Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay Example for Free

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay 1. Introduction Consumers influence each other in several ways: they exchange information through communication, seek or give opinions and copy each other’s behaviour. Researchers recognise the giving and seeking of opinions as one of the most important word-of-mouth influences on brand and product choice (Bristor, 1990 and Weimann, 1994). Especially in fashion, social groups and opinion leaders influence product and brand evaluations (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Fashion consumers often refer to fashion opinion leaders who they desire to be alike. The Internet and social media speeded up the way of communication within reference groups and made it possible to share interests without physical interaction. The following essay will outline an overview of fashion opinion leaders and reference groups before giving a better understanding of how fashion retailers make use of fashion opinion leaders in order to influence customers. 2. Reference groups and reference group influences Consumers use several sources when they seek information or opinions on decisions; informal and social (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This aspect of consumer behaviour is described as opinion-leadership-opinion-seeking, word-of-mouth, buzz or social communication (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This means that consumers refer to something or someone when they seek information and clears the way for the term referential or reference group. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) define Humans as social animals that try to fit into certain groups, please others and take â€Å"cues about how to behave by observing the actions of those around† (p. 422) them. A group can simply be defined as two or more people sharing common goals and interests. All members of a group interact by certain patterns, frameworks and networks. A group member must therefore be perceptible to belonging to this group. Groups can be primary (family), secondary (professions), formal (churches), or informal (certain group of frie nds). Belonging to a herd or group, makes consumers want to identify themselves psychologically and physically with desirable individuals of this group. Thus, an individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s sociological attributes, such as evaluations, characteristics, aspirations, or behaviour is defined as reference group (Park et al, 1977). As stated by Holton (2004), Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. Hence, the group becomes the individuals frame of reference and influences his ideas and decisions. Reference group influence can occur in different ways. According to Solomon and Rabolt (2009), group members of reference groups can be influenced informational, utilitarian or value-expressive. Furthermore, individuals are also mostly influenced by normative referents of the group, such as parents, teachers, or peers (Childers and Rao, 1992). There are also so called aspirational groups of which individuals aspire to be a member of. This phenomenon can be considered as comparative referents, such as public opinion leaders or celebrities. Belonging to a group, aspirational or not, can influence the buying behaviour of individuals, and decisions are often based on what the group members please in order to be accepted (Joel et al 1972). According to the above, a reference group is as an individual or group that significantly influences an individual’s behaviour (Bearden and Etzel 1982). 2.1 Online referential groups and virtual consumption communities Literature mostly concentrates on face-to-face interaction within reference groups on a regular basis or on aspirational groups without direct interaction (Pentina et al, 2008). However, Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) stated that it is not directly necessary to have physical contact and interactions with members of a group in order to refer to it. More common forms of reference groups are online reference groups, which only exist in the World Wide Web. Within the age of the Internet, arising social media networks and communities it is possible to share interests with people who the individual never met personally (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009). A virtual community of consumption is defined as â€Å"a collection of people whose online interactions are based on shared enthusiasm for and knowledge of a specific consumption activity† (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009, p 426), such as fashion for instance. In the concept of virtual communities any group of people can share common bonds, without being dependent on physical interaction and common graphic location (McDonough, 1992). But the issue of relationships between each other still lies at the heart of virtual communities (Farquhar and Rowley, 2006). Although online sharing of interests takes place on blog websites, social media platforms, like facebook or twitter or sharing services like as Pinterest, members build up relationships when sharing. On facebook, for instance, members liking other people’s post in certain theme groups and commenting on those can explain a relationship. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) state that the impact of virtual communities on individual’s product preferences and decisions are huge. Because of that, an online referential group can be considered as consumers who write about their opinions towards certain topics, seek information, publish recommendations, and post products or services. 