7 Classes and Types of Phrases

7 Classes and Types of Phrases 7 Classes and Types of Phrases 7 Classes and Types of Phrases By Mark Nichol Phrase is such a banal term for two or more words that convey an idea that it may surprise you that there are seven types of phrases, with variations. Here, with pertinent phrases in sample sentences formatted in boldface, is a rundown of the categories: 1. Absolute Phrase An absolute phrase is a modifying parenthetical or subordinate phrase of a root sentence that includes a subject but does not have an acting verb so cannot stand on its own as sentence: â€Å"Their effort to regain the lead successful, the team continued to score until they pulled ahead by a wide margin. 2. Appositive Phrase An appositive phrase is one that restates a preceding term, or expands or explains it, in a parenthetical statement. There are three variations of appositive phrases: â€Å"Her dog, a bull mastiff, looks ridiculous with a pink bow stuck to her head† features a noun phrase. â€Å"His favorite hobby, knitting, is rather unusual for a man† includes a gerund phrase. â€Å"The Tahitian’s ambition, to become an ice skater, is unexpected† has an infinitive phrase. Note that these three types of phrases are explained below; the distinction in the phrase types as applied above, as opposed to the types described below, is that each type serves as the basis for an appositive phrase; on their own, they need not be appositive, or set off. 3. Gerund Phrase A gerund phrase includes a verbal, a hybrid that functions as a noun (or adjective). There are three distinct functions: â€Å"Juggling knives is not recommended as a relaxation technique† includes a gerund phase as the subject of the sentence. â€Å"I’m going for a long walk off a short pier† features a gerund phrase as the sentence’s object. â€Å"She’s saving up for a vacation in Antarctica† has a gerund phrase as the object of a preposition. 4. Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase includes the word to and a verb as the basis of a modification of a root sentence: â€Å"His effort to pass the bill doomed his political ambitions† includes an infinitive phrase that functions as an adjective modifying the previous noun. â€Å"He plans to see the movie† features an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s object. â€Å"To write of the experience is to dredge up unpleasant memories† has an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s subject. â€Å"To say as much is to admit guilt† includes an infinitive phrase that serves as predicate nominative, or a substitute subject. â€Å"I went to the store to buy some ice cream† features an infinitive phrase that stands as an adverb (modifying the verb went). 5. Noun Phrase A noun phrase consists of a person, place, or thing and any modifiers: â€Å"This is a grammar lesson.† It may include one or more adjectives (as grammar modifies lesson here). It might include a noun and a modifying clause: â€Å"This is a lesson that explains the various types of phrases.† It might take the form of one of three other types of phrase: infinitive, participial, and prepositional. (The infinitive phrase is discussed above, and the latter two types are described below.) Many noun phrases are continuous; they consist of words in sequence. However, a noun phrase may be discontinuous, meaning that it is broken up into more than one element: â€Å"This lesson is one that explains the various types of phrases.† 6. Participial Phrase A participial phrase consists of verbals ending in -ing or -ed, or another irregular form of a verb, and serves as an adjective: The participial phrase in â€Å"Having been lied to before, I was wary† modifies the word I. The phrase may be parenthetical within a sentence, too: In â€Å"You, knowing what you now know, are in a better position to judge,† the participial phrase modifies the word you. 7. Prepositional Phrase A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a noun or pronoun that serves as the preposition’s object, and often one or more adjectives: â€Å"I went for a walk in the dark woods.† Prepositional phrases are often located at the head of a sentence. â€Å"When the sun went down, I hurried back.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingAwoken or Awakened?20 Ways to Cry

Bullets in Victims Head Hate Crime or Parking Space

Bullets in Victims Head Hate Crime or Parking Space A Look into the Rational Choice Theory of Criminality Killing someone over a parking space is as absurd as receiving a death penalty for a stealing a bag of peanuts. Similarly, something is terribly wrong when experienced police officers with criminology background, succumbed to its potential as a motive for killing not one but three college students. This is because it is quite evident that the two victims were helpless female. The suspect, a college student who lived next door, describing himself as â€Å"Anti-theist†, deliberately shot them all in the head. These are clear evidence of motive but surprisingly ignored. It is irrational because the motive is contradictory to the fact that the duty to kill or not to kill is grounded on human morality, a norm of righteousness on which the evil of taking someone’s life is deeply ingrained. In other words, people by nature avoid wicked acts and unlikely to see any duty to end someone’s life for worthless things like a car parking space. Academic literature of human behavior suggests that there is an inherent, immeasurable and undiminished moral value attached to human life. In other words, human lives are priceless, equal in value and deserving of respect. Everyone, therefore, should honor the sanctity of human life regardless of race, religion, economic condition, and so on. This simple powerful moral truth about the value of life that most of  us accept and embed in our conscience is actually moral reason preventing us from hurting or killing anyone. It should be All Lives Matter rather than #MuslimLivesMatter. Also, you may read: Criminalize Cigarette Smoking   The Killing of Three Muslim-American College Students College Students   Most Criminals Plan and Make Rational Choices Considering the punishment and life implications of killing someone, it is very likely that a person who deliberately killed someone has an excellent and adequate reason. There is an indefinite variety of reason for people to kill other people but not all of them are justifiable. For example, a man who murdered his friend and later tells the court â€Å"My reason for killing him was that he broke my DVD player† is senseless and definitely not acceptable. If his reason was â€Å"He said to that my mother was a whore†, then perhaps for many, such reason is sufficient to kill someone. The problem, however, is that we are not living in a world in which aggression is an acceptable response to negative emotive language. In criminology, a rational person planning to commit a petty crime such as shoplifting, initially weigh the cost (arrest, imprisonment, shame, loss of job, etc.) and benefit (money, property, thrill, respect of peers, etc.) of the crime. Now, if the benefit is greater than the cost then a crime will be committed. Murder or killing someone is a different story, as violence does not necessary involves outrage, mental illness, or economic desperation. Murder for instance often involves planning, preparation, and making a rational choice. In real life, criminals are rational killers and far from those who randomly victimizing innocent people in movies. They normally carry and use their guns for more rational reasons such as self-protection, dangerous illegal activities, and so on. In fact, even in senseless killings, criminals have conscious motives such as revenge and they pick their targets with care. Although some killings are the result of anger and aggression, most offenders plan and make rational choices such as getting rid of witnesses, to avoid retaliation, and others. Clearly, killing three students by putting a bullet in their heads, women with Islamic headscarves, and executed by an Anti-theist, is beyond parking space dispute but rational motives.

Economic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic History - Essay Example Some believe that the living standard of the common worker fell during the revolution, while others are of the view that it rose and everyone was better off. This essay will try to review the factors that contributed to the industrial revolution to be adopted first of all by England, rather than by any other European country. Though it is hard to pinpoint, but most historians agree that the Industrial Revolution basically originated in England with a series of social and technological innovations. Between 1760 and 1860, the progress in technology and education and an increasing capital stock, transformed England into the workshop of the world. This transformation came to be known as the Industrial Revolution, which gave rise to the income of not only its people; but as its effects spread, to the rest of the Western world as well. Historians also agree that this revolution was one of the most important historical events, making it possible for a rapid transition to the modern age, but disagree with the different aspects of this event. A question that really interests economic historians is that why did the eighteenth century industrial revolution start in Europe rather than in any other part of the world, like France and China or India. Though numerous factors like ecology, government and culture have been suggested but some historian argue that as China and Europe were similar in the 1700s, the crucial difference which resulted in the Industrial Revolution in Europe were the sources of coal and other raw material near the manufacturing centers. This allowed Europe to economically expand in a way China could not. Some also credit the difference in the belief systems as Europe focuses on the individual, while the Chinese beliefs are centered round relationships between people. Similarly, India was spilt up into many kingdoms, each fighting for supremacy. Its economy was dependent on cotton and agriculture and technological innovations were completely non-existent. The palace treasuries with huge amount of wealth, was easily moved to Britain making it more convenient for England to use it as needed. England also had huge natural financial profits which it gained from its many overseas colonies. Moreover, the aristocracy in continental Europe believed that as compared to the common people, they were born with higher virtues and the pursuit of money was a characteristic of lower class. The capitalistic and mercantile in England as well as the whole of Europe was achieved by the middle or the non-aristocratic classes. 'Why was England First:' According to Crafts (1977) the comparative approach to the two problems posed by the Industrial Revolution are why the breakthrough took place in Western Europe, and within Europe, where and when did it occur. It provides valuable insight into the economical growth from the general perspective and a better understanding of England's economic growth from the aspect of the Industrial Revolution. Crouzet (1967) is also of the view that this comparative approach can be greatly helpful for those economic historians who are particularly interested in the key problem of growth. And by systematically comparing the

