Drilling Offshore or not Essay Example

Drilling Offshore or not Essay Example Drilling Offshore or not Essay Drilling Offshore or not Essay Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Reflection paper The research paper presents an argument on the effects of offshore oil drilling. The engineer appreciates the fact there is a high demand of oil in many countries. Due to the economic status, offshore drilling is the most economical method of oil mining. However, the researcher registers great concern on the consequences of this method, for example oil spillage, which results to severe pollution of the environment. Instead of using this inappropriate method, there are other alternative mentioned. The researcher recommends use of renewable energy resources in place of oil. If oil must be drilled, then onshore method should be used. This method is safer than offshore drilling. There are a few areas that the researcher needs to improve on. It is clearly stated that using renewable energy is one alternative of solving oil problems. This is a logical finding but may not be applicable. It could be extremely difficult to get the best energy source that is reliable. The researcher should find out more details and explain the most appropriate energy source. In place of offshore drilling, onshore method can be used. The work lacks brief details on this method. It is crucial to include them so that its benefits over offshore method are revealed. This research topic is wide, and more data could be gathered. It is recommendable to carry out further research on this topic. It will not only benefit the researcher but other people who wish to be informed. Despite the improvements to be made, there are also strengths. The argument made in this research paper has clearly been brought out. The points have been explained with clarity and are comprehensive. One significant characteristic of this paper is that it not only lays out an argument but also gives some practical solutions. The greatest strength experienced during this research, was getting evidence. The statistics included are a good support for the points laid out. There were readily available and easy to access. During field work, the respondents were cooperative hence, accurate data was obtained. This made it easy to analyze and present the data. The only significant struggle experienced was working within a limited time.

The History of the Compass and Other Magnetic Innovations

The History of the Compass and Other Magnetic Innovations A compass is an instrument containing a freely suspended magnetic element that displays the direction of the horizontal component of Earths magnetic field at the point of observation. Its been used to help people navigate for many centuries. Located in the same part of the public imagination as sextants and telescopes, its actually been in use for a lot longer than the sea voyages that discovered North America. The use of magnetism in inventions doesnt stop there, though; its found in everything from telecommunications equipment and motors to the food chain. Discovery Large deposits of magnetic oxides were found in the district of Magnesia in Asia Minor thousands of years ago; their location led to the mineral receiving the  name of magnetite (Fe3O4), which was nicknamed lodestone. In 1600,  William Gilbert published De Magnete, a paper on magnetism that details the use and properties of magnetite. Ferrites, or magnetic oxides, are stones that attract iron and other metals. These are natural magnets and are not inventions. However, the machines that we make with magnets are inventions. Magnetic Compass The magnetic compass is actually  an old Chinese invention, probably first made in China during the Qin dynasty (221–206 B.C.). Back then, the Chinese used lodestones (which align themselves in a north-south direction) to construct fortune-telling boards. Eventually, someone noticed that the lodestones were better at pointing out real directions, which led to the creation of the first compasses. The earliest compasses were designed on a square slab that had markings for the cardinal points and the constellations. The pointing needle was a spoon-shaped lodestone device with a handle that would always point south. Later on, magnetized needles were used as direction pointers instead of the spoon-shaped lodestones. These appeared in the eighth century A.D.- again in China- and between 850 and 1050. Compasses as Navigational Aids In the 11th century, compasses use as navigational devices on ships seemed to have become common. The magnetized-needle compasses used in navigation could be wet (in water), dry (on a pointed shaft), or suspended (on silk thread) and were used by voyagers, such as those traders who traveled to the Middle East, and were used by early navigators to locate the magnetic North Pole or pole star. Electromagnetism In 1819,  Hans Christian Oersted  reported that when an  electric current  in a wire was applied to a magnetic  compass  needle, the magnet was affected. This is called  electromagnetism. In 1825, British inventor William Sturgeon (1783–1850) displayed the power of the electromagnet by lifting nine pounds with a seven-ounce piece of iron wrapped with wires through which the current of a single-cell battery was sent. This device laid the foundation for large-scale  electronic communications, as it led to the invention of the telegraph. It also resulted in the invention of the electric motor.   Cow Magnets U.S. patent #3,005,458 is the  first patent  issued for a cow magnet. It was issued to Louis Paul Longo, the inventor of the Magnetrol Magnet, for the prevention of hardware disease in cows. If cows happen to consume scrap pieces of metal, such as nails, when theyre feeding, the foreign objects can cause internal damage to their digestive tract. Cow magnets keep the metal pieces confined to the cows first stomach, rather than traveling to the later stomachs or intestines, where the fragments can cause the most damage.