2.1.1 Online referential groups in fashion and fashion bloggers Fashion and apparel shopping are seen as the most popular discussion topic among social networks (Thomas et al, 2007). In fashion, online communities are seen mostly through social media emergence such as blogs or facebook groups. Fashion blogs are mostly run by one person who writes or â€Å"blogs† about different products, occasions or events within the fashion industry. The community is then formed by readers of the blog, so called â€Å"followers†, that read the stories or comment on it. With gaining popularity bloggers are also able to gain money by advertising on their blog websites. According to the Telegraph, the most popular bloggers make up to  £10,000 a month in advertising (Telegraph, 28/10/2012). Meanwhile, also fashion retailers look into the blogging business. For retailers the building up of social media groups could help them to gain direct feedback from consumers while monitoring discussions in referential groups online. Burberry for example not only has its own group on facebook, but also launched a blog, showing images of people wearing their trench coats (The Art of Trench, 28/10/2012). 3. Fashion opinion leadership Referring to an opinion leader is one of the social or informal sources of decision and opinions seeking, named by Goldsmith and Clark (2008) in reference group behaviour. A person who has knowledge about a certain product and whose advice is seriously taken by others explains opinion leadership. An opinion leader or influential is a person, who is frequently able to influence attitudes and behaviour of others (Solomon and Rabolt 2009) Further, it can be explicated by the desire of leaders to distinguish themselves from followers, while followers pursue the countervailing desire to assimilate with leaders (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Feick and Price (1987, p. 95) state that opinion leaders are more likely in product categories in which association with the product provides a form of self-expression. Fashionable clothing embodies information about the personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000). However, Amaldoss and Jain (2008) argue that in fashion, this occurrence is mostly seen within the purchasing of luxury clothing and accessories. There are several types of opinion leaders that can be observed in fashion. Firstly, some heavy consumers of fashion clothing who become extremely interested and preoccupied with it, so that their interest, knowledge and experience qualifies them to become fashion opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). Today, these types of fashion opinion leaders occur mostly online, such as fashion bloggers. Secondly there are people who are in the public spotlight, such as celebrities. Celebrities mostly look adorable and therefore individuals follow their look because they desire to assimilate with this leader (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). But sometimes celebrities are being dressed up by personal outfitters in order to create, perform and accomplish a certain image without actually having the interest or knowledge in the area. This shows that also the perception that individuals have about a person can make the person an opinion leader. Of course, there are also people whose profession is related to fashion that can be an opinion leader for individuals, such as designers, fashion photographers, models or fashion magazines. A recent study on Mintel shows that fashion content in celebrity, lifestyle or fashion magazines, newspaper supplements and makeover shows has a direct influence on the shopping behaviour of 2 3.5 million people. Especially women are most likely influenced by such coverage (Mintel, Fashion Online, 29/10/12). As the fashion magazine example illustrates, an opinion leader does not have to be only one person, it can also be a company or an organisation. 3.1 Fashion opinion seeking â€Å"Opinion seeking is the behavioural counterpart to opinion leadership† (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008, p 309) and is important to the diffusion of new fashion products because it can spread word-of-mouth about the advice gotten from opinion leaders. Unlike opinion leaders, opinion seekers do not have the same knowledge of and interest in a product category than opinion leaders in this segment do (Goldsmith, 2000). Opinion leaders do also absorb risk (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009) for opinion seekers when buying a new product. Therefore, Opinion seekers consider opinion leaders as appropriate sources for information and advice (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Nevertheless, opinion seekers are very important to opinion leaders because they act on the information they got from the opinion leader. The fashion industry is one of the industries that show the most frequent changes in trends and styles. When consumers determine on buying a new product they might ask or even search for information about the desired fashionable product. Because of that they often make use of informal or social sources when seeking information (Goldsmith and Clark 2008) or opinions on decisions from fashion opinion leaders in any form. Consumers can seek for an opinion through various types of social communication, word-of-moth recommendations, observing opinion leaders, researching a subject or buzz (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). In an online perspective, consumers can use social network communities as sources for apparel shopping. 