The Impact of Mobile Computing Technology on Traditional Mobile Dissertation

The Impact of Mobile Computing Technology on Traditional Mobile Telephony - Dissertation Example The researcher would like to thank his supervisor for guiding him at every step along with supporting him in the due process. The support and guidance of all professors has been phenomenal and commendable that enhanced the overall appeal of the research in a great manner. The researcher would also like to thank his University for offering great support in accessing the library and other electronic sources. All these helps proved to be beneficial in enhancing the overall beauty of the research. The researcher would also like to thank his family for all the support, care, cooperation that made it possible to put extra hours in order to come up with a desired piece of splendid research work. They acted as a source of motivation and pillar of strength that added value to the research. The help and support of friends in terms of sharing views and opinions broadened the overall mindset of the researcher along with thinking from different point of views. Overall, the researcher is thankful to everyone who played a direct and indirect role in enhancing the overall purpose of the research along with adding value to it through compassionate support and guidance. The researcher is full with gratitude towards them and wishes them all the best in their life. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 4 Chapter 1.Introduction 5 1.1Reserach Aim 8 1.2 Research Objectives 8 1.3 Research Questions 8 1.4 Rational for the Research Topic 9 1.5 Scope of the Research 10 1.6 Structure of the Research 11 1.7: Summary 13 Chapter 2.0 Literature Review 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Mobile Computing Technology 14 2.3 Expanding Networks and Opportunities 16 2.4 Mobile Computing Technology in the Modern World 17 2.5 Dawn of Mobile Computing Technology 19 2.6 Benefits of Mobile Computing Technology 21 2.7 Limitations of Mobile Computing Technology 22 2.8 future of Mobile Computing Technology 23 2.9 Summary 23 Chapter 3.0 Comparative Analysis of Nokia and Apple 24 3.1 Introduction 24 3.2 An Overview of Nokia 25 3.3 An Overview of Apple 26 3.4 Comparative Analysis of Nokia and Apple 27 3.5 An Analysis of iPhone and Nokia Lumia 34 3.6 Future Analysis of Nokia and Apple 35 3.7. Future Trends 36 3.8: Summary 37 Chapter 4.0 Research Methodology 38 4.1 Introduction 38 4.2 Research Philosophy 38 4.3 Research Approach 39 4.4 Research Strategy 40 4.5 Data Collection 40 4.6 Sampling 41 4.7 Sample Distribution 42 4.8 Questionnaire 43 4.9 Data Analysis 43 4.10 Ethical Considerations 43 4.11 Strengths of the Methodology 44 4.12 Limitations of the Methodology 44 4.13 Summary 45 Chapter 5 Findings and Analysis 46 5.1 Introduction 46 5.2 Questionnaire Analysis 46 5.3: Critical Analysis 56 Chapter 6 Discussion 58 6.1 Introduction 58 6.2 Summary 65 Chapter 7 Conclusion and Recommendations 66 7.1 Introduction 66 7.2 General Conclusions 66 7.3 Recommendations for Future Research 72 7.4 Recommendations for Apple and Nokia 74 7.5 Final Conclusion 76 References 77 Appendices 80 A: Questionnaire 80 B. Consent For m 82 ABSTRACT The importance of mobile computing technology in the success and development of mobile manufacturing organsiations is not a hidden fact. The research presents a thorough analysis of impact and influence of mobile computing technology on the success and development of organsiations like Apple and Nokia along with conducting a comparative analysis over their hardware and software

Db1 managing high performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db1 managing high performance - Research Paper Example I prefer the free reign type of leadership to the autocratic. Free reign leadership style is motivational to employees, and it gives them room to exchange ideas within themselves and even work towards the same goal. Autocratic does not give the employees room to participate in the decision-making process, exercising of individual leadership styles hence influencing negatively on worker talents and skills (Gino, 2013). While working with Digg Company, I observed the management styles employed by the company director, Mr. Willy to be laissez-Faire. Mr. Willy delegated duties, responsibilities coupled with adequate authority to his junior staff, gave them room to take part in the decision-making process, and without strict supervision. It helped the company meet its set goals within the period; employees felt encouraged and motivated. On the contrary, Mrs. Helena, the sales representative of Frontier Marketers Company, where I started my career, designed an autocratic style that did not achieve success (Benincasa, 2012). She harshly directed her employees, fired and hired without warning. It led to employees feeling inferior, could not contribute much to organization’s development, and soon losses struck the company. Benincasa, R. (2012, JUNE). 6 Leadership Styles, And When You Should Use Them. Retrieved OCT 8, 2014, from FC leadership: http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them Nayab, N. (2011, SEPT 28). Examples of Companies with Autocratic Leadership. Retrieved OCT 8, 2014, from Bride Hub Project Managment:

How Is Power Generated With Hydroelectricity?

