What is the resistance when three resistors are connected in parallel, if the same connected in series has a resultant resistance of R?

We know that when two resistors a and b are connected in
series the equivalent resistance of the system is a +
b.

Now we are given that three resistors connected in
series give an equivalent resistance of R. Now this can be achieved using different
combinations, let’s take the simplest where the resistances of the three are equal, so
each resistor is of R/3 ohm.

When two resistors a and b are
connected in parallel the equivalent resistance is given as (1/a + 1/b) ^ (-1). So for
the three resistors connected in parallel the resistance is (1/(R/3) + 1/(R/3) +
1/(R/3)) ^-1 = (3 / (R/3)) ^-1 = R/9.

This value for
equivalent resistance is not constant but will change depending on the original
resistors we choose. For example, if we had taken R/2, R/4 and R/4 or any other similar
combinations, the result would have been different. The result given above is only one
example.

In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek," why is it important that the man who stops for a drink is a federal scout instead of a confederate soldier?

The reason that this is important is that this guy who
stops by for a drink is going to entrap Farquhar.  That is pretty much his whole purpose
-- to go around and entrap people who might be inclined to help the Confederacy against
the Union.

When this guy stops by for a drink, he also lets
Farquhar know about the bridge and how important it is and how there might be a good way
to burn it down.  When he does this, he puts the idea in Farquhar's mind and this leads
Farquhar to go and try to destroy the bridge.

So the fact
that this guy is truly a Union soldier leads to Farquhar's
death.

How does Hester feel when she saw Dimmesdale marching in the procession in The Scarlet Letter?

I assume you are referring to Chapter 3 of the novel, when
Hester Prynne and Pearl are being "displayed" as punishment for her sin, and Arthur
Dimmesdale is forced to try and persuade her to reveal the name of the father of her
child. What is interesting about his appeal is the impact it has on the audience. For we
are told that it was so powerful the audience expected Hester Prynne to respond straight
away or for the father to be compelled to reveal
himself:

So
powerful seemed the minister's appeal, that the people could not believe but that Hester
Prynne would speak out the guilty name; or else that the guilty one himself, in whatever
high or lowly place he stood, would be drawn forth by an inward and inevitable
necessity, and compelled to ascend the
scaffold.

However, in spite
of the power of Dimmesdale's appeal, Hester Prynne is unmoved, merely shaking her head
in response to his eloquence. What is important to note, however, is that when she is
shouted at by the Reverend Wilson and exhorted to reveal the name, it is Arthur
Dimmesdale who she looks at when she responds, and not anyone
else:

readability="11">

"Never!" replied Hester Prynne, looking, not at
Mr. Wilson, but into the deep and troubled eyes of the younger clergyman. "It is too
deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well
as mine!"

Of course, if you
have read the book, you will know that it is actually Dimmesdale who is the father of
Pearl, and thus his presence at this scene gives Hester Prynne the opportunity to
confirm to him that his secret is safe with her. Note, too, the manner of her response
which likewise establishes the tremendous love that she has for him - she wants to
suffer alone and would "endure his agony" in addition to her own
suffering.

What is the main theme in Chekhov's short story "Peasants"?

The main theme of "Peasants" is a painfully ironic one.
Chekhov shows that in order to be a good peasant like Olga and Sasha became, you have to
first be a good person. Nikolay says he became a good person because of the experience,
work and training he received in Moscow. When Nikolay dies so suddenly before ever being
able to return with his gentle and lovely wife and daughter back to Moscow, Olga and
Sasha are forced to remain and to live in poverty like peasants. Yet they continue to
wear smiles and to be good and happy. They continue to exercise the goodness that was
bred in them in Moscow.

At the end of the story, Chekhov
chooses a scene that shows their extreme poverty while at the same time showing their
unchanged faith and goodness of heart. In the final scene, they bow themselves before
the windows of wealthy strangers and chant sweetly for alms on Christmas Day. This theme
asserts that Granny and the others were not good peasants because they did not have the
experience, work and training in a place that cultivates civility, knowledge, courtesy
and that provides ways to slake the mortal needs of the body so that other joys can be
known. This is contrary to the pastoral ideal that elevates the country village
simpleton over the calloused and mercenary city dweller. It also contradicts Tolstoy's
image of the village peasant as the keeper of moral purity and
goodness.

How was Jane Johnson Schoolcraft important to the Romantic movement in America?

href="http://www.absolutemichigan.com/dig/shopping/books-music-video/michigan-history-jane-johnston-schoolcraft/">Jane
Johnston Schoolcraft is a new figure in American literary history. Having
lived from 1800 to 1842, she was the daughter of a northern Ojibwa Indian mother and an
Irish immigrant father. Schoolcraft was immersed in and raised in both cultures. Her
mother continued the Ojibwa oral traditions while her father provided her with an
extensive library. Schoolcraft's literary work similarly combined these traditions since
she translated and transcribed old Ojibwa stories, legends and songs into English and
composed original work in English, though sometimes she composed in the Ojibwa language.
Schoolcraft didn't publish during her lifetime except in the small, handwritten literary
magazine her husband Henry Rowe Schoolcraft published in their home of Sault Ste. Marie
in the state of Michigan. For this reason her contribution and importance to the
American literary world and Romantic movement during her lifetime were smaller than that
of some others.