3.1.1 The process within referential groups in fashion: coherence of opinion leaders and opinion seekers The basis of forming referential groups in virtual communities is the process combining interpersonal connectivity, social enhancement and sharing of information. Dholakia and Bagozzi (2004) state that interpersonal connectivity between members is important to retain social benefits of participating online. In fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, the process is based on the social need of each other, shown in figure 3. Figure 1: The process of fashion influence between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers in referential groups, adapted from Goldsmith and Clark, 2008 This process can especially be observed in online communities where opinion leaders post pictures of themselves wearing a new product. Several opinion seekers may like the product and give a positive feedback to the opinion leader or even share it with others, which shows symbolic validation to the opinion leader and creates a loop. 3.1.2 Victoria Beckham as fashion opinion leader for the Birkin Bag A good example for an opinion leader in fashion is Victoria Beckham. The ex-singer, designer and wife of English football star David Beckham is referred to being an A-list celebrity in the public spotlight. She is not only famous for designing fashion and wearing high-heels, but also for her collection of the Hermes Birkin Bag. The Birkin Bag is a hand-made handbag designed by the luxury fashion brand Hermà ¨s and is estimated to start at $6,000 (Branch, 2004). The bag is often seen adorning the arm of celebrities and has become a cult fashion phenomenon (Tonello, 2009) and is an example of a fashion product that gained high popularity. Its brand, Hermà ©s limited its production, to limit its accessibility. Victoria Beckham is presumed of possessing the largest collection of Birkins (Fashionthroughtravel, 26/10/12). The following figure shows an example of her and her Birkin Bag collection. It can be the fact that Victoria Beckham is popular and has a lot of people referring to her what made the bag so famous and desirable. Followers or referents to her then adopted the product, Birkin Bag. The more leaders adopt a product, the higher value is crated among its followers. â€Å"Thus, followers are buying the product for its reference group effect† (Almadoss and Jain, 2008, p 935). Therefore individuals that look up to their opinion leader may want to follow his choices (Amaldoss and Jain, 2008). As being outlined before, fashion clothing transmits a certain personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000) and is also a form of self-expression. Wearing certain trends or accessories like a Birkin Bag show commitment to a certain image of being wealthy, belonging to a higher class or having a sure feeling of trends and fashion. 4. Why and how marketers make use fashion opinion leaders The innovator theory by Rogers (1962) shows that consumer attitudes towards purchasing products can be classified into five categories. The following figure shows Rogers’s adoption of innovations curve. Depending on how quick consumers are to purchase they are either: 1. Innovators or Designers (2.5%), 2. Fashion opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), 3. Early majority (34%), 4. Late majority (34%), 5. Laggards or late adapters (16%) Directly after innovators or designers of the product, opinion leaders come second in purchasing or adapting this trend. According to the theory, opinion leaders are the key to product diffusion (Mituse, 05/11/12). Although innovators and opinion leaders combined account for no more than 16% of the overall market, a company can try to target opinion leaders already in early product stages and see if product diffusion will spread to the early and late majorities (Mituse, 05/11/12). Following Rogers’s theory and transferring it to the fashion industry, it can be argued that it is from extreme importance for fashion retailers to get opinion leaders on board in order to establish their designs and products within the market. Thus, the reasons why fashion opinion leaders influence others by sharing information are extremely important for companies (Bertandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Fashion retailers make use of â€Å"key opinion leaders† to influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers through their perceived position of authority. Therefore employing opinion leaders as advertising mascots or models in commercials or adverts, as seen in the figure below, is common in fashion retail. Figure 4: Fashion opinion leaders advertising for retailer Furthermore, collaborations with opinion leaders that are famous for their profession are common in fashion retail. This can be underlined by collaborations between mass retailer hm and designers like Donatella Versace (2012) and Jimmy Choo (2009) or online premium retailer NET-A-PORTER and Karl Lagerfeld, as figure 5 illustrates below. Figure 5: Collaborations of retailers and designers as fashion opinion leaders Nevertheless, marketing products or brands effectively today requires tools that reach beyond normal advertising methods: by prior targeting fashion opinion leaders, marketers are able to engage positive word-of-mouth behaviours (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006) about their products. According to Chaney (2001), opinion leaders act as human information processors and are an attractive marketing tool as part of the overall communication strategy. Influences by fashion opinion leaders are not only verbal, but also visual (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). In fashion, a product has to be desirable to a consumer. If no one is