How Is Power Generated With Hydroelectricity? Hydroelectric power energy from falling water. Hydro electric power means getting energy from flowing water. This method of energy generation is viewed as very environmentally friendly by many people, since no waste happens during energy generation. However, hydroelectric power can have a deep impact on the surrounding environment, leading some people to question the help of hydroelectric power as a method of clean energy generation. Hydroelectric power is used to run water as an energy source and mostly in grind corn. Hydroelectricity produced enough power light for two paper mills and a house. Nearly ally of the hydroelectric power stations, provide around 20% of the worlds electricity. The Origin of Hydro Power was first used in Ancient Egypt. They used flowing water to make a machine work and grind their crops. The Size of the Hydro power plants today range in size from some hundred kilowatts to several hundred megawatts. Some of the larger plants have capacities up to 10,000 megawatts and supply electricity to millions of people. Over 80 percent of all electricity produced by renewable sources is produced by large hydroelectric dams. With low carbon dioxide emissions and working costs, hydropower is an important part of a climate friendly energy mix. More sustainable sources, such as wave and tidal power, could save the standing of water based energy production. Hydropower accounts for around 20% of the worlds electricity generation, and a little over 2 percent of the worlds total energy supply. Although dams often have big environmental and social impacts, the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates that another 370 Giga watts of large, medium, or small hydroelectric capacity could be developed without unacceptable impacts by 2050. The energy output Because most dams use gravity, a hydroelectric dams energy output depends largely on the height difference between the tank water source and the outflow. Water flow along the rivers is another important factor, as is the age and efficiency of a dam. Many of the worlds older dams will need to be upgraded or repowered in the coming decades to improve efficiency, which will be expensive but could eventually add another 30 GW to the global energy mix. Environmental impact Large hydroelectric dams have a number of negative impacts on the local environment and human society. Dams disrupt river ecosystems and passages, killing aquatic life that gets caught in turbine blades. Dams also create artificial reservoirs, which floods farmland and forests, and displaces wildlife and people. Hydroelectric projects are also susceptible to fluctuations in river flows and rainfall. Which depends on energy from the Volta River Dam, has suffered severe energy shortages in recent years because of lack of rainfall. The key environmental problem with hydroelectric power is that blocking changes the natural environment. The flow of a river is basically changed when a dam is installed, posing problems for fish and aquatic plants on both sides of the dam. However, there are some arguments in support of hydroelectric power. Once installed, a hydroelectric power plant does not generate any emissions or waste, making it very much preferable to something like a coal fired power plant. The technology of hydroelectric power is also always being improved, and sometimes simple measures like fish ladders can moderate the impact of a dam. How it worksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 1. Hydroelectric power, or hydroelectricity, is generated by the force of falling water. Its one of the cleanest sources of energy and its also the most reliable and costs the least. 2. Water is needed to run a hydroelectric power-generating unit. The water is held behind a dam, forming an artificial lake. The force of the water being released from the reservoir through the dam spins the blades of a giant turbine. The turbine is connected to the generator that makes electricity as it spins. After passing through the turbine, the water flows back into the river on the other side of the dam. Basically the exciter powers the rotator. 3. Electricity is produced by spinning electromagnets within a generators wire coil that creates a flow of electrons. To keep the electromagnets spinning, hydroelectric stations use falling water. Hydroelectric power plants convert the kinetic energy contained in falling water into electricity. The energy in flowing water is ultimately derived from the sun, and is therefore constantly being renewed. As the rotator and its magnetic field turn, an electric charge is created in the stator. 4. Energy contained in sunlight evaporates water from the oceans and deposits it on land in the form of rain. Differences in land elevation result in rainfall runoff, allowing some of the original solar energy to be captured as hydroelectric power. Most hydroelectric stations use either the natural drop of the river or build a dam across the river to raise the water level and provide the drop needed to create a driving force. Water at the higher level goes through the intake into a pipe, called a penstock, which carries it down to the turbine. A transformer increases the voltage of the current coming from the starter. The turbine is a type of water wheel that converts the waters energy into mechanical power. The turbine is connected to a generator, when the turbine is set in motion it causes the generator to rotate, producing electricity. The falling water, having served its purpose, exits the generating station through the draft tube and the tailrace where it rejoins the river. Building a dam means flooding a lot of land. The sun evaporates water from the sea to the lakes. This forms clouds and falls as rain in the mountains which then keeps the dam supplied with water. For free. Gravitational potential energy is stored in the water above the dam. Because the height of the water it will get to the turbines at a higher pressure. This means that people can extract a great deal of energy from it. The water then flows down to the river as normal. There is another way of using the hydroelectric power is to build the station next to a fast flowing river. However using this way may cause a problem which when you do the arrangement the flow of the water cannot be controlled and water cannot be stored. Advantagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Once the dam is built, energy is almost free. No waste or pollution produced It is more reliable than wind, solar and wave power Water can be stored above the dam Hydroelectric power stations can increase to full power quickly. Electricity can be generated all the time. Disadvantagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is very expensive to build Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream which can cause problems for animals Hard to find a suitable site. Water quality can be effected which have an impact on plants. Hydroelectric power is renewable. It is renewable in the sense that people cannot take away the source of the energy by using them. The sun provides water by evaporation from the sea. No fuel is needed in this generation. Also energy of the tides will not go away if the power is used. Efficiency The equation for hydro electric power is P = Q X H X 0.18 X E The p is for power in watts. The Q is the flow rate in gallons per minute The H is vertical relief measured in feet 0.18 is a unit conversion constant The E is the efficiency of the turbine The micro hydroelectric turbines are an efficiency of 50%. However for the mini hydroelectric applications the efficiency is a bit higher usually around 65%. The Cost The costs of the hydro electric power is everything concerning hydro, the costs are site specific, they will depend on the head available such as the higher the head the smaller the turbine needed to generate the same level of power. The high head machines can be also be connected directly to the generator without the need for the belts. Hydroelectric power is attractive because its cheap for the consumer average price in the PNW is around 4 cents per KWH this is 3 times less than the national average. Low costs to the consumer reflect relatively low operating costs of the Hydro Facility. Most of the cost is in building the dam Operating costs about 0.6 cents per KWH Coal Plant averages around 2.2 cents per KWH which reflects costs of mining, transport and distribution. Energy density in stored important water is high, so one liter of water per second on a turbine generates 720 watts of power. If this power can be continuously generated for 24 hours per day for one month then the total number of KWH per month is then: 720 watts x 24 hours/day x 30 days/month = 518 Kwh/month. Power generating capacity is directly relative to the height the water falls. For a fall of say only 3m, 30 times less electricity would be generated but this is just for a miniscule flow rate of 1 kg/sec. Solar Power- Energy from the Sun Solar power is energy which comes from the sun. People have used sun for drying clothes and foods for thousands of years but only now people have been able to use it for generating power. The sun is about 150 million kilometres away and very powerful. Just a tiny fraction of the suns energy that hits the earth is enough to meet all the power needs many times over. Every minute enough energy gets to the earth to meet the demands for a whole year. Solar power is energy which comes from the sun. This energy is very powerful and hits the earth regardless of whether or not we take advantage of it. Even the tiny percentage of sunlight that touches the earth is plenty to meet the energy and power needs of the entire human population more than 8,500 times over. Energy from the sun is converted into solar power using solar collectors. Solar panels consist of solar cells designed to capture energy from the sun. The solar panels used in heating air and liquid are different from those used to provide electricity. To absorb the highest possible amount of solar energy, solar panels must be pointed at the sun. Energy from the sun can be converted into solar power in two ways. The first way involves the use of solar thermal applications. Solar thermal applications use the suns energy to provide direct heat to air or liquid. Solar thermal panels can be used for both housing and larger scale applications. The second way of obtaining solar power involves the use of photoelectric applications. Photoelectric applications use photovoltaic cells in converting energy from the sun into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are considered low maintenance and well suited to remote applications. They use semiconductors like silicon to convert energy from the sun into electricity. How solar power worksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Solar cells- the Photovoltaic (Photo means light and voltaic means electricity) which convert light directly into electricity, for example in sunny weather you can get enough power to run a 100w light bulb from just one square metre of solar panel. Solar cells provide the energy to run satellites that orbit the earth. Solar water heating- this is where heat from the sun is used to heat water in glass panels. This means people do not use so much gas and electricity to heat water at home. Water is pumped through pipes in the panel, the pipes are painted black, and so they get hotter when the sun shines on them. Solar furnaces- it uses a huge collection of mirrors to concentrate the suns energy into a small space and produce very high temperatures. Solar furnaces are very huge solar cookers. A solar cooker can be used in hot countries to cook food. Solar energy isnt all about generating electricity: For example, photo luminescent products store light energy. Theyre also called self-luminous and are a useful source of emergency lighting in the event of a sudden power outage. The advantages of solar power areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Solar energy is free it needs no fuel and produces no waste or pollution. In sunny countries, solar power can be used where there is no easy way to get electricity. Handy for low-power uses such as solar powered garden lights and battery chargers, or for helping your home energy bills. The disadvantages of solar power areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Doesnt work at night. Very expensive to build solar power stations, although the cost is coming down as technology improves. Can be unreliable unless youre in a very sunny climate. Solar cells are expensive Solar power is renewable. The Sun will keep on shining anyway, so it makes sense to use it. 3 main ways to use it:- Sun heats water in panels on your roof Solar cells photovoltaic cells make electricity from sunlight Solar furnace Solar power isnt much use unless you live somewhere sunny Doesnt cause pollution, doesnt need fuel. Basics of solar power The amount of power generated by solar cells is determined by the amount of light falling on them, which is depending on the weather and time of day. Sometimes there will be too much power, other times these wont be enough. In this case the system battery can be damaged if it was overcharged or over discharged. The smallest system may have only 12 volts of light, but in bigger systems 23o or 110 volts will probably be needed. An invert is used to transform the low voltage Direct Current generated by the solar panel into mains voltage Alternate current. The costs of solar power Solar power is currently selling for between  £3 and 35 per watt of rated power output. A typical panel that you might install on your roof would be rated for between 100 and 300 watts and therefore will cost between about  £400 and around  £1500 or so. A complete solar power system also needs some other components and will have some installation costs and so the total installed cost of a solar system is usually in the range of  £8 10 per watt of rated power. Most home sized systems are rated in the 1000 to 10,000 watt range and therefore cost between about  £8000 and  £100,000 to install. Many states offer refunds and tax savings that can reduce this cost by as much as 50%.These systems will normally generate between about  £300 and  £2500 worth or electricity per year. Solar panels are expected to last between 30 and 50 years and so these systems will likely generate between  £9000 and  £120,000 worth of electricity over their life time. This will be different widely though based on local electricity costs and may well increase greatly in the future if electricity rates rise. Energy efficiency Energy efficiency saves money, where solar energy saves even more money. The efficiency rating of solar panels is fairly low for instance the amount of the suns energy converted into electricity. Depending on the situation it can range from 5% to 15%, although there have been some recent breakthroughs in technology which has increased this to 40%. However it will be some years before this technology becomes money making available in the solar panels we fit to our homes. When calculating how many solar panels you need for your home, you dont need to be too concerned about the efficiency rating of your panel because photovoltaic solar panels are specified by their energy generating capacity. For example, 100 watt panels will output 100 watts of energy under ideal conditions. So if you are looking to produce 1kw per hr of energy you will need 10 x 100 watt panels. Solar panels range in their energy output. normally they range from 30 to 205 watts. If you are DIY then pay special interest in calculating your energy requirements. If you are getting a company to draw up plans for you then they will take care of this calculation. There are three main types of solar photovoltaic cells and these are polycrystalline, mono crystalline and thin film. Each has different efficiency ratings when converting the suns energy into electricity and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. The main difference between them is size and price. The more efficient technologies like mono crystalline panels are more efficient than the other two and so the panels are smaller and take up less space when comparing like for like in energy output but they are more expensive. So before you decide which panels to go for, you need to calculate your energy requirements, establish how much you want to invest and then go and compare the different panels. There are many other aspects that can affect the efficiency of your panels. We find the following to be the most common: how often you clean them, are they infrared, how much sun do they get and how hot do they get. It is a surprise to many people that for most panels their efficiency drops when the temperature starts to go above 25 Deg Celsius. If you want a hot water heater conversion then solar thermal panels are a lot more efficient. In summary, on face value solar energy does not seem very efficient, although it is improving year on year. However, dont get too tied up about the efficiency of the panels, focus more on the output, size and level of investment. Sustainability Solar energy will burn for billions of years; it wont run out any time soon. This is sustainable because it will not reduce in the near future. They use primarily silicon, which is one of the richest materials on earth. But they can also use other things, like metals (copper, silver, gold), and some toxic chemicals (arsenic, cadmium) etc. The sustainability of these materials are recyclable, and it is thought 99% of a solar cell can be recycled. But the production of them does has some toxic site affects, which means we have to balance the clean energy production of the cells with the bad by products of their manufacturing process. Appropriate energy The biggest gains are usually found in lighting. Solar power doesnt have to be used for heating, but it would help. However, electricity is a bad way of heating things, but you can use solar power to heat water. Most houses are not designed for energy efficiency especially old houses. Normally light bulbs waste a lot of energy, thats because they work by getting hot. Its like getting a little light and a lot of heat. Always use low energy lamps. However in low voltage lamps if your solar power is small and you dont have a big inverter, then you will be better off with low voltage lamps. Tidal power Coming and going of the tides gives this form of renewable energy a different advantage over other sources that are not as predictable and reliable, such as wind or solar. The Department of Trade and Industry has stated that almost 10% of the United Kingdoms electricity needs could be met by tidal power. Tides come and go is because it is all to do with the gravitational force of the Moon and Sun, and also the rotation of the Earth. This diagram shows how the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun affect the tides on Earth. The size of this attraction depends on the mass of the object and its distance away. The moon has the greater effect on earth even with having less mass than the sun because it is so much closer. The gravitational force of the moon causes the oceans to swell along an axis pointing directly at the moon. The rotation of the earth causes the rise and fall of the tides. When the sun and moon are in line their gravitational attraction on the earth combine and cause a spring tide. When they are as positioned in the first diagram above, 90 ° from each other, their gravitational attraction each pulls water in different directions, causing a neap tide. The rotational period of the moon is around 4 weeks, while one rotation of the earth takes 24 hours; this results in a tidal cycle of around 12.5 hours. This tidal behaviour is easily predictable and this means that if harnessed, tidal energy could generate power for defined periods of time. These periods of generation could be used to offset generation from other forms such as fossil or nuclear which have environmental consequences. Although this means that supply will never match demand, offsetting harmful forms of generation is an important starting point for renewable energy. Tidal energy is a type of energy that produces electricity and other form of power through the use of water. Tidal energy is the energy that could be obtained from changing sea levels. It is a direct result of tide changing from low to high. The two basic theories on how to convert tides into power are: Is involves in converting the power of the horizontal movement of the water into electricity. Involves producing energy from the rise and drop of water levels. LIKE THIS! Most are at the concept proving stage and have links to universities such as Plymouth, Manchester and Imperial College. Technologies in development include: Use of a shore based oscillating water column, Trapping and compressing air in successive waves to build enough compression to drive a turbine Using pressure differences under wave crests to drive water flows through turbine chambers Floating buoys that use the kinetic energy of the buoys rise and fall to drive a turbine Using the motion of joints in an articulated structure to drive hydraulic rams that power motors. There are different types of turbines that are available for use in a tidal barrage. A bulb turbine is one in which water flows around the turbine. If a repair is required then the water must be stopped which causes a problem and is time consuming with possible loss of generation. When rim turbines are used, the generator is mounted at right angles to the to the turbine blades, making access easier. But this type of turbine is not suitable for pumping and it is difficult to control its performance. The blades of this turbine are connected to a long tube and are leaning at an angle so that the generator is sitting on top of the barrage. The turbines in the barrage can be used to pump extra water into the basin at periods of low demand. This usually works with cheap electricity prices, generally at night when demand is low. The company therefore buys the electricity to pump the extra water in, and then generates power at times of high demand when prices are high so as to make a profit. HOW IT WORKS Step 1: First a place must be chosen for the plant to be built Step 2: Then it must be tested to make sure the waves are big enough to produce enough electricity to make up for the price. Step 3: After this they must build the power plant Step 4: Then they have to test it to make sure it works Step 5: The tidal power plant should do the following: The waves should go into the plant. The pressure of the waves should turn the turbines making electricity. It would cost at least  £15 billion to build a tidal power. However there would be a number of benefits, including protecting a large stretch of coastline against damage from high storm tides and providing an already made road bridge. Although the drastic changes to the currents in the estuary could have a huge affects on the economic and huge number of birds that feed on the mud, so when the tides goes out the birds would have no where to feed. Efficiency of tidal power The benefit of tidal range power is its remarkable efficiency: once constructed, up to 80% of the potential energy of the water captured which can be converted to electricity with no greenhouse emissions. Tidal energy is also attractive from the point of view of energy security which makes uses of resources naturally available on and around the stores. Economics The capital required to start construction of a barrage has been the main awkward block to its deployment. It is not an attractive plan to a saver due to long payback periods. This problem could be solved by government funding or large organisations getting involved with tidal power. In terms of long term costs, once the construction of the barrage is complete, there are very small maintenance and running costs and the turbines only need replacing once around every 30 years. The life of the plant is unclear and for its entire life it will receive free fuel from the tide. The economics of a tidal barrage are very complicated. The optimum design would be the one that produced the most power but also had the smallest barrage possible. Social Impact The building of a tidal barrage can have much social cost on the surrounding area. During the building of the barrage, the amount of traffic and people in the area will increase and will last for a few years. The barrage can be used as a road or rail link, providing a time saving method of crossing the bay or estuary. There is also the possibility of include wind turbines into the barrage to generate extra power. The barrage would affect shipping would have to be made to allow ships to pass through. The biggest disadvantages of tidal barrages are the environmental and ecological affects on the local area. This is very difficult to expect, each site is different and there are not many projects that are available for comparison. The change in water level and possible flooding would affect the plants around the coast, having an impact on the aquatic and shore ecosystems. The quality of the water in the basin or estuary would also be affected, the remains levels would change, affecting the turbidity of the water and therefore affecting the animals that live in it and depend upon it such as fish and birds. Fish would certainly be affected unless condition was made for them to pass through the barrage without being killed by turbines. All these changes would affect the types of birds that are in the area, as they will travel to other areas with more favourable conditions for them. These effects are not all bad, and may allow different species of plant and creature to grow in an area where they are not normally found. But these issues are very fine and need to be independently assessed for the area. Advantage Once tidal power is built it is free. It doesnt produced no green house gases or other waste It needs no fuel It produces electricity Its not expensive to maintain Tides are totally predictable Offshore turbines are not ruinously expensive to build and do not have large environmental impact. Unlike wind and solar power production using the tidal forces is constant and predictable. No Waste produced Sustainability of energy production. Easy and not expensive to maintenance. Has little impact on the environment. Tidal energy turbines are dropped into deep water, so they are not a danger to ships. Tidal power cannot be used up Disadvantages A barrage across an estuary is very expensive to build and effects wide areas Many birds rely on the tide uncovering the mud flat so that they can feed and Fish cant travel Only provides power for around 10 hours a day- when the tide is actually moving in and out There are few suitable sites for tidal barrage. Heavier that wind turbines More expensive than wind turbines. Usually producing power for around 10 hours each day. This is the time frame in which the tide is actually moving in or out. Tidal energy has potential to become a possible option for large scale, base load generation. Tidal Streams are the most attractive method, having reduced environmental and ecological impacts and being cheaper and quicker to be installed. Tidal barrage is where a dam or barrage is built across an estuary or bay that experiences an enough tidal range. This tidal range has to be in overload of 5 metres for the barrage to be possible. The purpose of this dam or barrage is to let water flow through it into the basin as the tide comes in. The barrage has gates in it that allow the water to pass through. The gates are closed when the tide has stopped coming in, trapping the water within the basin creating a hydrostatic head. As the tide moves away out with the barrage, gates in the barrage that contain turbines are opened, the hydrostatic head causes the water to come through these gates, driving the turbines and generating power. Power can be generated in both directions through the barrage but this can affect efficiency and the economics of the project. The structure of a barrage requires a very long national engineering project. The barrage will have environmental and ecological impacts not only during building but will change the area affected forever. Just what these impacts will be is very hard to measure as they are site specific, and each barrage is different. There are different types of turbines that are available for use in a tidal barrage. A bulb turbine is one in which water flows around the turbine. If protection is required then the water must be stopped which causes a problem and is time consuming with possible loss of generation. When rim turbines are used, the generator is mounted at right angles to the to the turbine blades, making access easier. But this type of turbine is not suitable for pumping and it is difficult to control its performance. Bulb Turbine Rim Turbine Tubular Turbine The turbines in the barrage can be used to pump extra water into the basin at stages of low order. This usually matches with cheap electricity prices, generally at night when the order is low. The company therefore buys the electricity to pump the extra water in, and then generates power at times of high claim when prices are high so as to make a profit. This has been used in Hydro Power, and in that context is known as pumped storage. The economical effects of tidal power are when they start building of a barrage has been the main uncertain block to its use. It is not an attractive to a saver due to long payback periods. This problem could be solved by government funding or large organisations getting involved with tidal power. In terms of long term costs, once the building of the barrage is complete, there are very small maintenance and running costs and the turbines only need replacing once around every 30 years. The life of the plant is unclear and for its entire life it will receive free fuel from the tide. The economics of a tidal barrage are very complicated. The best design would be the one that produced the most power but also had the smallest barrage possible. Social impact The building of a tidal barrage can have many social costs on the surrounding area. During building of the barrage, the amount of traffic and people in the area will increase a lot and will last for a number of years. The barrage can be used as a road or rail link, providing a time saving method of crossing the area. There is also the possibility of including wind turbines into the barrage to generate extra power. The barrage would affect shipping and navigation and but would have to be made to allow ships to pass through. Wind power A wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy. Such as people use wind turbine to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or dra

