Explain what happens to light when it travels through air and water.

When the light travels through the boundary between the air and water, it changes direction. This phenomenon is called refraction. It can be easily observed by filling a glass with water and putting a straw in the glass. The straw will appear to be broken.

The refraction occurs because the speed of light in air is different than the speed of light in water. The speed with which a light wave propagates in a...

When the light travels through the boundary between the air and water, it changes direction. This phenomenon is called refraction. It can be easily observed by filling a glass with water and putting a straw in the glass. The straw will appear to be broken.

The refraction occurs because the speed of light in air is different than the speed of light in water. The speed with which a light wave propagates in a given medium is determined by the electromagnetic properties of this medium, which are different for air in water. In the air, the speed of light is very close to the speed of light in the vacuum, `3*10^8` m/s. In the water, the speed of light is less. Thus, when the wavefront of propagating light hits the boundary between air and water, it sort of breaks and the ray of light travels in a different direction than the original. (Please see the reference link for a more detailed explanation, and also to learn how to determine the angle at which the light refracts.)

The phenomenon of refraction also explains why we can see rainbows. The various colors we can see correspond to different frequencies of the light waves. Normally the light is composed of waves of mixed frequencies and appears white. However, these waves with different frequencies refract at different angles when they pass the boundary between air in water. Then the light waves of different colors become separated, and we can see a rainbow.

For much of the history of the United States, A. the country has had greater economic “busts” than “booms”. B. economics is the concern...

The correct answer to this question is not completely clear.  Different people can interpret history in different ways and the answers given here generally call for interpretation.  I will narrow this down for you and give you the answer I think is best, but I strongly suggest that you consult your textbook and/or class notes to determine what answer you are supposed to give.

Option A is clearly wrong.  If we had had more “busts”...

The correct answer to this question is not completely clear.  Different people can interpret history in different ways and the answers given here generally call for interpretation.  I will narrow this down for you and give you the answer I think is best, but I strongly suggest that you consult your textbook and/or class notes to determine what answer you are supposed to give.

Option A is clearly wrong.  If we had had more “busts” than “booms” over time, we would not have increased our wealth as we have.  Option D is also wrong.  People care deeply about the state of the economy as it determines their ability to have a good standard of living.

The rest of the answers are at least somewhat plausible, based on how you define things like “much of” American history and “a strong role for government.”  I would pick Option E as the best answer, but others could see things differently.

Option B is plausible because there have been times in our country’s history when economic issues were left more to state governments than to the national government.  However, this question says “local governments,” which means city governments, and I do not think that is a strong answer.

Option C is a strong contender.  We generally say that the American government engaged in laissez faire for much of the 19th century.  If we accept that it was hands off during that time, we could say that was “much of” American history.  However, I would argue that even then, the government took a fairly strong role in the economy.  For example, the government subsidized the building of the transcontinental railroads, which helped contribute to a major economic boom after the Civil War.  For these reasons, I think Option E is the best answer.

How did World War II change the United States internationally, and domestically?

World War II produced the United States as global superpower and defender of capitalism and democracy in the world. European nations that were world powers before the war (Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and France) were totally destroyed by warfare. Their infrastructures, homes, economic systems, and social systems were destroyed. While the United States suffered over a million casualties throughout the course of the war, its economy was robust and its military largely unscathed. Many in...

World War II produced the United States as global superpower and defender of capitalism and democracy in the world. European nations that were world powers before the war (Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and France) were totally destroyed by warfare. Their infrastructures, homes, economic systems, and social systems were destroyed. While the United States suffered over a million casualties throughout the course of the war, its economy was robust and its military largely unscathed. Many in the American government felt that it was strategically important to help other countries to recover from the war. Internationally, the United States offered billions of dollars of aid to the countries of Europe and established an alliance of countries through NATO to ensure their security. There was a shift in thinking about America's role in global politics. The newly formed United Nations was located in New York City and the U.S. became a major player in the organization. Because of the Allied victory in World War II, there were only two superpowers that survived, and the United States was one of them.

World War II also had a dramatic effect on the United States domestically. The sense of confidence that existed cannot be quantified, but was very evident. There was a sense of prosperity as Americans moved to the suburbs and an interstate highway system was born. Nuclear power, which was developed for military use, was applied for a more peaceful purpose as electric companies built nuclear reactors to produce electricity. Many social changes were on the horizon in the United States. As an example, African-Americans, who had fought so valiantly in the Allied victory, pressed for their rights at on the homefront. The prosperity of the 1950's allowed the growth of popular culture as many Americans bought a television and listened to rock and roll on their radios.

While World War II had the effect of destroying many countries, the United States matured into a political and economic superpower because of it.

How does Mary Shelley use the hints and suspense before things happen? What are the techniques she uses?

Throughout the novel of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, hints and suspense are used to captivate the reader and allude to the events to come. Although there are numerous techniques utilized in the novel, some of the most significant are foreshadowing and flashbacks.

In the beginning of the novel, Shelley utilizes foreshadowing to illustrate and hint about the coming events with Victor and his creature. In the beginning, the Walton finds Victor. Victor sees how Walton...

Throughout the novel of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, hints and suspense are used to captivate the reader and allude to the events to come. Although there are numerous techniques utilized in the novel, some of the most significant are foreshadowing and flashbacks.

In the beginning of the novel, Shelley utilizes foreshadowing to illustrate and hint about the coming events with Victor and his creature. In the beginning, the Walton finds Victor. Victor sees how Walton is arduously pursuing the acquisition of knowledge and warns him about the pain this might cause. As a result, he begins to speak vaguely of his own experiences saying:

You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.