seen with a certain product, most consumers don’t see a reason in buying it. If someone famous is seen with the product, the probability of referential groups buying or wanting the product as well increases. When word-of-mouth networks are generated around opinion leaders, it can pave the way for spreading news or opinions about certain fashion products. Thus, it is beneficial to address fashion-marketing communications directly to opinion leaders of this segment in order to speed up advertising messages. Therefore, advertisers may address womenswear or accessories fashion campaigns directly to opinion leaders like celebrities or high-fashion magazines. Because of the important role they may have in influencing markets, advertisers may also hand out free fashion product samples to opinion leaders (Yahoo, 29/10/12). Handing out such testimonials, which often embody free designer clothes, handbags or shoes, retailers encourage opinion leaders to wear the brand in order to influence reference groups around the opinion leader visually. Outfitting celebrities that have public appearance for free, mostly sees this occurrence, exemplarily stated in the below figure. Figure 6: Celebrities on the red carpet, adapted from ELLE By doing so, the marketer uses the position of the opinion leader to carry and break down its message to influence its relevant target group. Well-established magazines such as Vogue, Elle or Glamour can also be expected to have high influences on fashion decisions of opinion seekers. A fashion magazine even has the ability to cluster a whole group of fashion opinion leaders together: celebrities, photographers, editors, industry experts and fashion journalists. This might be a reason why opinion seekers use those magazines as information source when seeking for an opinion. Thus, advertising in fashion magazines, outfitting celebrities, or using fashion opinion leaders in adverts can influence target groups in their purchasing behaviour. 5. Conclusion ‘Reference groups in fashion’ are defined as fashion consumers who are heavy fashion users and highly involved in seeking or reflecting opinions about fashion brands and products with others who share the same interests. Further, it is differentiated between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers. As being part of a referential group, opinion leaders and opinion seekers are positively related to each other, as the one can’t exist without the other. Today, fashion opinion leaders are often classified as celebrities, people standing in the public spotlight, magazines, or bloggers, surrounded by networks of reference groups that admire to be like them. Especially in the age of social media it has become more important to marketers to understand the process of providing, sharing and seeking of information between fashion opinion leaders and opinion seekers. Therefore opinion leaders are seen to be an important marketing tool in fashion as they are able to influence reference groups in their product or brand purchasing decisions. List of references: Amaldoss, W. Jain, S. (2008), Trading Up: A Strategic Analysis of Reference Group Effects, Marketing Science, pp. 932-942 Bearden, W. Etzel, M. (1982), Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 183-194 Bertrandias, L. Goldsmith, R. (2006), Some psychological motivations for fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Jornal of Fashion Marketing an Management, Vol 10, Issue 1, pp. 25-40 Branch, S. (2004), ‘Hermà ¨s’s jelly ache’, Wall Street Journal Bristor, J.M. (1990), ‘Enhanced explanations of word of mouth communications: the power of relationships’, in Hirschman, E.C. (Ed.), Research in Consumer Behavior, 4th ed., JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 51-83. Chaney, I. (2001), Opinion leaders as a segment for marketing communications, Marketing Intelligence Planning, p. 302 Childers, T. Rao, A. (1992), The Influence of Familial and peer-based Reference Groups on Consumer Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 198-211 Dholakia, U. Bagozzi, R. (2004), A socialinfluence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities , International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, Issue3, pp. 241-263 Dodd, C., Clarke, I., Baron, S. Houston, V. (2000), ‘Looking the part: identity, meaning and culture in clothing purchasing – theoretical considerations’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 41-48 Farquhar, J. Rowley, J. (2006), Relationships and online consumer communities, Business Process Management Journal, pp. 162- 175 Feick, L. Price, L. (1987), `The market maven: a diffuser of marketplace information, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, p. 95. Goldsmith, R. Clark, R. (2008), An analysis of factors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, pp. 308-322 Goldsmith, R. (2000), ‘Characteristics of the heavy user of fashionable clothing’, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practise, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 1-9 Holton, G. (2004), „Robert K Merton – Biographical Memoriesâ€Å", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 148 (4) p 506–517 Jetsetsocialità © , Jetsetjunior, Accessed: 26th October 2012, Source: from: http://www.jetsetsocialite.com/2008/10/19/the-hermes-birkin-bag-buying-guide/ McDonough M. (1997), â€Å"Frequently asked questions: virtual communities†, internal paper prepared for virtual community hosts at the Thomson Viral Community laboratory Mintel Oxygen, Fashion Online UK March 2012, Report Brochure, Accessed: 29th October 2012, Source: from: http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:2840/display/590053/?highlight=true