Lines and Slopes ACT Math Geometry Review and Practice

Lines and Slopes ACT Math Geometry Review and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve dealt with the basics of coordinate geometry and points (and if you haven’t already, you may want to take a minute to refresh yourself) and now it’s time to look at the ins and outs of lines and slopes on the coordinate plane. This will be your complete guide to lines and slopeswhat slopes mean, how to find them, and how to solve the many types of slope and line equation questions you’ll see on the ACT. What are Lines and Slopes? If you’ve gone through the guide on coordinate geometry, then you know that coordinate geometry takes place in the space where the $x$-axis and the $y$-axis meet. Any point on this space is given a coordinate point, written as $(x, y)$, that indicates exactly where the point is along each axis. A line (or line segment) is a marker that is completely straight (meaning it has no curvature). It is made up of a series of points and and connects them together. A slope is how we measure the slant/steepness of a line. A slope is found by finding the change in distance along the y axis over the change in distance along the x axis. You have probably heard how to find a slope by finding the "rise over run." This means exactly the same thingchange in $y$ over change in $x$. $${\change \in y}/{\change \in x}$$ Let's look at an example: Say we are given this graph and asked to find the slope of the line. We must see how both the rise and the run change. To do this, we must first mark points along the line to in order to compare them to one another. We can also make life easier on ourselves by marking and comparing integer coordinates (places where the line hits at a corner of $x$ and $y$ measurements.) Now we have marked our coordinate points. We can see that our line hits at exactly: $(-3, 5)$, $(1, 0)$, and $(5, -5)$. In order to find the slope of the line, we can simply trace our points to one another and count. We've highlighted in red the path from one coordinate point to the next. You can see that the slope falls (has a negative "rise") of 5. This means the rise will be -5. The slope also moves positively (to the right) 4. Thus, the run will be +4. This means our slope is: $-{5/4}$ Properties of Slopes A slope can either be positive or negative. A positive slope rises from left to right. A negative slope falls from left to right. A straight line has a slope of zero. It will be defined by one axis only. $x = 3$ $y = 3$ The steeper the line, the larger the slope. The blue line is steepest, with a slope of $3/2$. The red line is shallower, with a slope of $2/5$ Now that we've gone through our definitions, let us take a look at our slope formulas. Line and Slope Formulas Finding the Slope $${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$$ In order to find the slope of a line that connects two points, you must find the change in the y-values over the change in the x-values. Note: It does not matter which points you assign as $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$, so long as you keep them consistent. Find the slope of the line with coordinates at (-1, 0) and (1, 3). Now, we already know how to count to find our slope, so let us use our equation this time. ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ Let us assign the coordinate (-1, 0) as $(x_1, y_1)$ and (1, 3) as $(x_2, y_2)$. $(3 - 0)/(1 - -1)$ $3/2$ We have found the slope of the line. Now let's demonstrate why the equation still works had we switched which coordinate points were $(x_1, y_1)$ and which were $(x_2, y_2)$. This time, coordinates (-1, 0) will be our $(x_2, y_2)$ and coordinates (1, 3) will be our $(x_1, y_1)$. ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(0 - 3)/(-1 - 1)$ ${-3}/{-2}$ $3/2$ As you can see, we get the answer $3/2$ as the slope of our line either way. The Equation of a Line $$y = mx + b$$ This is called the â€Å"equation of a line,† also known as an line written in "slope-intercept form." It tells us exactly how a line is positioned along the x and y axis as well as how steep it is. This is the most important formula you’ll need when it comes to lines and slopes, so let’s break it into its individual parts. $y$ is your $y$-coordinate value for any particular value of $x$. $x$ is your $x$-coordinate value for any particular value of $y$. $m$ is the measure of your slope. $b$ is the $y$-intercept value of your line. This means that it is the value along the $y$-axis that the line hits (remember, a straight line will only hit each axis a maximum of one time). For this line, we can see that the y-intercept