When Henry Schoolcraft began provoking her
sorrow by asserting that she was not properly raised and therefore had no understanding
of a proper woman's role, Jane Schoolcraft turned to writing devotional poems that
addressed the question of a woman's proper role. It is said the she once told a visitor
that the Ojibwa value women more highly than do Europeans or Americans. As the first
Indian woman writer to contribute to literature; to write poetry; and to write Ojibwa
oral narratives in English, she was important to the Romantic movement within her own
sphere in America because of her contributions of tales of Indian life told in diction
reflecting the Ojibwa diction of daily life and by revealing another side, a
cross-cultural side, of the discussion of the role of woman in nineteenth-century
America. As her href="http://books.google.com/books?id=cw35S9eTnz8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Jane+Schoolcraft%2Bromanticism&source=bl&ots=QxWQjYhDRA&sig=MtihsOPGCWSKPmazB6ag_s-aS70&hl=en&ei=swG_TM_GLYqusAPP4sjgDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Jane%20Schoolcraft%2Bromanticism&f=false">titles
show, Jane addressed the questions that arose from events of her personal life from a
Romantic perspective of self-expression: "My heart is gone with him afar," "Welcome,
welcome to my arms," "Language Divine!" "Sweet Willy," "Lines Written under severe Pain
and Sickness," etc.

Why isn't anyone/experts answering my questions about Buddhism? It happens to be important and I need to know.

I was curious to know why questions on Buddhism are not
being answered. So I viewed the list of questions asked by you, and found out that your
question relate to some movie titled Little Buddha, rather than to
Buddhism.

As a general guideline to all students who post
their question, I would like to point out that the way a question has been posted has
great impact on who answers it and the nature of answer posted. If the question is based
on a particular movie, it is quite unlikely that someone who has not seen the movies
will even look at the question or its answer.

So if you are
interested to know about some aspect of Buddhism it is better to identify this in the
main question. Any additional information or clarification you need on the information
you have already collected from sources like a movie or a book must be presented as a
supplementary explanation to your main question. This way many more people interested in
the core subject are likely to respond.

What is the most important thing that happened in Chapter 3 of Lord of the Flies?

In my opinion, the most important thing that happens in
this chapter is actually two things.  I think that what is important is A) Jack failing
to kill the pig that he is hunting and B) Ralph and Simon failing to do a good job of
building their hut.  I think these are two related events -- they both show failure on
the part of one of the leaders.

Because both of them have
failed, they start to snipe at each other.  They criticize each other for not being good
leaders.  This leads to some really bad blood between the two potential leaders.  The
enmity that starts to build here between Jack and Ralph is a major theme of the rest of
the novel.

Discuss the reasons why there has been an effort to shift power among the federal and state governments in recent years.

For the most part, these efforts have come about because
both levels of government want to have more power and neither level of government
particularly wants to pay for the things that it does.  So the levels try to take more
power while simultaneously trying to push the costs on to the other level of
government.

For example, Pres. Bush wanted the federal
government to have a great deal more power over education.  This is why he pushed
Congress to pass the No Child Left Behind law instead of leaving it to the states to
pass such laws.  This is a case of one level trying to take more
power.

At the same time, you have the states and the
federal government fighting over who should have to pay how much of the costs of things
like Medicare.  In this case, both sides are trying to get the other to pay
more.

So money and power are the main reasons why the two
sides have been trying to shift power from side to side.

In "The Gilded Six-Bits," who is the protagonist in the story and what is the point of view?

The story is told from a third person limited point of
view. This is important because it keeps the suspense alive for the reader. This
particular mode of telling events keeps the reader at the same level of information as
the characters. For instance, we find out that Missie Mae has been unfaithful at the
same time her husband surprises her and finds out.

I am not
sure if I would insist on pointing to a human character as the protagonist in this
story. Remember that the story was written (or perhaps published) in 1933 when America
was galloping straight into the Great Depression. The stock market crash in the US was
in 1929. If you are not bound to making an argument that the protagonist is either
husband or wife, you could argue that it is money. After all, money holds a lot of power
in the text and alters the course of events. The motive for Missie's infidelity is
greed. Since the couple ends up forgiving each other in the end and staying together, it
seems that Hurston, the Anthropologist, also pointed to the egalitarian and strength of
the African American marriage that money could not break.