Mituse, Accessed: 06/11/12, Source: from: http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html?lang=en_usoutput=json session-id=fae8bc3e4d3cd76794dcbdbd8fbff715 Park, H. Cho, H. (2012), Social network online communities: information sources for apparel shopping, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29, p. 400 Parvatiyar, A. Sheth J., (1995), ‘Relationship Marketing in Consumer Markets: Antecedents and Consequences’, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, vol.23, No.4, pp. 255-271 Pentina, I., Prybutok, V., Zhang, X., (2008), THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AS SHOPPING REFERENCE GROUPS, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, pp. 114-136 Pierce, S. Yahoo, Clothing, Accessed 29th October 2012, Source: from http://news.yahoo.com/why-celebs-free-designer-clothing-221500536.html Rogers, E. Mituse, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html Rogers, E. (1962), Communication of Innovations, 2nd ed., The Free Press, New York Solomon, M. Rabolt, N. (2009), Consumer Behaviour in Fashion, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Salter, J. (2012), The Telegraph, Fashion, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG7037668/Britains-best-fashion-bloggers.html

My Metamorphosis :: Pyschology, Informative

My Metamorphosis For many years I thought that extroverts were selfish. That they deliberately sought attention in order for people to think well of them. I have slowly come to the realization that this is a case of sour grapes on the part of we introverts. In fact we are the selfish ones. Introverts hold themselves back from social interaction out of a fear of negative reaction. We feel that if we become visible to a group then we will somehow look foolish and therefore feel totally embarrassed. It is our belief that until proven otherwise, we are potentially perfect in the eyes of all strangers. If we can therefore navigate the perceptions of other people well enough, they will continue to believe we are perfect. And with any luck they will come to feel positively towards us. This is such a joke on so many levels. The obvious fallacy is that even if people do form a friendship or some other relationship with us, it will not be our true self that they are seeing. This is the reason we feel so unworthy of the love that people offer us. In the back of our minds we know we have been conning them and do not deserve their love. Extroverts on the other hand, seek to amuse and educate others by their own actions and words. They are not usually concerned with how good they will look but how happy or entertained those around them are. They are not self-conscious and are therefore more likely to show their

Factors Affecting Reaction Rate Essay

Introduction: In reference to the collision theory, molecules act as small spheres that collide and bounce off each other, transferring energy among themselves when the collide. In order for a reaction to occur, there must be collisions between molecules. Through experimentation, factors are discovered that influence the reaction rates of chemical reactions include the concentration of reactants, temperature, surface area, the physical state of reactants, and a catalyst. This experiment regarding the factors that affect reaction rate tests the effects of increased concentration and temperature of the hydrochloric acid solution (HCl) and also the effect of increased surface area of magnesium metal (Mg). When glow sticks are immersed in a hot water bath, it is proven that they glow with greater intensity. This proves that an increased temperature has an effect on the reaction itself, allowing molecules that make up the liquid inside the glow stick to move with greater speed, resulting in more collis ions. The balanced equation for this reaction would be: Mg (s) + 2 HCl (aq) = MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g) Purpose: The objective of this laboratory experiment is to observe and record the effect of reactant concentration, reactant surface area and reactant temperature on the overall rate of reaction. Hypothesis: During this experiment, acids of different concentration are utilized, and the different reaction rates calculated. When the reactant’s concentration increases, there are more atoms per space for a collision to occur. A prediction for the effect of concentration on reaction rate would be that the higher the concentration of the reaction, the faster the reaction time. As the temperature of the reaction rate increases, the molecules will move faster, also resulting in more collisions and perhaps a faster reaction rate. Lastly, in a reaction, increasing the surface area of the solid reactant increases the number of collisions per second. The more collisions there are, the more energy is produced, and also could contribute to a  faster rate of reaction. Procedure(s): Please refer to Heath Chemistry Laboratory Experiment 18 A pg. 192-196 In Part III: Effect of Temperature on Reaction Rate, only three beakers were utilized in the experiment, Beaker A containing hot water, Beaker B containing water at room temperature, and Beaker C containing iced water. The fourth beaker was not utilized due to the limited time allotted for this experiment. In this experiment, a stopwatch was not used to record time. Instead, an Apple iPhone was used to calculating the time it took for the reactions to occur completely. The device was capable of calculating time to the hundredth decimal point and an uncertainty of  ±0.01 was provided. Safety Notes: Hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive to skin, eyes and clothing. When