is 3. We can also count our slope out or use two sets of coordinate points (for example, $(-3, 1)$ and $(0, 3)$) to find our slope of $2/3$. So when we put that together, we can find the equation of our line at: $y = mx + b$ $y = {2/3}x + 3$ Remember: always re-write any line equations you are given into this form! The test will often try to trip you up by presenting you with a line NOT in proper form and then ask you for the slope or y-intercept. This is to test you on how well you're paying attention and get people who are going too quickly through the test to make a mistake. What is the slope of the line $3x + 12y = 24$? First, let us re-write our problem into proper form: $y = mx + b$ $3x + 12y = 24$ $12y = -3x + 24$ $y = -{3/12}x + 24/12$ $y = -{1/4}x + 2$ The slope of the line is $-{1/4}x$ Now let’s look at a problem that puts both formulas to work. For some real number A, the graph of the line $y=(A+1)x +8$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane passes through $(2,6)$. What is the slope of this line? A. -4B. -3C. -1D. 3E. 7 In order to find the slope of a line, we need two sets of coordinates so that we can compare the changes in both $x$ and $y$. We are given one set of coordinates at $(2, 6)$ and we can find the other by using the $y$-intercept. The $b$ in the equation is the y-intercept (in other words, the point at the graph where the line hits the y-axis at $x = 0$). This means that, for the above equation, we also have a set of coordinates at $(0, 8)$. Now, let’s use both sets of coordinates- $(2, 6)$ and $(0, 8)$- to find the slope of the line: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(8 - 6)/(0 - 2)$ $-{2/2}$ $-1$ So the slope of the line is -1. Our final answer is C, -1. (Note: don’t let yourself get tricked into trying to find $A$! It can become instinct when working through a standardized test to try to find the variables, but this question only asked for the slope. Always pay close attention to what is being asked of you.) Perpendicular Lines Two lines that meet at right angles are called â€Å"perpendicular.† Perpendicular lines will always have slopes that are negative reciprocals of one another. This means that you must reverse both the sign of the slope as well as the fraction. For example, if a two lines are perpendicular to one another and one has a slope of 4 (in other words, $4/1$), the other line will have a slope of $-{1/4}$. Parallel Lines Two lines that will never meet (no matter how infinitely long they extend) are said to be parallel. This means that they are continuously equidistant from one another. Parallel lines have the same slope. You can see why this makes sense, since the rise over run will always have to be the same in order to ensure that the lines will never touch. No matter how far they extend, these lines will never intersect. What is the slope of any line parallel to the line $8x+9y=3$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? F. -8G. $-{8/9}$H. $8/3$J. 3K. 8 First, let us re-write our equation into proper slope-intercept equation form. $8x + 9y = 3$ $9y = -8x + 3$ $y = -{8/9} + 1/3$ Now, we can identify our slope as $-{8/9}$. We also know that parallel lines have identical slopes. So all lines parallel to this one will have the slope of $-{8/9}$. Our final answer is G, $-{8/9}$. A...valiant attempt to be parallel. Typical Line and Slope Questions Most line and slope questions on the ACT are quite basic at their core. You’ll generally see two to three questions on slopes per test and almost all of them will simply ask you to find the slope of a line when given coordinate points or intercepts. The test may attempt to complicate the question by using other shapes or figures, but the questions always boil down to these simple concepts. Just remember to re-write any given equations into the proper slope-intercept form and keep in mind your rules for finding slopes (as well as your rules for parallel or perpendicular lines), and you’ll be able to solve these types of problems easily. What is the slope of the line through $(5,-2)$ and $(6,7)$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? F. $9$G. $5$H. $-5$J. $5/11$K. $-{5/11}$ We have two sets of coordinates, which is all we need in order to find the slope of the line which connects them. So let us plug these coordinates into our slope equation: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(7 - 2)/(6 - -5)$ $5/11$ Our final answer is J, $5/11$ Despite the fact that we are now working with figures, the principle behind the problem remains the samewe are given a set of coordinate points and we must find their slope. From C to D, we have coordinates (9, 4) and (12, 1). So let us plug these numbers into our slope formula: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(1 - 4)/(12 - 9)$ $-3/3$ $-1$ Our final answer is B, $-1$. As you can see, there is not a lot of variation in ACT question on slopes. So long as you keep track of the coordinates you’ve assigned as $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$, and you make sure to keep track of your negatives and positives, these questions should be fairly straightforward. How to Solve a Line and Slope Problem As you go through your line and slope problems, keep in mind these tips: #1: Always rearrange your equation into $y = mx + b$ If you are given an equation of a line on the test, it will often be in improper form (for example: $10y + 15x = 20$). If you are going too quickly through the test or if you forget to rearrange the given equation into proper slope-intercept form, you will misidentify the slope and/or the y-intercept of the line. So always remember to rearrange your equation into proper form as your first step. $10y + 15x = 20$ = $y = -{3/2}x + 2$ #2: Remember your $\rise/\run$ Our brains are used to doing things "in order," so it can be easy to make a mistake and try to find the change in $x$ before finding the change in $y$. Keep careful track of your variables in order to reduce careless mistakes like this. Remember the mantra of "rise over run" and this will help you always know to find your change in $y$ (vertical distance) over your change in $x$ (horizontal distance). #3: Make your own graph and/or count to find your slope Because the slope is always "rise over run," you can always find the slope with a graph, whether you are provided with one or if you have to make your own. This will help you better visualize the problem and avoid errors. If you forget your formulas (or simply don't want to use them), simply draw your own graph and count how the line rises (or falls). Next, trace its "run." By doing this, you will always find your slope. Now let's put your newfound knowledge to the test! Test Your Knowledge Now that we’ve walked through the typical slope questions you’ll see on the test (and the few basics you’ll need to solve them, let’s look at a few real ACT math examples: 1. 2. Which of the following is the slope of a line parallel to the line $y={2/3}x-4$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? A. $-4$B. $-{3/2}$C. $2$D. $3/2$E. $2/3$ 3. When graphed in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane, the lines $x=-3$ and $y=x-3$ intersect at what point? A. $(0,0)$B. $(0,-3)$C. $(-3,0)$D. $(-3,-3)$E. $(-3,-6)$ Answers: D, E, E Answer Explanations: 1. You can solve this problem in one of two waysby counting directly on the graph, or by solving for the changes in $x$ and $y$ algebraically. Let’s look at both methods. Method 1- Graph Counting The question was generous in that it provided us with a clearly marked graph. We also know that our slope is $-{2/3}$, which means that we must either move down 2 and over 3 to the right, or up 2 and over 3 to the left to keep our movement across a negative slope line consistent. If you use this criteria to count along the graph, you will find that you hit no marked points by counting up 2 and over 3 to the left, but you will hit D when you go down 2 and over 3 to the right. So our final answer is D. Method 2- Algebra Alternatively, you can always use your slope formula to find the missing coordinate points. If we start with our coordinate points of $(2, 5)$ and our slope of $-{2/3}$, we can find our next two coordinate points by counting finding the changes in our $x$ and $y$. Our first coordinate point of $(2, 5)$ has a $y$ value of 5. We know, based on the slope of the line that the change in $y$ is +/- 2. So our next coordinate point must have a $y$ value of either: $5 + 2 = 7$ Or $5 - 2 = 3$ This means we can eliminate answer choices B and C. Now we can do the same for our x-coordinate value. We begin with $(2, 5)$, so our $x$ value is 2. Because the line has a slope of $-{2/3}$, our x-coordinate change at a rate of +/- 3. This means our next x-coordinate values must be either: $2 + 3 = 5$ Or $2 - 3 = -1$ Now, we must put this information together. Because our slope is negative, it means that whatever change one coordinate undergoes, the other coordinate must undergo the opposite. So if we are adding the change in $y$, we must then subtract our change in $x$ (or vice versa). This means that our coordinate points will either be $(5, 3)$ or $(-1, 7)$. (Why? Because 5 comes from adding our change in $x$ and 3 comes from subtracting our change in $y$, and -1 comes from subtracting