Proof Is Simply Beyond The Capacity Essay -- essays research papers f

Certain individuals who commit crimes do so at their own free will, and many have no qualms as to the consequences of their actions. To some, it matters not the possibility that if they are caught, there is the chance they may be executed. Sometimes the crimes committed by certain persons are done so in a manner that would bewilder any other human being. My personal belief is that there is no need for capital punishment in our society. Advocates say that capital punishment is needed in order to deter future criminals, but this is not entirely the case. Research has shown that capital punishment, as a deterrent, has no positive or negative effect. An influential student of the deterrence question, Thorsten Sellin, conducted a study that would attempt to determine the effect of capital punishment on future crime. He studied the homicide rates in contiguous states, some with and some without the death penalty, on the assumption that these states were as alike as possible in character of population, social and economic conditions, etc. His conclusion was that the death penalty had no effect on the murder rate (Sellin, 63). This is not to say that the study performed by Sellin was perfect, for it did contain flaws. In his attempt, he looked for correlations between the homicide rate and the legal status of the death penalty, rather than the number of executions actually carried out in the states where it was legal punishment. As it may be true that contiguous states are similar in certain respects, their differences may be quite apparent. Sellin looked for characteristics evident in all of the states he compared, but these same factors may not be part of the real reason that leads to homicide. He had no way of knowing if these states were equal in all other respects, such as apprehending and convicting those who commit murder. There is simply no absolute in controlling all factors. The issue of deterrence has been the basis on which advocates or abolitionists have grounded their arguments. It would be safe to assume that both sides have varying definitions for the term â€Å"deterrence† and the manner in which they utilize that definition to their advantage. Gertrude Ezorsky offers a dichotomous definition of deterrence that is useful in deciphering the meanings behind the arguments. Ezorsky makes a distinction between the effects of a threat of a punishment and ... ...ways that allow proponents or opponents to advance their own views. What also hinders the advance of this debate is that fact that the installation and implementation of capital punishment is inconsistent, for it is abolished, then brought back again. Many factors are taken into account in determining whether capital punishment is effective, but I am in complete agreement with Peter Passell when he says, â€Å"proof is simply beyond the capacity of empirical social science† (Passell, 79). Bibliography Berns, Walter, For Capital Punishment: Crime and the Morality of the Death Penalty. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1979. Cederblom, Jerry, â€Å"The Retributive Liability Theory of Punishment,† Public Affairs Quarterly 9, 4 (1995), 305-15. Ezorsky, Gertrude, Philosophical Perspectives on Punishment. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1972. Passell, Peter, â€Å"The Deterrent Effect of the Death Penalty: A Statistical Test,† Stanford Law Review 28 (Nov. 1975), 79-80. Sellin, Thorsten, The Death Penalty. Philadelphia: American Law Institute, 1959. Van Den Haag, Ernest, â€Å"On Deterrence and the Death Penalty,† The Journal of Criminal Law Criminology, and Police Science 60, 2 (June 1969), 141-47.

