Parable Of The Cave And Road Not Taken Essay Example For Students

Parable Of The Cave And Road Not Taken Essay Taking the High Road The unexamined life is not worth living, In TheApology, Socrates relates that the most important goal in life is theimprovement of the soul. We should search others, our environment, and ourselvesso that we may come to a better understanding of the world. The Parable of theCave tells of the journey that Socrates was trying to relate, in that eachperson is faced with different realities as we travel to try and reach theintellectual world. This journey of enlightenment draws close parallels toanother piece of literature by Robert Frost. In his poem The Road NotTaken, he describes how he felt as he came upon the fork in the road andchose to take the road less traveled and that has made all thedifference. The use of life as a journey is nothing new to literature, butwith Plato and Frost both show that this journey is not easy and there are manychoices along the way that we must make that will determine the quality of thelife we will lead. The main factor that drew me to the Parable of the Cave wasthe way it described our journey through life. It begins by telling us that thereality we initially see when we are chained down in the cave is nothing morethan an illusion. This is true in my own life in that I was told by my parentswhat was right and what was wrong without questioning the reason behind it. Theykept a chain of sorts around me so that I was not harmed by all of the realitiesof the world at once, but rather gradually introduced to them as I grew up. Aswe are released from bondage, our reality is immediately changed. When we firstlook toward the light we will suffer sharp pains; as we try toadjust to this new reality that is suddenly thrown upon us. The bondage that weexperienced in the beginning is no longer there and the full weight of the worldis pressed down on us without the help of others and now responsibility for ourown actions becomes the controlling factor in our life. The light that firstshocked us into reality now causes you to come to a crossroads in life. Lookingdirectly at the light will cause some pain and suffering, but offers aclearer vision or turn away and take refuge in the objects ofvision which he can see and return to the reality of which he wasaccustomed, but is only an illusion. Many people are scared to face reality andwould rather turn back to the shelter that they are comfortable with. Independence and freedom are things these people could live without, so long asthey had someone to lead them. Unfortunately, the majority of people fall intothis category. They become sheep and require a shepherd to guide them throughtheir lives. The others who can overcome the blinding light are able to ask ofthemselves what they are trying to accomplish in their lifetime. They may makemistakes along the way, but because they had the strength to try, are able tolearn from those mistakes and become more intelligent as they age. Those thatnever leave the depths of the cave remain in an illusion. Ignorance isbliss, and these people never want to have to struggle with their lives,but would rather remain without the responsibility the new knowledge would bringthem if they were to walk towards the light. The light allows us to see thingsmore clearly and this is the goal that we are trying to reach in our lifetime,but are almost assured of failing. Why then should you constantly fight towa rdthis goal over adversity and hardship only to fail in the end? The journey isthe most important part of the trip, not the destination. The things learnedalong the way will make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable. The Parable ofthe Cave shows how this journey can be related to our own lives and thestruggles we face throughout our lifetime. The journey talked of in The Parableof the Cave has many parallels with the poem by Robert Frost entitled TheRoad Not Taken. The last line of the poem reads, I took the road nottaken and that has made all the difference. The road usually taken is theeasy road, the road that is the most comfortable to us. This road keeps usignorant because we never seek to gain more knowledge by searching and askingquestions. I chose to represent the Parable of the Cave by visually showing thepoem by Frost. It begins on a road that is surrounded by foliage. This acts toshelter you from the harmful world. The foliage shelters you until you come to afork in the road. The road ahead of you is clear of any obstacles for as far asyou can see. The other road to your right begins with a hill and you can not seewhat lies ahead. At this fork you must make a decision to continue straightahead on the clear path, or take a chance and climb that hill to see what is onthe other side. The clear path is representative of the path that most peoplewill take, the easy road. This road continues with no obstacles because that iswhat you have seen all of your life and are comfortable with this arrangement. .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .postImageUrl , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:hover , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:visited , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:active { border:0!important; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:active , .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u34623c5a0a7e297650766e5ac6a1f7ac:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Juvenile Crime Essay SummaryTaking this road would be the same as returning to the depths of the cave onceyou were blinded by the light. The road to the right represents the continuancetoward the light at the cave mouth discussed by Plato. This road had obstaclesthat will impede your path and slow you down, but do not stop you fromcontinuing on to the end. The hills are the trials we must face in life if weare trying to obtain knowledge. The knowledge does not come withoutconsequences, however, and you must go through trying times (whether it beself-examination, examination of others, or examination of the environmentaround you) before you can move ahead. Whichever road we decide to take, the endresult is the same, death. The roads lead to the same destination, but the pathsto that destination are very different. This is representative of the course oflife that each of us must take, some paths are easier than others, but the moredifficult path leads to a more fulfilling life. The Parable of the Cave showsthe major steps in life that we are all faced with. Those who choose to turnaway from the light would not lead a fulfilling life in the eyes of Plato orSocrates. Those that choose to continue toward the light take all theresponsibility that comes with that choice. By continuing toward the light theycontinue to enlightenment. In order to reach enlightenment, we must questionourselves and our motives and in doing so will face more trying and pressingtimes than those who choose to return to a place that they are comfortable with. Frosts poem The Road Not Taken very much parallels the thoughtsexpressed by Plato. We are faced with many choices in life. The fork in the roadrepresents those choices we are faced with and once they are made, there is noturning back. The mistakes made along the way may cause use to stumble or slowdown, but the journey to the end is much more fulfilling if we are willing totake the road less traveled, for it too could make all thedifference.