handling it, make sure to wear safety goggles, lab aprons, plastic gloves and use a full-face shield. Wash and spills or splashes immediately with plenty of water and inform the supervising teacher. Reagent Disposal- Return any unused magnesium metal to the designated container. Any hydrochloric solutions left in the test tubes should be returned to another designated container for neutralization before being discarded down the sink. Data and Observations: Quantitative Observations- Part I- Effect of Concentration on Reaction Rate Mass of 11 cm strip of Mg: 0.18 g  ± 0.01 Average mass of 1 cm strip of Mg: 0.18 g / 11 strips = 0.0163  ± 0.0001 *two significant figures (0.016) Concentration of Acid Reaction Time (in seconds)  ±0.01 Reaction Rate (g Mg/s) 0.50 M 650.66 0.000025 1.0 M 128.50 0.00013 3.0 M 33.95 0.00048 6.0 M 13.26 0.0012 Part II- Effect of Surface Area on Reaction Rate Shape of Magnesium Strip Reaction Time (in seconds)  ±0.01 Reaction Rate (g Mg/s) Test Tube A- slivers of Mg 110.40 0.00015 Test Tube B- rolled up strip of Mg 134.55 0.00012 Test Tube C- flat piece of Mg 128.05 0.00013 Part III- Effect of Temperature on Reaction Rate Temperature in  °C  ±1 Reaction Time (in seconds)  ±0.01 Reaction Rate (g Mg/s) Beaker A- Heated Water Bath (57  °C) 73.35 0.00022 Beaker B- Room Temperature Water Bath (23  °C) 128.05 0.00013 Beaker C- Chilled Ice Water Bath (5 °C) 392.50 0.000042 Qualitative Observations-  Before immersion in hydrochloric acid, the magnesium strips were a dull grey colour, coated in a sort of white substance. Sandpaper was used to remove impurities from the magnesium strips, resulting in a grey strip, with a bit of metallic lustre. The strip of magnesium received was extremely malleable and was easily cut into 1 cm strips and folded into a tiny ball. During the immersion of the magnesium metal in the hydrochloric acid solution, white bubbles could be seen escaping the surface of the metal as gas was produced during the reaction. Depending on the temperature of the hydrochloric acid and the overall molar concentration, the rate of reaction differed but the same signs were shown. During the reaction between the magnesium metal and higher concentrations of hydrochloric acid, it was observed that the test tube grew quite warm to the touch. As the immersed magnesium strip sank down, it appeared coated in a layer of white bubbles that fizzed like a carbonated drink. In the lower concentrations of hydrochloric acid, the strip spent some time floating at the surface of the solution in the test tube, later sinking down to the bottom as the bubbles died down. According to the balanced equation, the white bubbles that rose to the surface are hydrogen gas (H2 (g)) bubbles produced as one of the products in the reaction. During the reaction, as the magnesium reacted with the hydrochloric acid solution, there was a strong metallic scent that came from the open system, especially in when the magnesium strip was dissolved in the strongest concentration of hydrochloric acid. After the reaction, no trace of the magnesium metal remained in the test tube. The test tube was filled with a completely clear aqueous solution. Questions and Calculations: 1.See attached graph #1: Reaction Rate vs. Concentration of HCl (aq) and graph #2: Reaction Rate vs. Temperature Data. 2. a) Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Concentration of HCl (aq). As the concentration increases, the rate of reaction increases as well, due to the higher number of molecules colliding with each other. b) As the surface area of the surface area increases, the reaction rate also speeds up. This happens because there is a greater surface area available for reaction. c) Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Temperature Data. As the temperature increases, the rate of reaction increases. This is due to the increased kinetic energy, allowing the molecules to collide more often and with more energy. 3. Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Concentration of HCl (aq). As shown on the graph, as the concentration doubles, the reaction rate also doubles approximately (due to sources of error). Although this seems to be the case in this experiment, it doesn’t necessarily mean th at this statement is true for all reactions. The orders of reactions and equations that calculate the rate have to also be taken into consideration. 4. In Part II, the small slivers of magnesium produced the fastest reaction. This is due to in increase in surface area, by cutting the one-centimeter strip into tiny slivers, allowed more surface area to be exposed to the hydrochloric acids, allowing for a quicker reaction rate. 5. Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Temperature Data. When the test tube containing the hydrochloric acid solution was immersed in the ice water bath, it produced the slowest reaction rate and time. This is a result of the slowing of molecules due to decrease in temperature. As the kinetic energy and movement of the molecules decrease, the reaction rate also decreases due to the reduced number of collisions between molecules. 6. a) Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Concentration of HCl (aq). For a 1 cm strip of magnesium metal to react with 4.0 M hydrochloric acid, the reaction time would be 21 seconds, calculated to two significant figures. b) Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Temperature Data. For a 1 cm strip of magnesium metal to react with 1.0 M hydrochloric acid at 15  °C, the reaction time would be 190 seconds, calculated to two significant figures. 