Formation of an Alkene by Alcohol Dehydration

Formation of an Alkene by Alcohol Dehydration Lab Report Balanced Chemical Equation for the Main Reaction Mechanism The acid-catalyzed dehydration of secondary and tertiary alcohols involves non-isolable carbocation intermediaries. In the first step of the of the reaction mechanism below, a phosphoric acid catalyst adds a proton to the oxygen atom of the alcohol to form an oxonium ion. The OH is converted to a better leaving group as the positive charge on the oxygen weakens the carbon-oxygen bond. The carbon-oxygen bond breaks during heating giving water an unstable carbocation. Without a nucleophile, the carbocation intermediate loses a proton from a carbon and forms a carbon-carbon double bond from the carbon-hydrogen electrons. The formation of a carbocation intermediate from the loss of a leaving group classifies this as an Elimination Reaction. Table of Reagents Pertinent Safety Information The phosphoric acid in this lab is a corrosive acid. Caution must be used to not get the acid in contact with skin or clothes. Gloves must be worn while pouring it. If there is a spill, wash the area with large amounts of water. Cyclohexanol, and especially cyclohexene, are very flammable liquids. Do not use an open flame as a source of heat with these substances. Outline of the Procedure Add 20 mL of cyclohexanol and 5 mL of 85% phosphoric acid to a 50-mL round-bottom flask along with 1 or two boiling chips Swirl the flask gently to thoroughly mix the layers and incorporate this into a simple distillation column Heat the flask until distillation begins and slowly distills the mixture, controlling the heating so that the temperature of the distillation vapor does not go above 100-105 degrees C. Cool the receiver in an ice bath to reduce the loss of distillate to evaporation Continue the distillation until only 5-10 mL of high-boiling residue is left in the flask Allow the flask to cool and disconnect the apparatus Transfer the distillate to a separatory funnel and shake it with 10 mL of saturated sodium chloride solution, then drain off lower aqueous layer Add 5 mL of 10% sodium carbonate to solution to neutralize any acid, gently shake the mixture, and drain off the lower aqueous layer again Pour the upper layer into a dry, clean Erlenmeyer flask Add 1-2 g of anhydrous calcium chloride, and allow the flask to stand for 15-20 minutes with occasional stirring Clean and dry the condenser, distillation flask and adapters for the final distillation Decant or filter the dry cyclohexene from the calcium chloride into a dry distillation flask and set up a simple distillation apparatus Add 1-2 boiling chips to the flask and distill the cyclohexene, collecting the liquid that boils between 79 and 85 degrees C in a small graduated cylinder Data and Observations The purpose of this lab is to synthesize cyclohexene from cyclohexanol using phosphoric acid. This student had difficulties maintaining the temp erature of the distillation vapor between 100-105 degrees C. the distillate recovered that was between 79 and 85 degrees C was discarded. The receiver was placed in an ice bath to reduce evaporation. A total of 21 mL was collected. Results and Discussion Volume of cyclohexene: 2. 8 mL Weight from density of cyclohexene: (0. 810 g/mL) / (2. 8 mL) = *0. 29 g cyclohexe*ne Percentage yield of cyclohexene: 20 mL x 0. 960 g/mL = 19. 2 g = 0. 192 mol 0. 192 mol x 82 g/mol = 15. g x 1mL/0. 81 g = 19. 4 mL (Theoretical Yield) 2. 8 mL/19. 4 mL x 100 = 14. 4% Yield (but of excellent quality) In a small test tube, add 5 drops of cyclohexene to 1 mL of 0. 5% aqueous potassium permanganate solution The solution turned brown immediately and then formed a dark, thick precipitate within 1 minute 1 mL of a 2% solution of bromine in carbon tetrachloride The solution immediately turned clear, and remained that way throughout the lab Conclusions The dehydration of alcohols is one of several methods to p roduce alkenes. This dehydration may be accomplished using a strong mineral acid such as sulfuric and phosphoric acid. The first step in this transformation is protonation of the hydroxyl group by the acid yielding an excellent leaving group. Next water is eliminated from the molecule resulting in a carbocation intermediate, which then eliminates a proton to form an alkene. Questions Name and draw the structure of the alkenes that might be obtained by acid-catalyzed dehydration of 2-methylcyclohexanol 3-methyl-3-hexanol What would be the best alcohol to use in an acid-catalyzed dehydration to prepare 1, 3-dimethylcyclopentene? The most suitable alcohol to use is 2*, 5*-dimethylcyclopentanol. Write equations to show the products that form in the reactions of cyclohexene with potassium permanganate and bromine.

A Relationship Between Fathers And Sons Being Broken By...

Rough times can turn a dysfunctional relationship into an unbreakable bond, however, they can also shatter the sturdiest of relationships, forever. In Elie Wiesel’s legendary book, Night, Wiesel vividly describes his and his father’s lives in the concentration camps during the Holocaust. During the book, the connection between Elie and his father, Shlomo Wiesel, slowly transitions from a broken father-son relationship to the point where they would risk their lives for one another. Initially, when their lives are rather laid-back, Shlomo and Elie do not find much in common with one another, and Shlomo blockades Elie’s highly sought-after scholarly dreams. However, once the Wiesels find themselves in the camp, the impending death of those around them brings life to the bond between them. Finally, the text illustrates many other relationships between fathers and sons being broken by selfish acts. In Night, Elie Wiesel illustrates how stressful times can change a rel ationship through the Wiesels ruined tie in their hometown of Sighet, the rapid development of their bond in the camps, and the failure of numerous other relations. By the climax of Night, Elie and Shlomo Wiesel’s connection has gradually evolved into the epitome of father-son relationships; however, not long before the birth of this resilient bond, the father and son scarcely understood each other. Early on in the novel, Elie portrays his father as a â€Å"cultured man, rather unsentimental. He [also] rarely display[s]Show MoreRelated Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pagesparallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each other.   Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, who was married to Addie for more than thirty years. 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