our change in $x$ and 7 comes from adding our change in $y$.) The only coordinates that match are at D, $(5, 3)$. Our final answer is D. 2. This question is simple so long as we remember that parallel lines have the same slopes and we know how to identify the slope of an equation of a line. Our line is already written in proper slope-intercept form, so we can simply say that the line $y = {2/3}x - 4$ has a slope of $2/3$, which means that any parallel line will also have a slope of $2/3$. Our final answer is E, $2/3$ 3. This question may seem confusing if you’ve never seen anything like it before. It is however, a combination of a simple replacement in addition to coordinate points. We are given that $x = -3$ and $y = x - 3$, so let us replace our $x$ value in the second equation to find a numerical answer for $y$. $y = x - 3$ $y = -3 - 3$ $y = -6$ Which means that the two lines will intersect at $(-3, -6)$. Our final answer is E, $(-3, -6)$. A good test deserves a good break, don't you think? The Take-Aways Though the ACT may present you with slightly different variations on questions about lines and slopes, these types of questions will always boil down to a few key concepts. Once you've gotten the hang of finding slopes, you'll be able to breeze through these questions in no time. Make sure to keep track of your negatives and positives and remember your formulas, and you’ll be able to take on these kinds of questions with greater ease than ever before. What’s Next? Whew! You may know all you need to for ACT coordinate geometry, but there is so much more to learn! Check out our ACT Math tab to see all our individual guides to ACT math topics, including trigonometry, solid geometry, advanced integers, and more. Think you might need a tutor? Take a look at how to find the right math tutor for your needs and budget. Running out of time on ACT math? Check out how to buy yourself more time on ACT math and complete your section on time. Looking to get a perfect score? Our guide to getting a 36 on ACT math will help you iron out those problem areas and set you on the path to perfection. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Battle of Magdhaba in World War I

Battle of Magdhaba in World War I Conflict The Battle of Magdhaba was part of the Sinai-Palestine Campaign of World War I (1914-1918). Date British troops were victorious at Magdhaba on December 23, 1916. Armies Commanders British Commonwealth General Sir Henry Chauvel3 mounted brigades, 1 camel brigade Ottomans Khadir Bey1,400 men Background Following the victory at the Battle of Romani, British Commonwealth forces, led by General Sir Archibald Murray and his subordinate, Lt. General Sir Charles Dobell, began pushing across the Sinai Peninsula towards Palestine. To support operations in the Sinai, Dobell ordered the construction of a military railway and water pipeline across the peninsulas desert. Leading the British advance was the Desert Column commanded by General Sir Philip Chetwode. Consisting of all of Dobells mounted troops, Chetwodes force pressed east and captured the coastal town of El Arish on December 21. Entering El Arish, the Desert Column found the town empty as Turkish forces had retreated east along the coast to Rafa and south long the Wadi El Arish to Magdhaba. Relieved the next day by the 52nd Division, Chetwode ordered General Henry Chauvel to take the ANZAC Mounted Division and the Camel Corps south to clear out Magdhaba. Moving south, the attack required a quick victory as Chauvels men would be operating over 23 miles from the closest source of water. On the 22nd, as Chauvel was receiving his orders, the commander of the Turkish Desert Force, General Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein visited Magdhaba. Ottoman Preparations Though Magdhaba was now in advance of the main Turkish lines, Kressenstein felt required to defend it as the garrison, the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 80th Regiment, consisted of locally recruited Arabs. Numbering over 1,400 men and commanded by Khadir Bey, the garrison was supported by four old mountain guns and a small camel squadron. Assessing the situation, Kressenstein departed that evening satisfied with the towns defenses. Marching overnight, Chauvels column reached the outskirts of Magdhaba near dawn on December 23rd. Chauvels Plan Scouting around Magdhaba, Chauvel found that the defenders had constructed five redoubts to protect the town. Deploying his troops, Chauvel planned to attack from the north and east with the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, and the Imperial Camel Corps. To prevent the Turks from