Find dy/dx by implicit differentiation. sqrt(5x+y) = 6+x^2y^2

sqrt(5x+y) = 6 + x^2
*y^2

Square both
sides:

==> (5x + y ) = 36 + 12x^2 y^2 + x^4
y^4

==> x^4y^4 + 12x^2 y^2 - 5x - y + 36 =
0

==> (xy)^4 + 12(xy)^2 - 5x -y + 36 =
0

Now let us
differentiate:

==> 4(xy)^3 (xy)' + 24(xy)(xy)' - 5 -
y' + 0 = 0

==> 4(xy)^3 (y+xy') + 24(xy)(y+xy') -5 -
y' = 0

==> 4x^3 y^4 + 4x^4 y^3 y' + 24xy^2 + 24x^ 2y
y' - 5 - y' = 0

Now keep terms with y' on one
side:

==> 4x^4 y^3 y' + 24x^2 y y' - y' = 5- 24xy^2
- 4x^3 y^4

Now factor
y':

==> y'(4x^4 y^3 + 24x^2 y -1) = (5-24xy^2 -4x^3
y^4)

==> y' = (5-24xy^2-4x^3y^4)/(4x^4
y^3 + 24x^2 y - 1)

Why is "trust" a characteristic that is important in the field of social work?

Trust is important in any field.  Think about a salesman
selling you a car, a doctor diagnosing your medical condition, a minister preaching a
sermon, a teacher educating your children...you see what I mean.  Without trust, none of
the people in those professions would experience much success.  Social workers often
have to make or help make life-and-death decisions; without a serious level of trust,
those decisions may be compromised. 

Social workers must
prove themselves trustworthy in order to be most effective.  They deal with issues which
are personal and often potentially dangerous.  Without trust, clients are unlikely to be
as forthright or forthcoming about personal matters; without full disclosure, a social
worker can not make the best, informed choices about the safety and welfare of  those
they are supposed to be serving.  Trust is crucial to gathering complete, accurate, and
pertinent information from people who need it the most. 

Who are the two parts in "Naming of Parts"?

The setting may be visualized as a lecture room in which
recruits are attending a weapons lecture as a part of their basic training. A group
leader is standing in front of a drawing which lays out the parts of a rifle, which he
is explaining. He does not, however, have an actual gun as his example, and things are
dull. It is a lovely spring day, there are nearby gardens, and one thoroughly bored
recruit’s mind keeps slipping away from the lecture to consider the burgeoning fertility
of spring. The two voices that we hear in the poem are the instructor’s lecture and the
recruit’s musings about nature and the garden. It is fairly easy to be able to establish
when (or where) one voice stops and the other begins in each
stanza.

What overall feeling do you get when you read The Locket by Kate Chopin?Does this mood change at all throughout the reading? If so, how? What...

The feeling I get when I read this short story is one of
mystery. The author sets the stage for this right from the very beginning when she
describes the locket as some sort of good luck charm. When one of the men
says:

That's a
charm; some kind of hoodoo business that one o' them priests gave him to keep him out o'
trouble.

One gets the idea
that something important is going to be associated with this locket. Later, when the
soldier is found dead with the locket around his neck, the reader is let down, because
he has been hoping that the locket would offer some sort of protection. The second part
of the story, however, contains a lot of foreshadowing that some irony is going to pop
up, especially if one is familiar with Kate Chopin’s writing. She always has an ironic
twist at the end of the story. So when Octavie is riding along with her lover’s father
and he asks her to remove her mourning veil, the reader gets the idea that there must be
some reason. Then, he tells her that on such a beautiful spring day, one can almost
believe in miracles. At the end, the reader realizes that a miracle of sorts occurs,
because Octavie’s soldier is not dead after all. The one found dead with the locket was
not her lover, but someone who had stolen the locket. How
ironic!

Evaluate the solutions of the equation 4^(x^2-4x)=1/64

This is an exponential
equation.

For the beginning, we'll write 1/64 =
1/4^3

We'll apply the property of negative
power:

1/4^3 = 4^(-3)

Now,
we'll re-write the equation:

4^(x^2-4x) =
1/64

4^(x^2-4x) = 4^(-3)

Since
the bases are matching, we'll apply one to one
property:

x^2-4x = -3

We'll
add 3 both sides:

x^2-4x+3 =
0

According to the rule, the quadratic equation could be
written as:

x^2 - Sx + P =
0

From Viete's relations, we'll
get:

S = x1 + x2

x1 + x2 =
4

x1*x2 = 3

x1 =
1

x2 =
3

The solutions of the
equation are :{1 ; 3}.

As a social institution, the British army in 1776 was a bundle of paradoxes. How so?

The customary image of the British soldier of the
Revolution is that of a collection of Britain’s dregs, but the reality is somewhat
different. The average British soldier was probably about
23 years old and about 5-foot-6-inches in height. He had most probably been an
agricultural laborer; weavers and shoemakers made up the next largest categories. It was
a volunteer army; the average soldier probably enlisted because he was out of work. He
was as likely to be Scottish or Irish as he was to be English.
He was probably illiterate. The enlistment bounty was a guinea and a
crown. The soldier’s pay was eight pence a day, subject to “stoppages” for uniforms,
tools, and such, thus reducing it to almost nothing. Soldiers could earn extra pay for
various tasks and in peacetime could work civilian jobs in their off-hours. No one
enlisted in the British army; they enlisted or were recruited for service in a
particular regiment, the basic organizational unit of the army.
Enlistment was for life. Discipline was severe but was held to be
necessary for proper behavior and subordination. Flogging was not abolished until 1881.
Desertion, cowardice, striking an officer, mutiny, murder, and rape were all flogging or
hanging offenses.