7. Please refer to Reaction Rate vs. Temperature. Doubling the temperature does increase the reaction rate, due to faster moving particles, but it doesn’t necessarily double the reaction rate. The increase in kinetic energy  provides many more collisions between molecules, but the energy coming from the molecular collisions does not exactly double. Follow-Up Questions: 1. It is possible to vary the factors of concentration, surface area and temperature in a way to prevent a reaction from happening. As the concentration of a solution decreases in molarity, there are fewer atoms per space for the collision to occur. By lowering the temperature drastically, it slows down the movement of particles so that the collisions are few in number and release less energy when molecules bump against each other. It is the same with surface area, as the density becomes greater and the sides exposed to the chemical reaction decrease, it lowers to rate of reaction significantly. In order to prevent a reaction from happening at all, the temperature should be extremely cold, the concentration as low as possible and the density of the reactant (ex. magnesium metal) as dense as possible, perhaps a large brick. This is only a hypothesis though, and as studied in reaction kinetics, every reaction requires a minimum amount of energy in order to react. By not achieving that bare minimum of activation energy required, a reaction will not occur. 2. The definition of a catalyst would be a substance that speeds up a reaction, but remains chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction. After adding a catalyst to the reaction between the solid magnesium metal and aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid, the reaction rate would increase, due to the provision of an alternative route for the reaction with lower activation energy. This does not lower the overall activation energy, but simply provides a different route for the reaction to happen where the molecules collide more often. 3. Kindling wood has more surface area and has a lower density, making it easier for the fire to burn due to the increased area of exposure to oxygen (O2). The mass of kindling is also lower than a log, allowing it to heat up quickly to the temperature needed for a combustion reaction to occur. A log is very dense and has a larger mass, therefore taking a longer time to heat it up to the point where a combustion reaction would occur. 4. When a person blows on a smoldering fire, the level of oxygen is increased. Oxygen is a key component in a combustion reaction, is it needed as a fuel in order for the reaction to occur. This will increase the temperature, which speeds up the kinetic energy of the molecules molecules, allowing for more collision energy and a  faster rate of reaction. Conclusion and Error Analysis: In conclusion, it was discovered that an increase in concentration, surface area and temperature all contributed to a faster rate of reaction, developing a conclusion that all of these are factors that affect the rate of reaction. As predicted in the hypothesis, the application of the collision theory was a key factor in the increasing the reaction rate as the concentration of HCl (0.50-6.0 M HCl), surface area of Mg (slivers, rolled, and flat) and temperature of HCl (5  °C- 57  °C) was increased. The highest concentration of HCl (6.0 M) produced the faster reaction rate of 0.0012 g Mg/s. When the magnesium metal was cut into tiny slivers, this also produced a faster reaction rate of 0.0015 g Mg/s. As hydrochloric acid solution was warmed in a hot water bath to a temperature of 57  °C, it produced a reaction rate of 0.00022 g Mg/s. This experiment was not perfect, and there were many sources of error during the process of completing this laboratory experiment. The magnesium metal utilized was coated in a dull, white coating, due to the exposure of magnesium to the oxygen in the environment, producing magnesium oxide (MgO). Sandpaper was utilized to try and remove most of the magnesium oxide coating, this also contributed to the sources of error because the sandpaper was not new and had contamination from the substances it had been used on before. Test tubes were used in the experiment, but through careful observation, some of the test tubes had not been properly cleaned, and contained minimal residue inside from previous experiments, perhaps contaminating the hydrochloric acid solution. As the magnesium metal was cut into slivers, particles of the magnesium might have been stuck to the blades of the scissors or the napkin the slivers were put on, lowering the mass and creating another error for the experiment. There was confusion during the solution preparation stage about the labelling on the jars of hydrochloric acid solution, and a new solution had to be prepared by the supervising teacher. An Apple iPhone was used to collect the reaction time, and the measurement recording was restricted due to the number of decimal places the iPhone could time to, and uncertainties had to be provided alongside the measurement data collected. There was also a source of error for the time the magnesium metal was dropped into the acid solution, as starting the time as soon as the magnesium entered the acid was  very difficult. References: Hebden Chemistry 12: Workbook for Students, Unit 1: Reaction Kinetics, pg. 1-36 Heath Chemistry Laboratory Experiments, Experiment 18 A: Factors Affecting Reaction Rate, pages. 192-196 Factors Affecting Reaction Rates http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Kinetics/Factors_That_Affect_Reaction_Rates This website was used on October 3, 2014 to help develop a better understanding of collision theory in order to explain the various factors affecting the rate of reaction.