escaping, the 10th Regiment of the 3rd Light Horse was sent southeast of the town. The 1st Australian Light Horse was placed in reserve along the Wadi El Arish. Around 6:30 AM, the town was attacked by 11 Australian aircraft. Chauvel Strikes Though ineffective, the aerial attack served to draw Turkish fire, alerting the attackers to the location of trenches and strong points. Having received reports that the garrison was retreating, Chauvel ordered the 1st Light Horse to make a mounted advance towards the town. As they approached, they came under artillery and machine gun fire from Redoubt No. 2. Breaking into a gallop, the 1st Light Horse turned and sought refuge in the wadi. Seeing that the town was still being defended, Chauvel ordered the full attack forward. This soon stalled with his men pinned down on all fronts by heavy enemy fire. Lacking heavy artillery support to break the deadlock and concerned about his water supply, Chauvel contemplated breaking off the attack and went so far as to request permission from Chetwode. This was granted and at 2:50 PM, he issued orders for the retreat to begin at 3:00 PM. Receiving this order, Brigadier General Charles Cox, commander of the 1st Light Horse, decided to ignore it as an attack against Redoubt No. 2 was developing on his front. Able to approach through the wadi to within 100 yards of the redoubt, elements of his 3rd Regiment and the Camel Corps were able to mount a successful bayonet attack. Having gained a footing in the Turkish defenses, Coxs men swung around and captured Redoubt No. 1 and Khadir Beys headquarters. With the tide turned, Chauvels retreat orders were cancelled and the full attack resumed, with Redoubt No. 5 falling to a mounted charge and Redoubt No. 3 surrendering to the New Zealanders of the 3rd Light Horse. To the southeast, elements of the 3rd Light Horse captured 300 Turks as they attempted to flee the town. By 4:30 PM, the town was secured and the majority of the garrison taken prisoner. Aftermath The Battle of Magdhaba resulted in 97 killed and 300 wounded for the Turks as well as 1,282 captured. For Chauvels ANZACs and the Camel Corps casualties were only 22 killed and 121 wounded. With the capture of Magdhaba, British Commonwealth forces were able to continue their push across the Sinai towards Palestine. With the completion of the railway and pipeline, Murray and Dobell were able to commence operations against the Turkish lines around Gaza. Repulsed on two occasions, they were eventually replaced by General Sir Edmund Allenby in 1917.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Assignment - 1

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster - Assignment Example In this paper, the author describes and comments on the various aspects of the accident. First, the author describes the events leading to the explosion. Next is a discussion of the main causes of the accident. Next, the author describes the steps that could have been taken to avert the accident. After that, a description of the prevailing culture within NASA is provided, accompanied with a discussion of how that culture might have impacted the decisions of NASA engineers and staff. The author then comments on the management of NASA and how the institution implements its systems and procedures. Finally, the author sums up the main points of the paper. Initially, Challenger had been scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida on January 22 at 14:42 Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, the launch did not happen as had been planned due to delays in the preceding mission, STS-61-C(McConnel, 1986). Consequently, Challenger launched was pushed forward to January 23 then January 24. The launch was once more moved to January 25 owing to unfavourable weather conditions at the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) centre in Dakar, Senegal. NASA decide to use Casablanca as an alternative TAL, but because it lacked facilities for night landings, the launch was once more rescheduled for the morning of January 26, Florida time. Then, it was predicted that the weather at KSC would be unfavourable, so the lift-off was moved to January 27 at 9:37 EST. Again, the launch failed to take off due to problems registered in the exterior access hatch. By the time engineers solved the problems, the wind speed had increases substantially such that a launch was impossible. It was under these circumstances that the launch eventually happened on January 28, even though weather forecasts had predicted an unusually cold morning with temperatures close to -10C, the lowest possible temperature at which a launch may happen.