Officers
were drawn entirely from the class of gentlemen. Like the ranks, they were almost
equally divided among Scots, Irish, and English. There was no military academy for
officers until the establishment of Sandhurst in 1796; most officers bought their
commissions at prices that kept the lower classes
out.

Officers and men stood out together because of their
uniform, a “full-bodied” red wool coat. The coat featured a divided rear skirt, oversize
folded-back cuffs, and folded-back lapels and skirt-corners. The purposes of the uniform
were identification and intimidation.

The regiment was the
primary building block of the British army.   No formal
organization existed above its level, though regiments could be grouped together as a
brigade on an ad hoc basis for war service or for particular campaigns. There was only
one grade of officer above the regimental command rank of colonel, and that was simply
general.

The British soldier’s principal weapon was the
Short Land Service musket, or “Brown Bess,” first introduced in 1718. It was a musket
that featured a 3-foot-6-inch-long barrel with no rifling and was utterly unreliable for
hitting targets at more than 80 yards. It was bored for .75 calibre ammunition that
crushed bone and tissue.

Did the immigrants go to special schools? if so, where? what about women?in 1900s Did the immigrants go to special schools in the 1900's?

If your question refers to American history, then I can
say no. Immigrants were thrown into society to succeed or fail based on their own
motivation and luck. Children were all taught in the same type of school setting as
natural-born American children did. You can imagine how difficult it was to cope with
everyone speaking and communicating in a language that might be foreign to you. Add in a
difference of culture, and it is surprising the immigrants managed at all. One theory
called total immersion in languages does this same thing to students who want to learn
another language. At the beginning, when no English is spoken, gestures, expressions and
charades enable the learners to pick up on the language. Immigrant children faced the
same experience. Some communities might have had a group that helped in transition
between differing languages and culture, but this was the exception, not the
rule.

What path did African Americans and their allies find and/or lose during their 1930s fight for freedom?"The whites were as miserable as their black...

Wright's quote is a phenomenal one.  I think that it
showed how difficult and arduous the path for African Americans were during the 1930s. 
For all Americans, life was difficult.  The grips of the Great Depression were felt by
all Americans.  Mere living on a daily basis proved to be an extraordinary feat.  Adding
to this was that African- Americans were already living through a challenging set of
conditions through racial discrimination.  Add economic disempowerment to this reality
and I think that Wright's closing thought of life "going down the drain" hits the point
directly.  The fight for freedom in the African- American predicament was challenged in
the 1930s for many people in addition to those of color were searching for validation
and a confirmation that their voice mattered.  This becomes how the opening part of the
statement holds validity.  In the end, the fight for racial justice had to be placed in
the context of socio- economic reality.  While people of color might have been
disappointed that their demands were not being met, millions of others Americans from
all backgrounds were feeling much of the same experience.

Explain what happens to Piggy in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies.

Piggy is one of four central characters in William
Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. The story is set on a tropical
island where a group of English schoolboys has survived a plane crash. Piggy is the
second character we meet, and he is unforgettable.

Piggy is
fat (hence his nickname), has asthma, wears thick spectacles, has been rather babied by
his auntie since his parents died, and is clearly the best thinker and organizer on the
island. When Ralph, one of the other characters, meets Piggy, his first reaction is to
get away from him (though perhaps that is because Piggy is suffering from diarrhea in
the nearby bushes). When the littler boys meet Piggy, they have no particular reaction
to him; however, when Jack, the leader of the choirboys, meets Piggy, he instantly
dislikes him. 

readability="7">

“You’re talking too much,” said Jack Merridew.
“Shut up, Fatty.”

Despite
Ralph's unkindnesses to him in the beginning, Piggy allies himself with Ralph because he
knows Ralph offers the best protection from Jack and his hunters. Likewise Ralph
eventually realizes that, as a leader, he needs Piggy's help to think and
plan.

As the novel progresses, Piggy is a necessary part of
island life because he has the glasses that can start fire; however, by the end of the
novel Jack's disdain for Piggy (who represents intellect and reasoning) intensifies, and
soon he steals Piggy's glasses and allows one of his savages to kill Piggy by dropping a
boulder on him. 

As a symbol, Piggy is the reasoning part
of man, and as the boys grow more savage they do not want to be reminded of
reasonableness or thinking. Instincts have taken over and because the boys are no longer
using their minds to determine their actions, Piggy has no way to defend himself against
their savagery.

What is the chapter summary of chapters 1-5 in the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?Just the chapter summaries 1-5 Thank You!

Chapter One introduces the reader to Bruno and his
family.  They are living in Berlin,but Bruno's father, a high ranking Nazi official, has
been transferred to Out With (Auswitz). Bruno's mother,who is very upset, tells him to
say goodbye to his friends and pack his clothes. 