APEC Essay -- essays research papers fc

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) began in 1989 in reaction to the developing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies. At first this organization was a group that met unofficially. APEC now has become the crucial provincial conduit for encouraging open trade and realistic economic cooperation. It’s objective is to progress Asia-Pacific economic vitality and the essence of the people. APEC consists of 21 nations and other political units that border the Pacific Ocean. Economic and political alliances have been formed among the countries of the Pacific Rim. APEC's aims include reducing trade barriers among its members and to further trade and investment in the region. Its principles are to support economic growth and development of the region and world economic liberalization, to reduce barriers of the trade of goods, services and investment, and to facilitate economic, technical and investment cooperation among its member economies. (http://www.apec2002.org.mx/sevents)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are now twenty-one active members in APEC. Twelve nations have been members since the group was formed in 1989: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. In 1991, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan became members. Mexico and Papua New Guinea joined in 1993, and Chile in 1994. Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China in 1997 but kept its separate membership in APEC. Peru, Russia, and Vietnam became members in 1998. (http://www.apecsec.org.sg/) http://www.apec2002.org.mx/index.cfm?action=content&IdCategory=1&IdSubCategory=7&IdTopic=2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first two years of APEC, the members set up ten groups that would investigate opportunities for cooperation. The members of APEC meet annually since the beginning of the formation of APEC. In 1993 the heads of APEC met to constitute working groups to inquire about local cooperation in the areas of higher education, human resource development, and trade and investment. They also set up the Pacific Business Forum. The Pacific Business Forum was created to elevate immediate cooperation with privately owned businesses. Through many forums and meeting APEC agreed to implant a free-trade zone in the midst of their countries by the year 2020.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ...ilateralism means that the ideas of other members are not properly discussed. This becomes a problem because the decisions that APEC makes will affect all of its members. A debate over the subject matters of APEC will help to create more momentous steps toward greater trade and investment where exposure becomes an actuality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though APEC has some problems their accomplishments outweigh them. APEC is still working towards its goal of free and open trade with working groups and committees. Working groups inquire about local cooperation with specific topics. APEC is particularly important in making the region focus on issues of trade and opening the global market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ae/apec.htm http://www.noie.gov http://www.apecsec.org.sg/ http://www.apec2002.org.mx http://www.apec2002.org.mx/sevents http://www.apec2002.org.mx/index.cfm?action=content&IdCategory=1&IdSubCategory=7&IdTopic=2 http://www.apecsec.org.sg/loadall.htm?http://www.apecsec.org.sg/workgroup/fish.html http://www.mac.doc.gov/internet/aplacfaq.htm http://www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/comm/PolicyBriefs/pb026/pb26.htm