Monologue of an Onion free essay sample

The poem â€Å"Monologue for an onion† by Suji Kwock Kim begins with the peeling of an onion that could very well describe her and her agony, but further reading reveals that the majority of the poem is directed at the person doing the peeling. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the peeled onion, whether the emotions stem from the hurt state of the onion or from the aggressive peeler. Clearly the poet’s attack of the peeler grabs the attention of the reader and elevates the emotional connection with the poet. Kim uses the metaphor â€Å"peeling away my body layer by layer† (line 3) to describe the unveiling of the layers of an onion. Although the metaphor describes the body of an onion, it is much deeper than that. The metaphor is about people; it is about trying to dig deep into someone’s personality and exposing their vulnerability. Moreover, the deep search and digging referred to are of unhealthy nature. We will write a custom essay sample on Monologue of an Onion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The person searching for the core of another has gone too far in this poem; too far to the extent of making the poet resent and dislike the seeker of the heart. This resentment is clear from the beginning of the poem where it starts with a negative tone, â€Å"I mean nothing, but this has not kept you from peeling† (lines 2-3), towards a person who has gone too far trying to achieve clarity and depths that are not realistically discoverable. The negative tone prevails throughout the whole poem which makes the poem powerful and very interesting to read. Kim is describing many people in her poem, yet the poem suggests that she is directing her words towards one person; a person who did her wrong by hurting her while hurting himself as well. Yellow peels, my stinging shreds. You are the one in pieces. † (lines 28-29) shows an almost destroyed person being interrogated by a fool who will never get enough and who will keep searching for something unattainable. Humans, unlike machines, will never be controlled nor dissected to extremes. The grander sadness is not in the person who is being dissected, it is the one who keeps peeling la yer after layer and never stops. This never-ending search can leave a person very unhappy and empty. When reading the poem, the first line, â€Å"I dont mean to make you cry†, is not clearly understood until one reads further into the story. While this is one of many metaphors that may seem to be about the sadness of the one who is getting peeled, it is also describing the sadness of the one who is doing the peeling. Indeed the peeler is crying in the end. Even though that line is the very first line of the poem, it is referring to an ending relationship that left both sides in tears and despair. The focus is mainly on the deluded human who will never be happy in his search, â€Å"Poor deluded human: you seek my heart. † (line 6). Even though both parties are hurt and disappointed, the poet makes it clear that her hurt feelings and sadness have made her very upset with the one who is the reason for ruining the relationship. Nevertheless, the focus of the poem is not about the relationship, it identifies a personality that does not understand the reality of human nature and the imperfection of the poet. The poem tackles two main themes. The first theme is about a personality that does not understand the reality of human nature; a personality never satisfied no matter what goals it reaches, â€Å"your mind a stopless knife, driven by your fantasy of truth. † The â€Å"stopless knife† is a beautiful metaphor emphasizing the characteristics of a mind destructive in its unreasonable search. The â€Å"fantasy of truth† ascertains that this human is delusional in attaining his goals. The second theme of the poem is the object of the delusional human, the poet herself. She is the one who is more realistic about life and human nature. She understands the imperfections of humans, hence addressing her interrogator with sadness and disappointment. She is fed up with the blindness of the person who has hurt her, â€Å"Hunt all you want. Beneath each skin of mine lies another skin† (line 7). Apparently she has shown him who she is to the core of her heart, â€Å"I am pure onionpure union of outside and in, surface and secret core. † (lines 8-9), but he cannot accept that what he sees is enough. This poem has two main sets of metaphors running through it, both of which support the major metaphor of this paper, â€Å"peeling away my body layer by ayer†. So far the first set about the peeling of layers has been discussed rigorously. The second set of metaphors, â€Å"How will you rip away the veil of the eye,† (line 18) is a universal description of how the world is viewed. Kim is objecting that human relationships can be viewed with perfect clarity. In a nice tone, â€Å"You must not grieve t hat the world is glimpsed through veils. † (lines 16-17), she is emphasizing her point with a little compassion towards someone who has hurt her. In fact, that metaphor is the only one in which the poet shows compassion towards her attacker, compared to her overall attitude of resentment. She even uses irony in her words, â€Å"How else can it be seen? † (line 17), when she refers to his inability to see the world with the veils on his eyes. Furthermore, her irony continues by accusing the person doing the peeling of being blind to what is right in front of his face, â€Å"Taste what you hold in your hands: onion-juice,† (line 21). His discontent with all his findings will leave him eternally unfulfilled. This dissatisfaction inside him keeps cutting at his mind and soul, â€Å"Your soul cut moment to moment by a blade of fresh desire† (lines 25-26). In her few lines about the veil on his eyes, she was very successful in portraying a personality not very uncommon among us. It is the personality of an obsessive compulsive perfectionist who ruins any potentially good event in his life. To further insult the person doing the peeling, the poet delves deep into his own core and heart. She ends her poem by reversing the roles of whose core is to be revealed, â€Å"And at your inmost circle, what? A core that is not one† (lines 27-28). This change in focus is beautiful as she speaks the truth about this deluded human’s heart. By now the reader is eager to see what the poet thinks of this core. Kim does not waste any time nor does she hesitate to describe the state of such a divided heart. â€Å"Lost in its maze of chambers, blood, and love,† (line 29) is beyond what one would expect a divided heart to be. She makes it clear that the heart is broken into more than just two parts, but indeed of three or more contradicting divisions. The strength in the final lines is amazing as the poet finishes her final punches towards the man who caused all the grief and sadness to everyone involved. In addition, she throws her last line out, â€Å"A heart that will one day beat you to death. † (line 29). One last true statement that contains a plethora of rich emotions; it is revengeful, sympathetic, degrading, satisfying, and freeing. Now she can walk away from the poison that she lived through! Not only does Kim’s poem target a large audience, the human race; it is very captivating because it also speaks of love and deep emotions! Even if some of us have never experienced what she describes, most of us can relate to her situation. While the beginning of the poem describes one person in a relationship who is questioning the other partner about his or her actions, the final lines become more of an attack towards that partner. The attack becomes the resolution that the poet needs to answer her own questions and reach the conclusion that her emotionally draining partner is not worth her commitment or love.