Chapter
Two has Bruno and the family arriving at their new home.  It is a dismal place.  Bruno
is very unhappy and tells his mother that they should spend the night and then return to
Berlin.  His mother tells him that is not an option and to make the best of it. Bruno
asks Maria what she thinks, and she says it isn't her place to say anything, but his
father has an important and serious job.  When Bruno says his father should think twice
about his job, he is suddenly fearful because his father's bedroom door opens.  He fears
his father has heard him. But it is a young blond soldier.  Bruno suddenly notices a
small window in the corner of his room.  He looked out the window and what he saw made
him suddenly feel very cold and unsafe.

Chapter Three
introduces us to Gretel, Bruno's 12-year-old sister.  She tries to dominate him and make
him feel she is definitely in charge.  He talks with her about the fact that he is
unhappy there, and she agrees with him.  He tells her the other children don't look
friendly.  Since she doesn't know what he is talking about, he takes her to his room and
shows her the window.  She looks through the window and she sees exactly what Bruno was
talking about.

Chapter Four explains what they saw through
the window. They saw a group of men, boys, and children.  There were no girls or
women and the children wondered about that.   It then describes the physical outlay of
the property.  Gretel's first idea was that they were in the countryside where there are
farmers and animals.  But Bruno explains that there are no animals or cultivation of the
land. They watched as a group of children huddled together as they were being yelled at
by some soldiers.  Some of the children were crying. Gretel remarks that she would not
want to play with those children since they were so dirty.   She returns to her room,
but she is really upset by what she has seen.  Bruno continues to watch the people, and
he thinks how extraordinary it is that they all wear the same clothes: a pair of grey
striped pajamas with a grey striped cap on their
heads.

Chapter Five shows how upset Mother is to have moved
to this dismal place.  She criticizes her husband and regrets that they entertained the
Fuhrer.  She then realizes that her maid, Maria, has been standing there.  Afraid of
Maria possibly reporting her, she tells her she didn't mean it.  Bruno decides he is
going to talk with his father. He tells his father that he wants to go back to Berlin. 
His father wants to be nice, but eventually loses patience and tells Bruno to accept his
situation.  Bruno asks about the people outside, and his father tells him that "they're
not people at all" and that he has nothing in common with them. As Bruno leaves his
father's office, he gives him the Nazi salute and says "Heil Hitler", the words he says
every time he leaves a soldier's presence.

Please answer the following question A traffic light of weight W hangs from two light cables; one on each side of the light. Each cable hangs at...

Assuming that there is no frictional force between the
cables supporting the traffic light and the other component of the total system
supporting the the traffic light, the sum of total tension in the cables will be exactly
equal to the force exerted by the weight of the traffic light. Further, the division of
this total tension between the two cables will depend on the the extent to which the two
cables are stretched when fitted. It is possible to fit the cables in such a way that
the tension in one cable is more than the other. In this situation, one of the two
cables will elongate or stretch more than the other under the effect of the higher
tension. However in properly fitted system care would be taken to keep the tension in
both the cables equal.

Please not that the angels of the
cable, which is flexible, has no effect on either the total tension in the two cables,
or the distribution of the tension between the two
cables.

The method of calculating tension in the answer
posted above will be applicable for calculating tension created in members of a rigid
system supporting the weight.

What is the signifcance of prison gates?

In my opinion as a reader, the prison gates symbolize the
Puritan lifestyle, it is confining and condemning, just like a prison sentence. In most
any other culture or even Christian faith, there is a process for the washing away of
sins. Not so in the life of a Puritan. It feels like a permanent life sentence. If good
deeds can't pay for the sin, then something else will have to do it, like fasting. If
that doesn't work, a 24-hour prayer vigil must be held. If that doesn't fix the problem,
something different must be tried.

It has to feel
imprisoning to live like that. To live with so many rules that you can't feel
comfortable to be yourself or have your own identity would kill people in our culture
today. In fact, the Salem Witch Trials is often said to have been sparked by the boredom
of teenage girls. Had their been opportunity for these girls in that society to express
themselves, they would not have had to go to great lengths like they did to entertain
themselves.

Hester experiences this imprisonment her whole
term throughout our book. Even though she is convicted of a crime and duly punished, the
book does offer a time in which she is free, but a question remains. Does she really
feel free from the society's judgement, free from a lifestyle of retribution to God? It
is hard to find.

Having these prison gates at the beginning
foreshadows what is to come for the book's main character, Hester
Prynne.

Explain Montresor's play on the word "mason" when Fortunato asked Montresor if he was a member of the brotherhood.

When Fortunato asks Montresor if he is a mason, Fortunato
is referring to the secret society -- the Masons -- not to a person who literally works
with brick and stone for a living.  Fortunato is a Mason and he wants to find out (by
using the secret sign) if Montresor is too.