Usb Flash Drive

————————————————- USB flash drive Definition:Â  USB flash drives are compact file storage devices to save your information externally. Flash drives are about the size of a disposable lighter and can be conveniently worn around your neck or attached to your keychain. The end of the flash drive is inserted into the USB port on the computer. Once attached to the computer, they operate in much the same way as floppy drives, but have capacities currently in the range of up to 2 gigabytes.Pen drives, or USB–based technology thumb drives, have become the most popular data storage media devices for working professionals, students, academicians and independent tech consultants. Lightweight, small and easy to carry from place to place, a pen drive easily fits into a pocket or a wallet. Pen drives now available in multiple capacities, ranging from 512 MB to 32 GB, are used to store documents, photos, files, music videos and more. All read/write speed values are displayed in MB/Sec. Store Files A 4 GB or 8 GB pen drive can be used to store basic documents, PDF files, PowerPoint presentation and spreadsheets. 16 GB or 32 GB pen drives can be used to store high-capacity files such as videos, TV episodes and even movies. Transfer Files * Word documents, PDF files, presentations, photos and other files saved on a computer can be easily transferred or downloaded onto to a pen drive. Similarly, files can be transferred from a pen drive to a PC or laptop. Portable Devices * Independent technical consultants and PC technicians can use pen drives as portable work devices.They can store important files, utilities tools and programs in pen drives, and transfer them to another workstation or work site elsewhere. Working professionals can transfer their presentations and other important files stored on their hard drives to pen drives and take them elsewhere. Back-Up D evices * As almost all brand pen drives are password protected, they can also be used as effective back-up storage devices. Important personal information such as medical history, critical family information, important contacts, old family photographs, etc. can be stored in pen drives. Promotional Items * Many companies are now using pen drives to sell promotional material, marketing communication content and other sales literature. The ease with which pen drives can be customized and imprinted with company logos, pictures and images makes them effectivee promotional items. A USB Pen drive is a data storage device that contains flash memory with a combined Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. USB Pen drives are naturally changeable and rewritable, and physically much lesser than a floppy disk.We can use USB pens easily to plug it into the USB port of your computer and lookout the system automatically identifies the new device. You can stare at your system drive; a new drive has bee n produced. The operating system can communicate with your USB Pen Drive just like any ordinary Hard Disk Drive. The USB Pen Drive is dust-proof and shock-proof and contemplating a mere 21 grams, it needs no batteries, has no touching parts and is presented in range of volumes from 32 mega byte to a massive 1 giga byte.USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and it is a ‘standard' organized by the computer manufacturing to agree a vast amount of different devices to be easily involved to one machine with the minimum condition for further drivers and software and still work at an effective speed. Many firms within the UK use Persuasive USB pens as little enticements to customers of old and new. The hint of giving out Promotional USB pen drives is to offer customers with something that they can use that has your company logo upon it. A collection of Promotional pen drives can be given out to clients it all depends on how current you want them to be.General items of Promotional USB p en drives have been pens with messages printed upon them. Give your fixed customers Promotional USB flash drives like printed pens and they will have an thing they can use on a regular basis that has your name inscribed upon it. Moreover, give Promotional USB drives to prospective new clients and they will be capable to deliver your company brand inside their business premises. Each time they use an USB pen that has been given to them by you, your goods will be floating through their minds and your company will be leading in their thoughts. For more information visit http://www. global-emarketing. com .