Phoenixs Hardships and Racism in A Worn Path Essay

â€Å"A Worn Path† tells of an elderly and frail black woman and of the hardships that she must overcome. Upon reading the story, you realize that there is more to the story than meets the eye. She faces many roadblocks along her way. Phoenix faces many dangerous obstacles along her way, for a person of her age. She faces racism from some of characters she meets along the way. Phoenix faces inferior treatment, as though she is nothing more than some insect to squash. This story is about not only her ‘journey’ to Natchez, but also about her journey through society and the struggle to overcome the dangers, being treated inferior, and the racism. It’s December when Phoenix starts on her journey to Natchez and it is a journey she has taken†¦show more content†¦She runs the risk of having that barbwire slash though her dress and cut her back to pieces. , if she was to get caught going under that fence, the consequences she faced could have been death . The obstacles on the path to Natchez were dangerous and Phoenix could have suffered serious injury. Any kind of injury suffered out in the open and alone like she was in the middle of the winter could have resulted in death. However, it is in the end that the reader sees just how precious her journey is and for the lover of her grandson moves Phoenix to town. It is the same type of unfair obstacles that Phoenix must have dealt with her entire life. Yet she made it through them all un-harmed and her spirit still intact. Phoenix lived in a society where racism was still running strong. Yet she faced and dealt with that every day of her life. As an African-American slave, she would have toil in the fields, wondering if she would still be alive by the time the sun was setting. Phoenix is visible shaken with a run a scarecrow she believed to be a ghost. She says to image, Ghost, she said sharply, who be you the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by† (Welty 24).Slave mothers would often show that same fear as they watched the shadows return from the field; wondering if their loved ones were still alive or was going to come home unharmed. Phoenix faced those same fears as a mother and grandmother. If Phoenix was caught in theShow MoreRelatedA Worn Path Analysis944 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story A Worn Path, is around an old African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who makes an arduous trip into town needing prescription for her sick grandson. Amid her outing she talks resoundingly to herself in an urging way to bear the troublesome trek. She has made this trek commonly some time recently, yet this one appears to be essentially harder to oversee. After her daring endeavors and love for her lone grandson, she is effective at recovering the solution. Shockingly, the creatorRead MoreA Worn Path By Eudora Welty Essay1217 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty is the story of an elderly African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson. It takes place in Natchez, Mississippi, in December 1940. The story is about Phoenix’s difficult quest to get medication for her sick grandson. On her journey, she endures various hardships such as walking to the city on a cold December morning and being humiliated while on her journey. On this difficult journey, Phoenix encounters both impolite people and others who are willing to lend a handRead More Overcoming the Odds in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path Essay1913 Words   |  8 Pages In the short story, A Worn Path Eudora Weltys plot is not all that clear in the beginning, but progresses as her character carries on against the overwhelming forces against her. In this short story a black elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson, must overcome the odds against her as she valiantly travels through many obstacles in order to contribute to the wellness of her grandson, for whom she is making this trip down a worn path. It is at this point that all of Weltys readers hearts openRead MoreSymbolism in A Worn Path By Eudora Welty1096 Words   |  5 Pagesjust weren’t advancing economically. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a story about an old African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who takes a journey along a path with manifold of dangerous objects. Phoenix Jackson takes the journey thru the path because her grandson drank liquid named lye and got sick from his throat. Phoenix Jackson makes her journey thru the path to go to the doctor’s office to get some medicin e. As Phoenix Jackson walks thru the path she encounters a lot of animals like foxesRead MoreThe Journey: Symbolism of â€Å"a Worn Path† and â€Å"the Road Not Taken† Final2218 Words   |  9 PagesThe Journey: Symbolism of â€Å"A Worn Path† and â€Å"The Road Not Taken† Expedition. Voyage. Excursion. Pilgrimage. There are many words that are used to describe the word journey but what does it really mean? Many people consider the word journey as merely a distance in which they have traveled or will eventually travel; often they fail to recognize that there can be great meaning beyond each step that is taken. Too often, people become more focused on the destination rather than the processRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 PagesA Worn Path by Eudora Welty Copyright Notice  ©1998−2002;  ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design ® and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.  ©2007 eNotes.com LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storageRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 PagesA Worn Path by Eudora Welty Copyright Notice  ©1998−2002;  ©2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design ® and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.  ©2007 eNotes.com LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storageRead MoreSymbolism in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty1818 Words   |  8 Pageslevel by showing us how each character feels in additional it can make a person or even an objects stand out a whole lot more. In Eudora Welty they used symbolism in many different ways that you can even notice them right away. In Eudora Welty ‘A Worn Path’ is a short story where symbols are found everywhere throughout many places where you read. This short story is about an old woman named Phoenix Jackson whom was a black African American that was compared to a mythical Arabian bird, and actually