Montresor is
not a Mason, but he is going to be (later on in the story) a mason.  That's why he has
the trowel and shows it to Fortunato.  He is going to use the mason's tools to kill
Fortunato by walling him up.  So this is a foreshadowing of what is to come and
Montresor is enjoying himself by taunting Fortunato -- he's secretely telling Fortunato
"here's how I'm going to kill you."

Some people think that
maybe Fortunato kept Montresor from getting into the Masons.  They say that might be why
(or at least one reason why) Montresor wants to kill him.

As a follower of Skepticism, how would they answer: How can we learn what is true?

I think that a skeptic would argue that assessing the
presuppositions of what is taken to be "truth" might be one way one can gain a better
understanding of it.  It should serve as warning that the skeptic is a difficult
position to fully determine because there is no embrace of full and absolute truth and
yet there is no absolute rejection of truth.  Both are denied on the grounds that each
is a truth in its own sense of being.  Rather, the skeptic might analyze many of the
assertions named in truths and see where fallacies lie and embrace the idea that truth
might be an idea that has yet to exist.  If the fundamental premise of skepticism is
that there is no absolute and dogmatic truth, then it is important to describe it in a
manner where one avoids assigning truth to it.  There is much in way of the conditional
in Skepticism, suggesting that analysis and questioning end up becoming primary vehicles
one takes to understand the nature of what is true and what is
not.

What are some objects that are symbolic in the book Mockingjay?

First and most obviously, you have the mockingjay itself,
which is a symbol of the revolution.  It is an interesting one, because the mockingjay
is a creature born unintentionally as a result of the Capital's meddling in the affairs
of nature and human lives.  It is an unintended consequence of their rule, just as the
rebellion is an unintended consequence of their harsh rule for so long. Katniss herself
becomes another symbol of the mockingjay, or a visual cue that symbolizes the entire
emotion and drive of the rebellion itself; she beomes the living symbol, whereas the
mockingjay is the token of the rebellion.

Fire too becomes
a symbol; in the previous books, fire was often used in the imagery surrounding Katniss
and Peeta, due to their district burning coal for its living.  That fire comes to
represent the rebellion also, in both positive and negative ways.  Fire is associated
with Katniss and her symbology for the rebellion.  However, as District 12 is torched
and burned to the ground, fire also becomes a symbol for the destrution that occurs in
war.

Another symbol used in the novel is that of the rose. 
President Snow is fond of roses, and his visit to Katniss in Catching
Fire forever implants an association between Snow and the rose in our minds,
along with Katniss's.  President Snow tries to use that to his advantage by leaving her
gifts of roses along the way, and using the scent of the rose to sicken and weaken her. 
The rose is a symbol of President Snow's power and corruption, and of how the Capital is
full of beauty on the surface, but is sickening at its
core.

Those are just a few symbols that are evident in the
novel; I hope that helps to get you started.  Good luck!

Integrate cos^2x .

We'll have to use the
formula:

(cos x)^2 = [1 +
cos(x/2)]/2

We'll integrate both
sides:

Int (cos x)^2 dx = Int [1 +
cos(x/2)]dx/2

We'll use the additive property of
integral:

Int [1 + cos(x/2)]dx/2 = Int dx/2 + Int
cos(x/2)dx/2

Int dx/2 = (1/2)/Int
xdx

Int dx/2 = (x^2)/4 + C
(1)

Int cos(x/2)dx/2 = (1/2)*Int
cos(x/2)dx

(1/2)*Int cos(x/2)dx = (1/2)* sin(x/2)/(1/2) +
C

(1/2)*Int cos(x/2)dx = sin(x/2) + C
(2)

Int (cos x)^2 dx =  (1) +
(2)

Int (cos x)^2 dx = (x^2)/4 + sin(x/2) +
C

In Act 2 of The Crucible, why does Mary Warren think Elizabeth should speak civilly to her?

The girls at the center of the trial quickly become taken
with their own importance. They have found that they wield a strange power, one that
they could not ever have had otherwise. They are celebrities of a sort because of the
trials.

I do not know off-hand how true this is. I would
like to think this is a fictional element Miller used to create a parallel between the
Salem Trials and the Senate hearings run by Sen. McCarthy. People who were willing to
name communists during the Red Scare wielded a similar power and that led to more
widespread panic. We must always remember that this was Miller's real
message.

What is the meaning of "to annotate a passage"?

The simple meaning of the word "annotate"is to add
explanatory notes.

When you take up a passage to study,
especially in order to teach, it is appropriate to make small notes in the margin which
would give you a clear picture of what the paragraph contains. As you teach, these brief
notes that you have noted in the margin can be of great help to tell your students in a
matter of few words what the whole passage is about. If, for instance, there is a
lengthy paragraph of a certain novel that gives information of the hero having met
someone new, you would very well say it in just a few words what the whole passage is
about.

We have also been well acquainted with explanatory
passages when we study either a play of Shakespeare or Greek Classics like that of
Sophocles. These annotations, either at the bottom of a page or on the left page given
by editors, throw more light on the lines we read and help us appreciate the work
better.

I need guidance on the symbolism of "structures" in The Scarlet Letter.