Mini Company and Kaizen Essays

Mini Company and Kaizen Essays Mini Company and Kaizen Paper Mini Company and Kaizen Paper The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at emerald-library. com IJOPM 19,11 Continuous improvement and the mini-company concept Jan de Leede and Jan Kees Looise University of Twente, The Netherlands Keywords Continuous improvement, Teamwork, Organizational design, Case studies, Kaizen Abstract The key issue of continuous improvement (CI) seems to be the problem of combining extensive employee involvement with market orientation and continuation of CI. In this article we review some existing organisational designs for CI on these three essential characteristics of CI. As an alternative to the shortcomings of current organisational designs for CI we present the mini-company concept, related to the sociotechnical concept of the self-managing team. The minicompany concept incorporates the three key issues: it has a self-propelling capacity for CI, involving everyone on the shop floor. A constant and market-oriented source for improvement is found in the clients and suppliers of the mini-company. Results of an in-depth case-study are presented, showing some strong effects of the mini-company concept. 1188 International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, 1999, pp. 1188-1202. # MCB University Press, 0144-3577 Introduction Continuous improvement (CI) is viewed as vital in todays business environments. CI is one of the core strategies towards manufacturing excellence, as it appears, for example, within the context of world-class manufacturing (Schonberger, 1986; Schonberger, 1996) or total quality management (Hackman and Wageman, 1995). Furthermore, CI as a concept is nothing difficult to understand or new. Bessant and Caffyn (1997) define the concept as an organisation-wide process of focused and sustained incremental innovation Many tools and . echniques are developed to support these processes of incremental innovation. However, the difficulty lies within the consistent application of the CI-philosophy and the CI-tools and -techniques. As an organisation-wide process, CI requires the efforts of employees on all levels. Here, the CI-approach can be linked with long established traditions of employee involvement and employee participation. This line of research showed that the involvement of employees is not just a matter of the application of tools and techniques alone (among many others: Cotton (1993)). Other organisational elements such as organisational frameworks, leadership and management styles, culture, employee needs, values and norms are needed as well. Only an integrated approach will lead to lasting results. The key problem of CI seems to be the issue of employee involvement (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997; Berger, 1997). How to involve the employees of all levels in the process of market-oriented continuous improvement? What motivational aspects have to be taken into account in making CI a lasting routine? It is our statement that existing organisational frameworks do not address this issue to a satisfying extent. In spite of the recognition of the people orientation of kaizen (Imai, 1986) and the broad participation and high involvement of CI (Bessant and Caffyn, 1997; Berger, 1997), CI still needs thorough elaboration on organisational designs in which these aspects are realised. Especially, the problem is how to direct the CI activities to customer requirements and business strategy, while maintaining true employee involvement. In this article we want to contribute to this issue. We focus on the organisational aspects of employee involvement in CI. Therefore, the focus of this article is the shop floor. We present a concept that is derived from sociotechnical systems theory but is enriched by principles from Shop Floor Management (Suzaki, 1993). This concept is called the mini-company. The most important characteristic of the mini-company concept is the integration of the customer in operations. An interesting example of the mini-company concept is presented in the case of a manufacturing plant. We show its organisational aspects and its effects on the contribution of the operators in improvement activities. This article is structured as follows. First, we present a framework in order to identify the links of the core principles of CI with market orientation and employee involvement. Second, a brief review is presented of organisational designs of CI. We present another organisational design in the next section: the mini-company concept. This concept entails some strong points in which the reviewed organisational designs are weaker. The case of Philips CMA is an illustration of the mini-company concept and shows some good results with respect to the contribution of operators in product and process improvement. Finally, some conclusions are drawn from the case discussion. CI, market orientation and employee involvement We view organisations as configurations of at least three domains. Every domain is related to the outside world. Products are related to the market place, processes are related to technology and human capital is related to labour. The three domains are interrelated. Innovation occurs in each of these domains when we look at product innovation, process innovation and social innovation, but are interrelated as well (Looise, 1996). In Figure 1 this framework is presented in a schematic way. Based on this general framework, one can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of various new production concepts. Some concepts start from the interaction of market and technology, while others are rooted in the interaction between market and labour or technology and labour. For instance classical sociotechnical systems design talked about the joint optimisation of the social and the technical system (Trist, 1981). This is exactly the interaction of technology and labour. The modern sociotechnical approach is aimed at reduction of complexity, and tries to create efficient product flows (De Sitter et al. 1997). The concept of the autonomous group is still very important in modern sociotechnical theory. The main contribution of sociotechnical thinking is to design a structural basis for enhancing the quality of the organisation in line with an increase in the quality of working life and the quality of the industrial relations. However, this approach too is one-sided. It is too much of a design approach stressing the technological and the structural aspects of organising, but to some extent neglecting the market perspective and the social-dynamical aspects of organising. On company level a sociotechnical Mini-company concept 1189 IJOPM 19,11 1190 Figure 1. Organizations as configurations of product, process and personnel (after Looise, 1996) structure intends to enhance the companys responsiveness to the market, but a closer look at the design principles reveals that on the shop floor level the market or even the customer focus is far away. Let us return to CI and characterise CI using this framework. Following Berger (1997), we distinguish some core principles of CI by using the ideal characteristics of Imais kaizen (Imai, 1996). The first principle is processorientation. Before results can be improved, it is the central tenet of CI that processes must be improved. Good results will follow automatically when processes are both understood and controlled. The orientation is towards the activities and work methods and not towards the outcomes. The second principle is small step improvement of work standards. Imai states it very decisively: There can be no improvement where there are no standards (Imai, 1986, p. 74). For all major operations Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are formulated and improved in an ongoing process of small improvements. One requirement of these SOPs is discipline. All employees have to comply with the established standard operating procedures. Adherence to standards is also stressed in a tool for CI called CEDAC (Fukuda, 1989). Another aspect of this principle is the never-ending process of kaizen. It is an ongoing process. This is symbolised in the PDCA problem-solving format for improvement: a wheel. The PDCA-loop itself is a standardisation of the improvement process. The third principle is people-orientation. CI needs the involvement of everyone in the organisation from shop floor workers to top management. Managementoriented, group-oriented and individual-oriented kaizen have their specific focus within the overall improvement process. In terms of our framework, one can see the primary focus of CI in the interaction of technology and labour. The first and second principle both refer to the process, while the third principle is people oriented. CI has an internal focus and looks for the policy, tools and techniques to integrate processes and personnel in order to improve operational and management processes. So, the market is not in the picture. However, CI is often integrated in broader management philosophies like total quality management (Hackman and Wageman, 1995). Then, of course the market orientation is included in CI. Organizational designs of CI: a brief review In this article we focus on organisational designs for CI. Which organisational mechanisms exist in literature to enable such an organisation-wide process of focused and sustained incremental innovation? We reviewed some specific CIliterature (Imai, 1986; Fukuda, 1989; Bailey, 1997; Berger, 1997; Bessant and Caffyn, 1997; Lindberg and Berger, 1997), and analysed their descriptions of organisational designs. Here are the results. The prime source for CI is still the Japanese kaizen approach (Imai, 1986). According to Imai (1986) there are at least three types of kaizen: managementoriented, group-oriented and individual oriented kaizen. The managementoriented type is focused on the improvement of organisational systems, organisational procedures and machinery and equipment. The group-oriented type has its primary focus on the improvement of work methods, routines and procedures. Organisational vehicles to perform these improvements are quality circles and other small-group-activities using various statistical tools to solve problems. The individual-oriented type of kaizen is focused on improvements in ones own work area and resources. Most often, this is organised by traditional individual suggestion systems. Improvement in every type is aimed at cost reduction and the elimination of waste. Although CI and elimination of waste is something like second nature in the Japanese work system, CI takes place in parallel structures and is not integrated in normal work. Group-oriented kaizen occurs in small groups that are established to improve work methods or to solve specific problems. When management approves a solution, it must be implemented and all employees must adhere to the new standard. In sum, employees are performing their routine tasks and at regular times they participate in off-line small groups to improve their daily routines. Berger (1997) presents a typology of organisational designs for CI. The typology is based on two dimensions: basic task design (individual vs group tasks) and improvement task (parallel vs integrated). His typology (see Figure 2) presents five organisational designs: Mini-company concept 191 Figure 2. Bergers typology of organizational designs for CI IJOPM 19,11 1192 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Quality control circles. Wide-focus CI. Organic CI. Expert task-force CI. Individual CI. The two extremes of this typology are Organic CI and Expert task-force. Organic CI means that improvement activities are integrated in the operational multi-functional work groups. Improvements are not left to experts or staff for design and planning and they do not presuppose decision making by other authorities outside the group. On the other hand, expert task-force CI means that staff from outside the operational working group perform the improvement in a temporary parallel team. On the basis of their expertise, it is possible for worker representatives to participate in the parallel team. Widefocus CI is partly a combination of organic CI and expert task-force CI. It combines parallel process improvement teams and CI in (self-managed) permanent work groups. However, it is not experts from higher levels or other functions who are participating in the parallel teams but members of adjacent work groups at the same level. The parallel CI-teams are covering a complete process. To be complete, individual CI is organised in some form of an individual suggestion scheme. Quality Control Circles are similar to the Japanese group-oriented kaizen approach: a parallel structure where ideas are generated and tested and where senior management approves good solutions. Another typology of CI organisational designs could be found in Bailey (1997). She found three types of manufacturing team improvement programs in the semi-conductor industry: (1) Continuous improvement team programs. (2) Quality circle programs. 3) Self-directed work team programs. The first two programs are parallel structures with off-line teams. Operators participate on a voluntary basis to solve small problems (1) or on a mandatory basis together with direct supervisors to solve problems within a specific work area adopted by the operational work group (2). Within the third program (SDWT program) the work teams are held responsible for CI. The y create temporary teams with other staff or work group members for problems beyond their capacities. We see significant overlaps in these three sources on organisational designs for CI. The CI team programs and the QC programs of Bailey are similar to the QCC of Berger and group-oriented kaizen of Imai. In addition, individual CI of Berger is similar to the individual-oriented type of Imai. There is one major difference: both Berger and Bailey mention one type of CI (wide-focus CI, organic CI and SDWT programs) in which CI is integrated in normal day-today operations of the shop floor. Imai does not mention this kind of integrated group-oriented CI. The provisional conclusion must be that western literature on CI is providing more alternatives to organisational design for CI than Japanese literature does. What do we learn from this short review of organisational designs for CI? . Parallel versus integrated. We see a fundamental distinction of CIactivities parallel or integrated with routine tasks. Traditional kaizen activities are performed within parallel structures, like small-group activities, quality control circles, process improvement teams and so on. In Scandinavian countries (Berger, 1997; Lindberg and Berger, 1997) and in North America (Bailey, 1997) on-line CI activities are also in use. Here it seems that CI is seen as a normal, daily activity performed by work groups. On-line CI is made possible because basic task design  ± inspired by sociotechnical systems theory  ± is an enabling mechanism for such activities. That means that tasks are broadly defined, members of work groups are more functional and highly educated, work groups are responsible for a complete part of the process and last but not least work groups do have a lot of authorities. . Fragmented work versus team-based work. A second fundamental distinction is between fragmented and individual work design and teambased work design. Again, traditional kaizen activities are performed within highly standardised, fragmented work environments. Employees have to improve their own small task and related procedures. Unlike in team-based structures it is the team that is responsible for both operations and improvement of the team tasks. A good example of this basic distinction is the discussion on fragmented versus holistic learning in Volvo Uddevalla and NUMMI Fremont (Adler and Cole, 1993; Berggren, 1994). This can be traced exactly to the difference in basic task design. . Many options. Within these two fundamental dichotomies, we encounter in the reviewed literature and in practice (De Leede, 1997) many options and combinations. Combinations of parallel CI-structures and CI integrated in normal daily activities are possible, for instance for CIactivities with different focus. That is, integrated CI for problems within the scope of the work group, and parallel CI for problems beyond the groups scope. Individual CI can be used in combination with grouporiented parallel or integrated CI. In short, every context requires its own CI design. In addition, it is also a matter of management choice: how do we want to involve our employees in CI? . Source of improvement: management, staff or workers. Three sources of improvement are derived from literature. Problems are generated either by management, by staff or by workers themselves. These problem generators have to be constantly active to generate new problems or goals. We did not find a problem generator built into the organisational design to ensure a constant flow of issues to improve. This is a serious weakness in these organisational designs. Mini-company concept 1193 IJOPM 19,11 1194 In the remainder of this article we present a relatively new organisational design for CI: the mini-company concept (Suzaki, 1993; De Leede, 1997; Verkerk et al. , 1997). The mini-company concept builds upon several elements of the reviewed organisational designs. It is developed to address the major shortcoming of the existing designs in generating a continuous source for improvement. That is the special feature of this concept: its self-propelling capacity. A dynamic and constant source for improvement is found in the clients and suppliers of the work groups. The mini-company concept It was Suzaki (1993) who coined the term mini-company for work groups who are responsible for their supplier-client relationships. Each work group within the company has its own process. The next process is viewed as the customer and the previous process is viewed as the supplier of every unit. Involving the chain of processes is potentially powerful in cases where improvement and innovation is needed, since it is known that diverse contacts outside ones own group enhance innovation ideas generation (Pelz and Andrews, 1966). In fact, it is an external criterion that stimulates improvement and innovation. For our purposes, here we adapt this insight from Suzaki and transform it into a European concept of team-based work: sociotechnical systems design (Trist, 1981; De Sitter et al. 1997; De Leede, 1997). We use the term minicompany as a metaphor in thinking on the organisation of the factory (Verkerk et al. , 1997). The word mini-company provides us with ideas like ownership, commitment, entrepreneurship, client-supplier relationships. The structural basis of the mini-company is similar to the sociotechnical view on the semi-autonomous group, albeit complemented by the concept of client and supplier relationships. The mini-company has four characteristics, distinct from sociotechnical semi-autonomous groups: (1) The mini-company has a name and a mission statement. Both are formulated by the mini-company itself. (2) The mini-company identifies its clients and suppliers and is responsible for managing its relationships. While external clients and suppliers are not always appropriate for having direct contacts with the mini-company, the internal client-supplier relationships are in most cases suitable. (3) The mini-company is responsible for its own improvement programme. Based on its contacts with clients, suppliers and management, the minicompany is able to identify its weak points, which are due for improvement. 