Power Conflict slp Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Power Conflict slp - Assignment Example ; awareness of the issues affecting both parties, overall improvement of employee morale, improvement of working conditions and finally increased productivity and innovation in the organisation. On the contrary, dysfunctional conflicts lead to a win lose situation for the parties. The negative results for such conflicts include usage of threats that end up destroying the relationship between parties, both parties end up losing and finally increase in chances of retaliation. The organisation that was involved in real estate development was in functional conflict with the local community. It was mainly due to the development of town homes on a particular parcel of land within the town. The top management had sited that the land’s location was ideal for the construction of town homes, but the general community was against it. Some of the issues raised by the community were that its construction would lead to a strain in the available resources such as schools, as the number of children would increase. It resulted in demonstrations by the community concerning the particular land. The organisation was well known for corporate social responsibility within the community, but the resistance to the project by the community was unimaginable. The top management had the option of bribing the local administration, but this would be detrimental to the organisations had earned corporate image. One of the key principles of the organisation was transparency, fairness for all and accountability. The top management was not ready to forego these principles for its benefits. Based on the conflicts, the board of governors had to convene a meeting to address the issues that would result to a win-win situation for both parties. The top management felt that was a functional conflict as the disagreement would yield a positive result for the conflicting parties. A meeting was organised between the top management and local community representatives. Conflicting issues were addressed and

Climate change Essay Example for Free

Climate change Essay The topic of the dissertation is very clear and well-defined. The problems that have been set forth by the researcher have also been posed with great clarity. To wit, the dissertation aims to ascertaon how green travel blogs perceive the problem of climate change and the manner by which it is affected by the tourism industry; how tourists, in their green travel blogs, choose to go â€Å"green,† looking into their knowledge of the negative effects of tourism on climate change; and how green travel blogs contribute in making tourists aware of the relationship between tourism and climate change. All these have been answered through an analysis of the discourse found in these blogs. The researcher acknowledges the strong relationship that exists between climate change and tourism, and thus analyzing the content of travel blogs will give clear indications about how tourism may further be enhanced through the perceptions of climate change derived from this medium. Simply put, this paper has given valuable input that shall help tourism flourish. Literature Review The literature review is clearly yielded from the most recent sources on the topic. It directly discusses the importance of the subject by beginning with the relationship of climate change and tourism, as indicated by the World Tourism Organization in 2003. It also did mention the requisites that are asked from the tourism industry to help mitigate the problems on environment and climate change, setting a strong rationale for undertaking the study. Empirical studies that further point out the relationship between these two variables were presented such as those of Becken and Hay (2007), Boniface and Cooper (2005), Hall and Higham (2005), Lockwood and Medlik (2002), Jones and Munday (2007), and Belle and Bramwell (2005), among others. From this backdrop, the review of related literature zooms in on the role of travel blogs as a medium for promotion, product distribution, communication, management, and research has been clearly suggested from various empirical studies. These have successfully gained popularity in order to ensure that they communicate initiatives in the fight against climate change and/or global warming. Major books and journal articles have been gathered and synthesized in a coherent manner to allow for an effective springboard for the research. Moreover, relevant transition from each portion of the literature to the next may be observed. There is synthesis and a demonstration of the interrelationships of concepts, making the review cohesive and critical.

Economic-consumer Self vs Moral-political Self Essay -- Economics Econ

I think Sagoff is right in his perception and feeling of a distinct departure between one's economic-consumer self and one's moral-political self. As his examples show (p.501), and I think we can all relate to at least some of them as much as we may not want to, not all preferences are actually expressed through the market (I know I am always sure to go to the gas station with the lowest gas prices and my college-student wallet is happy when prices are low, but I am much happier when they're higher because then the resource is being more appropriately priced). Given a conventional view of economists, one could imagine an economist stating that the most important/serious moral choices are those which one expresses monetarily (through consumer choice), even if they are inconvenient or personally non-/less- beneficial. The saying "put your money where your mouth is" comes to mind, as using one's money in our society is the ultimate proof of one's seriousness and commitment to a topic or issue. However, that viewpoint only strengthens Sagoff's interpretation of modern versus ancient society. He states that the liberties focused on in the modern ago are those surrounding privacy and property, whereas formerly, foci were on community and participation (p. 508). When accepting only individual spending and consumption as the true measure of one's preferences, it is only possible to evaluate decisions on an individual (privacy and property) level. I think that Krisitin Shrader Frechette's analysis of risk-cost-benefit-analysis (RCBA) demonstrates t his explicitly (though this is obviously NOT her intention). As she attempts to show, through her essay, that environmental issues and values can be incorporated into traditional cost-be... ...ype of discussion that Sagoff and Goodland/Ledec can have about the shortfalls in traditional economic evaluations because without it, nothing within the framework of RCBA will change. Shrader-Frechette states in defense of RCBA, that "one could always assign the value of negative infinity to consequences alleged to be the result of an action that violated some deontological principle"(p.511). However, I think that if RCBA in its current form is going to prove useful in the long-term, options like this need to be employed, not just talked about as a potential when trying to defend a questionable theory. I do not know the answer to today's million-dollar question about what alternatives should be employed, but I do know that settling for something that is very sub-optimal is ridiculous when what is required is less defense and more brainstorming and active debate.