The Scarlet Letter contains several
categories of symbolism.  One category is the characters themselves.  Another is
nature.  "Structures" is a fairly good title for another
category.

Consider the following prominent structures in
the novel:

1. the
   scaffold


2. the prison
   door


3. the Governor's
   mansion

A few keys into the symbolic meaning of
these three prominent structures in the novel are in their location, their appearance
(especially when compared to things around them), and their
function.

All of the structures are symbolic in the sense
that they give insight into one of the themes of the book.  The scaffold and the prison
door are most closely related to Puritanical punishment.  The governor's mansion is a
symbol of the hypocrisy present in the Puritan law vs. those who carry out the
laws.

What is the average speed of a train that travells between two places. 3/4 of distance is covered at speed of 80 km / h and 1/4 at 160 km / h

The train travels between 2 places, covering the distance
that we'll note as x.

We'll split the x distance in
3/4, since the train covers the first 3/4 of x at the v1 speed, of 80 km/h, and the
other 1/4 at the v2 speed, of 160 km/h.

The 3/4 of x
distance is covered in the time t1, and the other 1/4, in the time
t2.

We'll write the formula of
speed:

v = x/t (1)

v1 =
(3x/4)/t1

We'll substitute
v1:

80 = (3x/4)/t1

320t1
= 3x

t1 =
3x/320 hour

v2 =
(x/4)/t2

We'll substitute
v2:

160 = (x/4)/t2

t2 = x/640
hour

Now, we'll write the average
speed:

av. v = total distance covered/total time
taken

av. v = x/(t1+t2)

We'll
substitute t1 and t2:

av. v =
x/(3x/320+x/640)

av. v =
640/7

av. v = 92
Km/h

The average speed of the train is av. v
= 92 Km/h.

What does Napoleon's announcement (that Animal Farm will return to its original name Manor Farm) reveal about his character? Chapter 10

In my opinion, this announcement by Napoleon shows that he
is really no different from any of the human beings.  In other words, he is just as
willing to exploit and abuse animals.  He is not really an adherent of Animalism -- he
is just someone who is power hungry.

Napoleon was
originally supposed to be different from human beings like Jones.  This was symbolized,
among other things, in the fact that the farm was now called Animal Farm.  This showed
that the farm's government was different than it had been under Jones -- specifically
that it was more pro-Animal.

But now, at the end of the
book, Napoleon has changed.  He has shown that all he cares about is getting power.  He
has come to be so much like the humans that he looks like them and he goes back to using
the human name for the farm.

What are the conflicts and resolutions in Poe's "The Raven"?

Key to understanding this famous poem is establishing that
it is the speaker of the poem that is creating the problems he is suffering for himself.
Poe himself wrote that he was exploring through this poem one aspect of the dark side of
human nature - "that species of despair which delights in self-torture." In other words,
the narrator projects or puts onto the bird whatever his own wild imagination dredges
up.

In terms of the conflict then, the conflict in this
poem is decidedly an internal one, as we are presented with a frail and exhausted
student working late at night mourning the loss of his love, Lenore. It is clear from
the description in the first stanza that he is not in his right state of mind: he
describes himself as "weak and weary" and tells us that he has dived into study and
books to try and "borrow/From my books surcease of sorrow" for the "lost Lenore". He is
basically trying to desperately forget his love for her and get over his grief. Thus,
when the Raven appears, the narrator believes that this is some kind of external
conflict between himself and the Raven who the narrator views as a messenger from hell
or a demon who has come to taunt him with the impossibility of ever getting over his
grief. However, what the narrator does not realise is that it is he that is driving this
conflict - he is the one who is making the suggestions about the Raven. The Raven only
gives one word in response, which the narrator interprets from his own perspective. For
example, consider this stanza:

readability="19">

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet
still, if bird or devil! -

By that Heaven that bends above
us - by that God we both adore -

Tell this soul with sorrow
laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a
sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Clasp a rare
and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore"

Quoth the
Raven "Nevermore."

The
narrator, knowing that the Raven has only spoken one word, asks it a question phrased in
such a way that the inevitable response will plunge him ever further into his self-made
abyss of despair and grief. It is this that reflects the true conflict in the poem which
is only resolved by the plunge of the narrator into his despair from which he feels he
can never escape.

What is the theme of "The Widow of Ephasus"?

Certainly the Widow’s decision may be considered a joke,
as Eumolpus intends. However, her explanation of her love for the Soldier makes the
situation far more serious than it might at first appear. Whether the story will be
liked or not will depend upon individual readers. Many might dismiss it as misogynistic
and therefore dated. Others, however, may find that the portrait of the Widow rises
above the ostensible debunking of her vow of self-sacrifice, and that this inadvertent
sympathy makes her worthy of admiration. That is one of the most usual universal
statements: rising above one's normal actions.

What does Thoreau talk about in the conclusion to Walden?

Thoreau brings up all circumstances of men. He encourages
his readers to not necessarily compare their own life conditions to other men, but to
value the circumstances they have themselves for the features of what can be learned
from them.