4) The mini-company presents its name, mission, members, customers, suppliers, improvement programme and results on display walls. This has been called glass wall management (Suzaki, 1993). Everyone, including a stranger, must be able to see and understand the process and the actual state. The mini-company process is the dynamic side of the mini-company concept. It represents a cycle in which in every period the name and mission are un der discussion, and in which in every period the relevant clients and suppliers are identified and visited. These visits are oriented at overall assessments of the mini-company. In realising the cycle of the mini-company process every time the requirements of (internal or external) customers and suppliers are made visible for the mini-company by itself. These requirements are the inputs for the improvement programme. At the end of each cycle, the results are reported to management. Since every cycle in the end is restarted in fact this is a regular evaluation of the functioning of the mini-company on the basis of market requirements. Case study design The question now remains how this concept performs in practice. What is the contribution of mini-companies to improvement? Therefore, we next present a case-study of the application of the mini-company concept in a Philips business unit. The case-study design consisted of the following methods: document analysis (notes and company reports), observation techniques (one of the authors took part in the action team program and did a two-week internship on the shop floor) and interviews (a total of 30 interviews with all-level managers and operators). In addition, two surveys have been carried out on some socialdynamic aspects on teamwork and on the effects of the mini-companies. The first survey (N=102) was answered by 80 per cent of the (first) operators. The second survey was answered (N=23) by 50 per cent of indirect staff. The time span of the case-study was from early 1995 until mid 1996. Case Philips CMA Market and product In 1992 Philips Components decided to start a new business unit. The new business unit was to be held responsible for the development, production and marketing of Ceramic Multilayer Actuators. It was located at Roermond, The Netherlands, because there was available both an industrial infrastructure and a development laboratory for ceramic and multilayer technology. The market perspectives were promising from the start. The demand for the main product (CMA) was rapidly increasing. However, the market for ceramic multilayer actuators is very dynamic. The product is an important device for ink-jet printers. In fact, Philips CMA is a sub-contractor for a company operating in the turbulent market for ink-jet printers. Short time-to-market, high flexibility and very tough competition are typical for this market, and these are part of the market situation of Philips CMA. The dynamic situation caused by the market is even increased by the complexity of the product. CMA is a new product, applied in a new technology. The product itself was not completely ready for production. Further development was needed in co-operation with the (Japanese) customer. Co-development  ± both in co-operation with the customer Mini-company concept 1195 IJOPM 19,11 1196 and some suppliers  ± was needed. Only then could some technological problems be tackled. These characteristics of the market and the product do imply high demands on the organisation. At Philips the solution has been sought in concurrent engineering  ± that is, development and production at overlapping stages. The product is in production, though not fully developed. Test series are made in the shop floor, not in the laboratory. This implies a very strict co-operation between production and development. In addition to the concept of concurrent engineering, continuous improvement is needed to ensure higher yields, better quality and timely delivery. To cope with the growing demand for the product, it is necessary to enhance the production capacity. Design and implementation of mini-companies at CMA The mini-company concept was introduced in 1994, after two years of operation. In fact it was no more than an intensive continuation and formalisation of former management policies. In the years 1992 ±1994 the business unit was growing from 25 to 125 people. The quality and the yield of the production had to be enhanced dramatically. The general approach was characterised by a focus on process control and step by step improvement. No breakthrough by one big innovation, only many small improvements were attained by an interdisciplinary approach: many joint efforts of development, factory engineering, repair and maintenance, quality department and purchasing. In addition to this, operator involvement was arranged by teamwork. Many so-called Process Inventory Teams dealt with problems for one specific part of the process. Members of the teams were one developer, one factory engineer, at least one first-operator and, depending on the problem, other indirect people. The results of these teams were very promising. Quality and yield increased, and products could be delivered to the customers. In 1994 the specifications of the customers were set even more tightly. Again, the organisation faced a challenge. Then, factory management introduced the minicompany concept. The structural basis of the mini-company is the unit structure, already designed on sociotechnical principles. The units are responsible for a complete part of the process, which is well identified. The boundaries of the units are carefully chosen, based on the principle that the number of internal relationships exceeds the number of external relationships. The mini-company is designed to be the unit. It is not their own shift, it is not the entire factory, but it is the unit with which they should identify themselves. In five shifts the operators make one discernible product, which is a distinct phase in the process. The production structure consists of five units: foil casting, screen printing and pressing, furnace processes, dicing, visual inspection and packing. The hierarchy within Philips CMA includes four layers: general manager, factory manager, unit leader and operator. Every shift has one first operator and several other operators. Operators are working in a five-shift schedule. There are three unit leaders, who have a span-of-control varying from 16 to 55. See Figure 3 for the organisation chart. The units, i. e. all operators including the unit leader, form a mini-company. They have followed a training programme. In this programme, the minicompany philosophy and the mini-company process was explained. Also the improvement techniques were trained. The mini-company process The mini-company process incorporates two separate cycles, a nine-step-cycle and a seven-step-cycle. The nine-step-cycle is a long-term cycle lasting one year. This cycle is a modification of the cycle mentioned in Suzaki (1993). The most important activities of every cycle are the formulation of the mission statement, the identification and interviewing of suppliers and customers, and the design and implementation of an improvement programme. Based on the interview results with suppliers, customers and management, the minicompany itself sets the priorities of the needed improvement activities. Management has to affirm the improvement programme, and demands thorough arguments; however, it never happened that the programme of the mini-company was changed by management. In this way, management values the contribution of the mini-companies on the basis of solid arguments. The improvement programme is realised by improvement teams, so-called action teams. These teams carry out the seven-step cycle, a short-term cycle, which is in fact an extended version of the plan-do-check-action circle. The planning stage consists of four phases. The action teams consist of one operator of every shift in the mini-company and  ± depending on the problem  ± several indirect people from quality, factory engineering, development, etc. The chairman of this action team is in most cases the unit leader. Some examples of improvements realised by the mini-companies are the following. Several mini-companies improved their shift change procedures. One mini-company changed the layout of their process. Another mini-company tried successfully to reduce the frequency of some maintenance activities. Also Mini-company concept 1197 Figure 3. Organization chart Philips CMA IJOPM 19,11 the registration procedures to the computer-aided-manufacturing system were reduced. Another action team focused on a specific quality problem and identified the hidden process parameter causing the problem. Effects What are the results of this application of the mini-company concept? We only resent four effects: (1) the contribution of the mini-companies to improvement; (2) the number of contacts with internal and external clients, suppliers and experts; (3) the power relations within the business unit CMA; (4) the trust relations within the business unit CMA. The results presented in this section are based on the two surveys, respectively among the (first) operators (N=102) and the indirect employees (N=23). The results are supported by the interviews and documents. First, we give an indication of the kind of contribution the mini-companies deliver  ± three different types of innovation. We distinguish between small improvements, rather big improvements and big innovations. Improvements are changes within the existing process, while innovations are changes resulting in radical new processes. In Figure 4 the results are presented, based on the survey among the (first) operators. A similar picture arose from the survey among the indirect employees, with one exception. The indirect employees indicated that the operators usually delivered valuable observations and experiences also in the case of big innovations. According to them, this is a prerequisite for a smooth innovation process. They view the operators as the eyes, ears and hands of the developers on the shop floor. The conclusion is that the mini-companies in most cases deliver a contribution towards improvements, and they play a relatively small, though valuable, role in innovations. Their role is in the co-operation with developers in Failure Mode and Effect Analyses in the assessment of ergonomic aspects of new equipment, in the design of the lay-out of new workplaces, in the support of new tests and samples, and so on. Another effect in this area is that the number of improvement actions increased so much, that the department of 198 Figure 4. Contribution of minicompanies to improvements/ innovations (percentage of (first)operators (N=102); 0=no contribution, 1=contribution) technical maintenance was not able to respond to all requests for assistance. This seems to be an indication of the self-propelling characteristic of CI in a mini-company process. A second effect of working in mini-companies is the number of contacts with internal and external customers and suppliers. Figure 5 shows the results of the survey, indicating the percentages of (first) operators who have regular direct contacts with the relevant outside world. Included are also the contacts with internal and external experts. It is obvious that most operators have regular contact with internal clients and suppliers and internal experts (developers, factory engineers, technicians). External contacts are not usual. The third effect of the mini-company concept is the change in the power relations. We have measured the power relations with the control graph, an instrument developed by Tannenbaum (1968). In Figure 6 the control graph of this case is presented. This control graph is based on the survey among the (first) operators (N=102). This control graph shows high levels of influence among all hierarchical levels, as perceived by (first) operators. In the words of Tannenbaum (1968), this indicates a large total amount of control, which is an indicator of effectiveness. The fourth effect is on trust relations. When we view the relationships between hierarchical levels, it is not only power that comes in. It is also a matter of trust. In this case 85 per cent of the (first) that they had operators stated to have trust in the management, which is quite high. Both observation and Mini-company concept 1199 Figure 5. Internal and external contacts of the minicompanies (N=102) Figure 6. Control graph (N=102; 1=very little influence, 6=very much influence) IJOPM 19,11 interviews confirmed this result. These high trust relations are in line with the successful implementation of the mini-company concept and in the real changes in management style the operators report. Discussion and conclusion We interpret these case results as a good illustration of the mini-company concept. In the case, this concept proved to be implemented carefully, with a balanced attention to both structural and social-dynamic matters. This appears to be crucial: it is not only the structural features of the mini-company concept that are important, but also the social-dynamic factors like power and trust of the mini-company process. The control graph of the Philips case illustrated this. Some authors (Van Haren, 1984; Van Oostrum, 1989) have elaborated on the reasons for the relation between total amount of control and effectiveness. They view the relationships between the hierarchical levels as exchange relations in which power plays an important role. The higher the total amount of control, the higher the intensity of the exchange relationships between the levels. It is necessary to have information exchange and joint decision making to increase this intensity. This joint decision making, and at least the information exchange, is a prerequisite for effectiveness in many situations. They specify also some situations in which it is not effective to have a high amount of control. In short, in standard situations this is not appropriate, but where uncertainty plays a role, it is wise to incorporate in decision making processes as much knowledge and as many stakeholders as possible. In cases of improvement and innovation, uncertainty by definition plays a role. Therefore it is important to create a structure fostering intense exchange relationships between the different hierarchical levels and between the different groups in production, development and support. The mini-company concept is an attempt to provide such a structure. How can we characterise the mini-company concept in the light of our theoretical review of organisational designs for CI? First, the mini-company concept embodies parallel CI-activities as well as integrated CI-activities. Integrated activities include the job consultation mechanisms with all minicompany members and the awareness of all employees in the need for improvement and client orientation. The parallel CI-activities strengthened this awareness by circulating the progress of the action teams by shift representatives. In addition, the glass wall is the medium for information sharing. Second, the mini-company concept is based on a team-based work design. The sociotechnical analysis created the boundaries of the minicompanies, indicating a natural group-orientation of the involved employees. The combination of these two characteristics implies the hybrid nature of the mini-company concept in terms of Berger: the most dominant type is widefocus CI, but for some activities this is combined with expert task-force CI and organic CI. Third, the factory management of this case strongly advocates a true involvement of employees in improvement activities. This is illustrated in the positive power and trust relations. Also, the co-operative 1200 working styles of operators, factory engineers and developers are illustrations of this consistent approach of operator involvement. Fourth, the mini-company concept incorporates the self-propelling capacity for improvement: from clients, suppliers and management a constant stream of ideas for improvement is regenerated in every cycle. Particularly at this point, the mini-company concept seems to be powerful, compared to other organisational designs for CI. This is in line with old findings like Pelz and Andrews (1966). Our final question is this one: Is the mini-company concept as an organisational design for CI the promising bridge between day-to-day operations and improvement activities, with a strong market orientation and with true and sufficient employee involvement? The answer is yes and no. On the one hand, the concept offers promising elements in the integration of market and client relations. The mini-company process ensures a constant connection with clients and suppliers, which starts a continuous source of improvement possibilities. When it is managed well, the concept enhances the decision latitude of the employees including CI activities. On the other hand, this is precisely the Achilles heel of this concept: the management. True employee involvement  ± which is a prerequisite for successful and lasting CI  ± depends on the way management is willing to share power and to build trust. In the Philips case, we demonstrated the success of this application of the minicompany concept, but highlighted also the relatively flat power relations and high trust relations. We think power sharing and high trust both are essential in managing an effective CI programme. References Adler, P. and Cole, R. E. (1993), Designed for learning: a tale of two autoplants, Sloan Management Review, Spring, pp. 85-94. Bailey, D. E. (1997), Manufacturing improvement team programs in the semiconductor industry, IEEE Transactions on semiconductor manufacturing, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 1-10. Berger, A. 1997), Continuous improvement and kaizen: standardization and organizational designs, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 110-17. Berggren, C. (1994), NUMMI vs. Uddevalla, Sloan Management Review, Winter, pp. 37-45. Bessant, J. and Caffyn, S. (1997), High-involvement innovation through continuous improvement, Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 7-28. Cotton, J. L. (1993), Employee Involvement. Methods For Improving Performance and Work Attitudes, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA. Fukuda, R. (1989), CEDAC. A Tool for Continuous Systematic Improvement, Productivity Press, Cambridge, MA. Hackman, J. R. and Wageman, R. (1995), Total quality management: empirical, conceptual, and practical issues, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 40, June, pp. 309-42. Haren, T. H. C. van (1984), Power in Organisations, PhD thesis, University of Utrecht, Utrecht (in Dutch). Imai, M. (1986), Kaizen. The Key to Japans Competitive Success, Random House, New York, NY. Leede, J. de (1997), Bottom-up Innovation; on the Contribution of Semi-autonomous Groups in Product and Process Innovation, PhD thesis University of Twente, Kluwer Bedrijfsinformatie, Deventer (in Dutch). Mini-company concept 1201 IJOPM 19,11 202 Lindberg, P. and Berger, A. (1997), Continuous improvement: design, organization and management, International Journal of Technology Management, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 86-101. Looise, J. C. (1996), Social Innovation is a Must, but How? , oration University of Twente, Enschede (in Dutch). Oostrum, J. G. M. P. van (1989), Power and Control in Organisations in an Uncertainty-reduction Perspective: an Experimental Approach, PhD thesis University of Utrecht (in Dutch). Pelz, D. C. and Andrews, F. M. (1966), Scientists in Organizations; Productive Climates for Research and Development, Wiley, New York, NY. Schonberger, R. J. (1986), World Class Manufacturing: The Lessons of Simplicity Applied, The Free Press, New York, NY. Schonberger, R. J. (1996), World Class Manufacturing: The Next Decade: Building Power, Strength, and Value, The Free Press, New York, NY. Sitter, L. U. de, Hertog, J. F. den, and Dankbaar, B. (1997), From complex organizations with simple jobs to simple organizations with complex jobs, Human Relations, Vol. 50 No. 5, pp. 497-534. Suzaki, K. (1993), The New Shop Floor Management; Empowering People for Continuous Improvement, The Free Press, New York, NY. Tannenbaum, A. S. (1968), Control in Organizations, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Trist, E. L. (1981), The sociotechnical perspective; the evolution of sociotechnical systems as a conceptual framework and as an action research program, in Ven, A. H. van de, and Joyce, W. F. , Perspectives on Organization Design and Behavior, John Wiley Sons, New York, NY, pp. 19-75. Verkerk, M. J. , Leede, J. de, and Tas, H. J. van der (1997), Market-oriented Production Management; from Semi-autonomous Group to Mini-company, Kluwer Bedrijfsinformatie, Deventer (in Dutch).