Gun Control Essay

America is the most well armed nation in the world, with American citizens owning about 270 million of the world’s 875 million firearms (MacInnis). Indeed, this is more than a quarter of the world’s registered firearms. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, which states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. † (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U. S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for nterpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversial topic in American politics. â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. † The right for of all Americans to bear arms is a r ight even the Founding Fathers held to equal importance as the Constitution itself. Whether or not gun control laws work, the fact of the matter is that these kind of laws directly violate this right and therefore should not even be under consideration. Even if that issue is overlooked, gun control advocates state that in order to reduce firearm related violence, gun control laws must be implemented to remove the violence caused by firearms. the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, to hunt for food and to engage in sporting activities – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – If I were to write a paper on gun control I would have to say that finding the information on the topic was very readily available. The Internet is A fairly reliable means of obtaining important and accurate information. There were also numerous books dedicated to the Issue of Gun Control. I could write a number of papers with the information I collected. Such as Different form of gun control, why gun control works, and Why should we Fight Gun Control. I could easily write a paper in support of Gun control but on the same note I could write a paper against gun control. I would start any of the papers with statistics that I collected. The information they provide paints a pretty good picture of the Basis for the need Of Gun Control. The same statistic can work against Gun control. Depending on the way that the information is analyzed the sword could swing both ways. Many of the statistics showed a decrease in gun crimes after Guns were let loose among Common Citizen; yet, at the same time more guns get stolen and then used in violent crimes. So the common Idea is that the more guns the more gun crimes. Not always, In places Like Amsterdam, were Gun Control is at its strongest, gun crimes are still the most common. More guns can mean more crime. It depends greatly on the location of the weapons. The Next step would be to show the benefits of gun control, and the declines of gun control. The natural benefits of gun control are very obvious and very unpredictable. The reasons why they are unpredictable is because in some cases less guns mean less crime, but sometimes the more guns the less crimes. But the Obvious benefit is that it keeps gun away from people that wouldn’t have any way to buy the gun. If you can’t buy a gun then you don’t need a gun. But I can also say that Heavy Gun Control is a constitional treat to Americans. In Most incedents were the Government kills people the people have been under heavy gun control. A big point with many people is â€Å"if they outlaw guns the only ones with guns would be the outlaws. The Government knows that they can not stop people from having guns, but they try to slow it down. After all this I would have to move to my theory about a solution. Gun Control is important, but it isn’t necessary to stop people from owning gun. People have the right to own guns and should have the right to own a side arm. Guns are great tools when used by some one that know, and respects the power possessed by that gun. If we took less time from stopping people from owning a weapon, and spent more time educating people about guns then they might respect them. Guns don’t Kill people, people kill people with guns, that’s how it works. No body has to die. No minors or the mentally ill should not handle firearms except under very careful supervision. People who have been convicted of violent crimes should not purchase or carry a firearm. Unfortunately, criminals do not need to purchase their firearms in gun stores nor do they tend to feel the need to register them. We just need to screen people and try and take guns off the street.