He says:

readability="6">

However mean your life is, meet it and live it;
do not shun it and call it hard
names.

I feel at times as
if he is simply referring to a similar adage that our society sometimes notes today:
"Don't worry, be happy."

He encourages man to consider what
one's current situation has to offer and think to make the most of it. He encourages the
common man to think, who knows what lies ahead?

Thoreau's
Conclusion to Walden is specifically optimistic after having his period of reflection.
This period leaves room for him to consider that others might benefit from such
experiences.

I would encourage you to read the last
paragraph again. Often an author saves a nugget of strong truth for that last
paragraph.

What is significant about the weather in Macbeth?

Macbeth opens with "Thunder and
lightning," portents of the evil to come.  The witches enter with thunder in Act I,
scenes i and iii, and again in Act IV.i.  Off stage, the thunder would have been easily
created by shaking sheet metal.

The foul weather of
"thunder, lightning, and rain" serves as a pathetic fallacy
(attributing human feelings to inanimate objects, like
weather), foreshadowing the inner storm brewing in Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.
 In short, the witches are like meteorologists: they
forecast the outside weather (thunder) and the internal weather (murderous thoughts of
the Macbeths).

Also in Act I is the Bleeding Captain's
battle recap for Duncan, which features weather
imagery:

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As whence the
sun 'gins his
reflection
Shipwrecking storms
and direful thunders break,
So
from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
Discomfort
swells.

The foul
weather is again echoed in the murder scene of Banquo.  Just before he is besieged by
the three murderers, he says to his son Fleance:

readability="0">

It will be rain
to-night.

Thunder
is sounded when the witches show Macbeth the future:

readability="10">

Thunder.
First Apparition: an armed
Head.

Thunder.
Second Apparition: A bloody
Child

Thunder.
Third Apparition: a Child crowned, with a tree in his
hand

All
told, the weather imagery and stage sound effects couple to create an internal and
external sense of awe, mystery, and foreboding in the minds and ears of the reader and
audience.  Just ask Duncan and Banquo: when it rains, it pours blood in
Macbeth.

What are some interesting points to study in the novel The Magician's Nephew?

While The Magician's Nephew is the
sixth book published as part of the Narnia Chronicles by C. S.
Lewis, it is actually the first in chronology for the series--a prequel, if you will, to
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  From your question, I can't
tell whether you've already read the book or if you're looking for some things to look
for as you read.  I'll try not to give away too many of the plot elements in case you
haven't read, but either way, this is a book full of interesting and symbolic issues to
think about and study. 

The Chronicles
are all allegorical in nature, so the primary element to look for in this novel is the
allegory--the characters and places which represent things greater than themselves. 
Consider the following:

• Aslan sings and creates
  a world--from nothing.


• Jadis, the ice queen, is an enemy
  to Aslan.


• Aslan and Jadis are locked in a battle between
  good and evil.


• Gardens and an apple and temptation are
  all part of this story.

One other important
thing to examine in this novel, especially if you're reading the entire
Chronicles, is all the "beginnings" in this novel which carry over
into the rest of the series.  And if you're looking for something more in-depth to study
and/or research, perhaps you could examine why this novel is out of chronological order
in the series. 

How can I tackle the theme of good and evil in "Young Goodman Brown"?

Clearly, the theme of good and evil and the rather porous
boarder that lies between these two states is a key theme of this tale. One way of
tackling this theme might be to look at how the Devil interprets the past actions of
Goodman Brown's family.

Like so many of Hawthorne's short
tales, this story is rich in allegorical overtones, in that it is clear that the
characters and actions stand for abstract qualities. As Goodman Brown sets off on his
journey into the woods, a "fellow-traveller" journeys with him, who it is clear is the
Devil. The journey into the forest itself has allegorical significance, as is made clear
when Goodman Brown responds to the invitation of the Devil to go deeper into the
woods:

"Too
far, too far!" exclaimed the goodman, unconsciously resuming his walk. "My father never
went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of
honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs; and shall I be the first
of the name of Brown that ever took this path and
kept-"

It is clear then that
Goodman Brown is proud and convinced of his own "goodness", as represented by his name,
for he, in his own imaginings, at least, is a "good man." The journey into the woods,
therefore, is representative of engaging with evil. However, note how the Devil responds
to this protestation of goodness:

readability="19">

"Such company, thou wouldst say," observed the
elder person, interpreting his pause. "Well said, Goodman Brown! I have been as well
acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that's no trifle
to say. I helped you grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so
smartly through the streets of Salem; and it was I that brought your father a
pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King
Philip's war. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had
along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you
for their sake."

Key to this
story, and so many of Hawthorne's tales, is the idea of the darkness of humanity,
however sinless it pretends to be. Hawthorne makes it clear that sin touches everyone,
including the supposedly "Goodman" Brown. You might find it interesting to compare this
short tale to another one of Hawthorne's gems: "The Minister's Black Veil", which
likewise touches on this theme of the universal sinfulness of humanity. Hope this helps
you with your talk. Good luck!