A. Why do economic cycles (or business fluctuations) occur? What are the implications of these fluctuations for business? B. Would you expect government intervention to increase, or to diminish, the amplitude of business cycles? C. Evaluate the usefulness of economic forecasts to business, especially in the light of their indifferent prediction record.

[Related to Solved Problem 27.4 on page 1010] Briefly explain whether you agree with the following statement: Real GDP is currently $17.7 trillion, and potential GDP is $17.4 trillion. If Congress and the president would decrease government purchases by $300 billion or increase taxes by $300 billion, the economy could be brought to equilibrium at potential GDP.

At the end of 2001, official foreign exchange reserves amounted to $212 billion in China, $45 billion in India, $44 billion in Mexico, but only $29 billion in the US. Explain why the US holds such low reserves by comparison with these developing countries. 7. Many argue that the US current account deficit, running at $2 billion per day in April 2003, poses a major […]

Instead of recommending that the two smallest high schools be closed, the superintendent targeted two other high schools. Why? 1. After knowing that a majority of the board would not approve his recommendation, the superintendent suggested that a consultant be retained to conduct a second study. If you were the superintendent, would you have made the same suggestion? Why or why not?

An alternative health practitioner claims that a nuclear power plant releases radiation at a level so low that it cannot be measured, but that this radiation is harmful to the thyroid gland. He sells a thyroid extract that he claims can prevent the problem.

Prepare a brief report on one of the following polymers. List sources and commercial uses. a. polybutadiene b. ethylene–propylene rubber c. polyurethanes d. epoxy resins

How many carbon atoms are there in a molecule of each of the following?  a. heptane  b. decane  c. cyclohexane  d. cyclopentene

Addition reactions occur with alkenes but not with alkanes because alkenes have  a. double bonds  b. a greater molecular mass  c. more C atoms per molecule  d. a tetrahedral arrangement of bonds

A Geiger counter registered 50 Bq of activity from an unknown type of radiation. A piece of paper inserted between the source and the counter caused the reading to drop to about 2 Bq. The radiation was mostly a. alpha particles b. beta particles c. gamma rays d. X-rays

1. Which alkanes are gases at room temperature? Which are liquids? Which are solids? State your answers in terms of the number of carbon atoms per molecule. 2. Compare the densities of liquid alkanes with that of water. If you added octane to water in a beaker, what would you expect to observe?

When silver is tarnished by H2S, hydrogen is  a. reduced b. dissolved  c. oxidized d. evaporated

Which of the following is an amine attached to only one carbon group? a. dimethylamine b. ethyldimethylamine c. isopropylamine d. methylpropylamine

Combination of two smaller atomic nuclei into one larger nucleus is called a. a chain reaction b. fission c. fusion d. radioactive decay

Do you think that any of the age-old questions about consciousness will ever be satisfactorily answered? Please explain. 1. In what ways does the culture of a particular society induce seeming similarities among its members, despite significant individual differences in the makeup of their brains? 2. In what ways does the culture of a given society cause its members to seem more different from those […]

The monomer styrene (C6H5CH“CH2, where C6H5 represents a benzene ring) forms a polymer that has chains with repeating a. eight-carbon units in the backbone b. six-carbon units in the backbone and two-carbon groups as pendants c. CH2CH units in the backbone and C6H5 groups as pendants d. CH2“CH units in the backbone and C6H5 groups as pendants

Each amino acid shown in Table 16.3 (page 514) has an amino group (—NH3 +) and a carboxylic acid group (—COO-). (In each case, a proton has been donated from the carboxylic group to the amino group.) Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Draw the structure of the protein formed by polymerization of glycine, showing four repeat units.

Which of the following statements is correct in regards to assigning oxidation numbers? a. Alkali metals can have an oxidation number of either +1 or -1. b. Halogens can never have an oxidation number of -1. c. Oxygen must always have an oxidation number of -2, even in its elemental form. d. The oxidation number of alkaline earth metals in ionic compounds is always +2.

English chemist William Henry studied the amounts of gases absorbed by water at different temperatures and under different pressures. In 1803, he stated a formula, p = kHc, which related the concentration of the dissolved gas at a constant temperature to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid. This relationship describes a scientific a. hypothesis  b. law  c. observation  d. theory

Which of the following equations best represents a reduction of molybdenum?