of shear depends upon a tangential stress.

Seismic Wave Types

• P-wave (Primary Wave): Characterized by compressional and expansion motion.
• S-wave (Secondary Wave): Characterized by shear motion.

Demonstration of Radiometric Age Dating

Derivation of the Decay Equation

If the decay rate is equal to $\lambda$, the probability that a given nucleus will decay in a time interval... Continue reading "Geophysical Principles: Elasticity, Magnetism, and Radiometric Dating Formulas" »

What is Injection Molding?

Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts in large volumes. It is most typically used in mass-production processes where the same part is being created thousands or even millions of times in succession.

Injection Molding Machine

Why Use Injection Molding?

The principal advantage of injection molding is the ability to scale production en masse. Once the initial costs have been paid, the price per unit during injection molded manufacturing is extremely low. The price also tends to drop drastically as more parts are produced. Other advantages include the following:

• Molding is very repeatable. That is, the second part you produce is going to be practically identical to the first one. This is a wonderful

G.A. Cohen's Locked Room Analogy

The story of G.A. Cohen presents a scenario where ten people are locked in a single room with only one key able to open the door. This thought experiment is used to analyze the concepts of freedom and necessity within the capitalist system.

The Analogy's Components

The room is similar to the working class, the people locked in the room are the individual workers, and the key represents the means with which individual workers can escape the working class. It must also be noted that only one individual may use the key and leave the room, and after that individual leaves, no other individual may attempt to exit.

The Argument for Individual Freedom

It is true that before anyone attempts to leave, all are equally free... Continue reading "G.A. Cohen's Locked Room Analogy and Capitalist Exploitation" »

2 Types of Supreme Court Jurisdictions

1. Appellate Jurisdiction

Appellate jurisdiction covers cases from federal courts and the highest state courts involving federal questions (interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, statutes, or treaties). This process is discretionary, not obligatory, and follows the Rule of Four.

2. Original Jurisdiction

Between 1789 and 2012, there were only about 200 original jurisdiction cases. Under Article III, these include:

• Cases between a state and the U.S. Government.
• Cases between two or more states.
• Cases involving foreign ambassadors, ministers, or consuls.
• Cases initiated by a state against a citizen of another state or a foreign country.

Note: The 11th Amendment (1795) requires suits initiated against a state by... Continue reading "Supreme Court Jurisdictions and Federal Judicial Appointments" »

The Federal Judiciary System

Three Levels of Federal Courts

Level One: District Courts

District Courts are trial courts and handle cases related to congressional districts and voting rights.

• Cases: Constitution, laws, and treaties of the U.S.; Admiralty and maritime cases; Diversity jurisdiction (citizens of different states with more than $50,000 at issue).
• Annually, over 367,000 cases (excluding bankruptcy filings) begin at the 94 U.S. District Courts, staffed by 677 judges.
• There are 89 district courts in the 50 states, plus one each in D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Each state has at least one district court, and no district courts cross state lines. Some states have 2 to 3 districts, with California,

Q.1 American Revolution & Locke's Influence

• John Locke Two Treatises of Government

According to John Locke, the British King did not have the divine right of kings to rule; rather, the ruled were to receive "Life, liberty, and property" in a social contract between the subjects and the King.

If he broke the contract, the ruled had the right to revolt.

• Founding Fathers of American Revolution borrowed from Locke "Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" and the right to revolt from the British King

Q.2 The Politics of Signing of the US Constitution

• Philadelphia Convention

The formal signing of the Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, almost 109 days after the Philadelphia Convention first met.

Meeting on September 13, 1788, the Articles... Continue reading "The American Revolution, Locke's Influence, and the Politics of the US Constitution" »

Cool Jazz

In part a reaction to bebop, cool jazz involved more complex compositions, slower tempos, and sometimes less overt emotional involvement. Associated with the West Coast, it had much greater rhythm variety than bop in up-tempo & medium-tempo pieces. It had extensive arrangements, including written introductions and composed passages between improvisations.

Artists

• Paul Desmond
• Dave Brubeck
• Bill Evans

Hard Bop

Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues. An aggressive, driving, hot style of modern jazz developed by East Coast musicians... Continue reading "Exploring Different Styles of Jazz: Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, Free Jazz, and Fusion" »

The ability of a firm to produce good performance depends on the strategy of an organization. The strategy of an organization, in turn, depends on the environment and culture of an organization. The environment is the sum name of all those factors and forces which not only surround an organization but also affect the way it works and its performance (external factors outside the organization and internal factors within the organization). Culture is the way an organization and its people work. Usually known as organizational culture, it includes:

• Values: Easy to identify, they are explicit, and used to be different from formal statements.
• Beliefs: Specific, discerned in how people talk about issues the organization faces.
• Behaviors: Day-to-day

Assignment 5

Management of Interest Rate Risk

Major Risks in Bond Market

A) Interest Rate Risk (change in market prices of bonds due to varying interest rates)

• Increase in rates, decrease in market prices, increase in reinvestment rate risk (coupons reinvested at lower return)

B) Reinvestment Rate Risk (uncertainty of rate at which interim cash flows can be reinvested)

• High coupon rate, high reinvestment rate risk
• Greater for longer holding periods (high interim cash flows)

C) Default Risk (credit risk) (issuer unable/unwilling to pay interest and principal of bond)

• High credit rating, lower yield
• Short-term T-bills (almost risk-free, no default risk, and low return and reinvestment risk because of short duration)

D) Call Risk (risk bond issuer will redeem bond before... Continue reading "Interest Rate Risk Management: A Comprehensive Guide for Investors" »