Actinides (Actinide Series) Element Properties

Actinides (Actinide Series) Element Properties At the bottom of the periodic table, there is a special group of radioactive metallic elements. These elements have interesting properties and play a key role in nuclear chemistry. Actinides Definition The actinides or actinoids are a set of radioactive elements on the periodic table, usually considered ranging from atomic number 89 to atomic number 103. Location of the Actinides The modern periodic table has two rows of elements below the main body of the table. The actinides are the elements in the bottom row. The top row is the lanthanide series. The reason these two rows of elements are placed below the main table is that they dont fit in the design without making the table confusing and very wide. However, these two rows of elements are metals, sometimes considered a subset of the transition metals group. In fact, the lanthanides and actinides are sometimes called the inner transition metals, referring to their properties and position on the table. Two ways of including the lanthanides and actinides within a periodic table are to include those elements in their corresponding rows with the transition metals (makes the table wider) or ballooning them out to make a three-dimensional table. List of Elements in the Actinide Series There are 15 actinide elements. The electronic configurations of the actinides utilize the f sublevel, with the exception of lawrencium (a d-block element). Depending on your interpretation of the periodicity of the elements, the series begins with actinium or thorium, continuing to lawrencium. The usual list of elements in the actinide series is: Actinium (Ac)Thorium (Th)Protactinium (Pa)Uranium (U)Neptunium (Np)Plutonium (Pu)Americium (Am)Curium (Cm)Berkelium (Bk)Californium (Cf)Einsteinium (Es)Fermium (Fm)Mendelevium (Md)Nobelium (No)Lawrencium (Lr) Actinide Abundance The only two actinides found in appreciable quantities in the Earths crust are thorium and uranium. Small quantities of plutonium and neptunium are present in uranium orders. Actinium and protactinium occur as decay products of certain thorium and uranium isotopes. The other actinides are considered synthetic elements. If they occur naturally, it is part of a decay scheme of a heavier element. Common Properties of the Actinides Actinides share the following common properties: All are radioactive. These elements have no stable isotopes.Actinides are highly electropositive.The metals tarnish readily in air. These elements are pyrophoric (spontaneously ignite in air), particularly as finely divided powders.Actinides are very dense metals with distinctive structures. Numerous allotropes may be formed (plutonium has at least 6 allotropes!). The exception is actinium, which has fewer crystalline phases.They react with boiling water or dilute acid to release hydrogen gas.Actinide metals tend to be fairly soft. Some can be cut with a knife.These elements are malleable and ductile.All of the actinides are paramagnetic.All of these elements are silver-colored metals that are solid at room temperature and pressure.Actinides combine directly with most nonmetals.The actinides successively fill the 5f sublevel. Many actinide metals have properties of both d block and f block elements.Actinides display several valence states (typically more than the lanthanides). Most a re prone to hybridization. The actinides (An) may be prepared by reduction of AnF3  or AnF4  with vapors of Li, Mg, Ca, or Ba at 1100 - 1400 °C. Actinide Uses For the most part, we dont encounter these radioactive elements much in daily life. Americium is found in smoke detectors. Thorium is found in gas mantles. Actinium is used in scientific and medical research as a neutron source, indicator, and gamma source. Actinides may be used as dopants to make glass and crystals luminescent. The bulk of actinide use goes to energy production and defense operations. The primary use of the actinide elements is as nuclear reactor fuel and for the production of nuclear weapons. The actinides are favored for these reactions because they readily undergo nuclear reactions, releasing incredible amounts of energy. If the conditions are right, the nuclear reactions may become chain reactions. References E. Fermi (1934). Possible Production of Elements of Atomic Number Higher than 92.  Nature.  133  (3372): 898–899.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 1230–1242.Theodore Gray (2009).  The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. New York: Black Dog Leventhal Publishers. p.  240.