With this, Shelley utilizes foreshadowing to hint to the readers about the agony that Victor experienced due to his zealous ambition with knowledge.

Additionally, Shelley utilizes the techniques of foreshadowing with the death of Justine. With this, Justine seems to realize that she will be convicted of the murder and already seems to accept her fate. As Justine herself states, "I commit my cause to the justice of my judges, yet I see no room for hope.” 

Lastly, Shelley also utilizes flashbacks to create suspense. After bring the creature to life, Victor abandons his creation. As the story progresses, we know little about what is happening to the creature until Victor and the creature finally converse and the creature reveals his previous experiences. With this, Shelley utilizes suspense in her novel by having readers question or wonder what happened to the creature during his time of absence from the novel.

Consequently, Shelley utilizes hints and suspense to incite the readers to be curious about future events. With these techniques, Shelley captivates and motivates her readers to continue reading due to their intrigue and interest.

In Nickel and Dimed, what rule does Ehrenreich break and why does she break it in the chapter "Scrubbing in Maine"?

In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in AmericaBarbara Ehrenreich goes undercover to see how people living at minimum wage live. As she begins the project she sets three rules for herself. First, she could not use skills that came from her education or job experience. Second, she had to take the highest paying job she was offered and do her best to keep it. Finally, she had to take the cheapest housing...

In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America Barbara Ehrenreich goes undercover to see how people living at minimum wage live. As she begins the project she sets three rules for herself. First, she could not use skills that came from her education or job experience. Second, she had to take the highest paying job she was offered and do her best to keep it. Finally, she had to take the cheapest housing she could find as long as she considered it safe and private enough.

Ehrenreich ends up breaking all of these rules at least once throughout the process. In Chapter 2, Scrubbing in Maine, it could be argued that she breaks two of her three rules, though it is mere a matter of degrees then a clearly broken rule. First, she does not take the cheapest housing she can get. The cheapest she can find is $65 a week. To be fair it does sound like the place was unsafe. She also turns down an apartment for $110 and settles on a place for $120 a week that meets her standards for safe and secure.

Another rule Ehrenreich stretches in this chapter is her rule about trying to keep a job. She works for a maid service. One day one of her coworkers falls and injures her ankle. When her boss tells the coworker to work through it, Ehrenreich screams at him. She fully expects to get fired and broke her rule to try to keep her job at all costs.

There are more specific examples of Ehrenreich breaking rules. At one point she chooses a lower paying job and she rarely chooses the cheapest housing. She also drew on her language skills a bit when interviewing to be a waitress. These things happen in other chapters.

What is the theme of "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury?

"The Pedestrian" is a futuristic story about the threat of the then-new medium of television to human consciousness and human society. The protagonist is taking a walk in the evening, which is what people all over the country used to do. They would stop and chat with neighbors who were sitting on their front porches and thereby maintain a sense of community. In the time frame shown in "The Pedestrian" everybody except for the protagonist has become conditioned to stay indoors watching television shows. They never see nature anymore except for pictures of nature on their television screens. They are isolated from the world, except for the members of their own families--and the members of the families are isolated from one another because they are hypnotized by what they are staring at on the television screens. The pedestrian looks very suspicious because he is walking around in the dark. The robot car mistakes him for a possible burglar. After a grilling by a mechanical voice, he is taken off for psychiatric observation. If he isn't a burglar, then he must be some kind of a psycho to be walking around looking at things when he can see plenty of things on television in his own home.

"The Pedestrian" was published in 1951, in the very early days of black-and-white television, but Bradbury set the story about one hundred years ahead to the year 2053. This was what he thought was going to happen. He was wrong. Television, like so many other things, has proved to be a mixed blessing. It has been adopted into American homes and provided information and entertainment without turning people--at least most people--into zombies. It is not a monster. It has been mostly good for children--and children, of course, love it. It is a real blessing for people confined to their homes or to hospital beds.

Ray Bradbury was a freelance writer whose income derived from the print medium, from magazines and books. Naturally he felt threatened by a medium that competed with magazines and books. (Mark Twain once wrote: "Tell me where a man gets his corn pone, and I'll tell you where he gets his 'pions.") Perhaps Bradbury was not being entirely truthful in his vision of the world of 2053. He may have been trying to frighten people for an ulterior motive. He has a strong tendency to exaggerate. Sometimes he seems less imaginative than zany. In another work defending the printed word, Fahrenheit 451, he creates a fire department that spends most of its time burning books! In other words, it is a fire department that sets fires instead of putting them out.

At what time does Fahrenheit 451 take place?

The setting of the novel is in a large city in the United States in the 24th century.  Although the story takes place far in the future, Bradbury’s many predictions hold true for today.  He predicted the decline of reading and use of books, inventions such as ear buds, and the decline of a society who places fun and enjoyment over knowledge and learning.  Even the size of TV’s was predicted by Bradbury when he...

The setting of the novel is in a large city in the United States in the 24th century.  Although the story takes place far in the future, Bradbury’s many predictions hold true for today.  He predicted the decline of reading and use of books, inventions such as ear buds, and the decline of a society who places fun and enjoyment over knowledge and learning.  Even the size of TV’s was predicted by Bradbury when he wrote Fahrenheit 451 in the early 50’s.  Wall-size TV’s entertain Mildred and the population of this society much like our big screen televisions do today.  More importantly, Bradbury predicts the decay of society due to political correctness, censorship, and war.  In the book, there are two nuclear wars before the book takes place, and as we know, Montag witnesses the bombing of the city at the end of the novel.  Society has declined into a dystopia that gives up freedom and individuality for fast cars, advanced technology, and the thrill of entertainment.  It is interesting that Bradbury looked far into the future but predicted things throughout the novel that we see today.