Importance of News in Democracy

Importance of News in Democracy A free media is considered as the backbone of any true democracy. It is the most important source of information for the masses that on the other hand are charged with the responsibility of voting. Since the voters base decisions on how to vote based on the information received, the media then becomes a very powerful tool in politics. These institutions identify problems in society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of News in Democracy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The journalists are always on the lookout for areas of socio political and economic importance with the aim of reporting to the people in order to attract the required responses which may alter the sociopolitical setting of a society. More importantly, the media is the most vocal watchdog charged with the responsibility of unearthing the evils committed by those who wield power. However it is clear that this power is prone to abuse hence requi ring that the media be reasonable so as to maintain democracy. In fact the any democratic society will assume that the media is responsible. A checklist of the most critical democratic functions of the media reveals a wide range of activities. First is the continuous check of the developments in the sociopolitical arena. Secondly, the media offers an unrivalled public platform for the people to debate issues and express themselves especially with the aim of getting the attention of those in power. It also offers a chance for the citizens to learn, make choices and participate more in the political process. In doing this they have to persistently resist any interference from outside aimed at invading their independence hence advance own interests. It is however emerging that these functions are not being fully met. There are concerns that the most powerful media are controlled by a few multinational with both political as well as economic agenda. News has been slowly transformed from being informative to pure entertainment. More emphasis is now on sex, violence, scandals and celebrity gossip. According to critics, these have little or no value in informing and educating the viewers. This subverts the democratic ideology advanced through such means. Even when issues of politics are covered, it is clear that focus is more on personalities instead of ideology.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In absence of issue based news, the electorate is exposed to skewed political propaganda which not only misinforms them but also makes them cynical and disinterested in politics. In other areas it has been observed that the watchdogs bark at the wrong things. The news coverage of scandals in private lives of celebrities, politicians and other such issues is done in full ignorance of the consequences (Curran, 2005, p99). The news is now more often than not heig htening fear for the wrong things. Minor hazards are often blown out of proportion leading to extra ordinary resources being allocated towards eliminating such hazards. This is done at the expense of more deserving dangers in society which go unnoticed but continue to pose danger to the society. Again, there has been failure in the news to adequately cover wrongs in certain industries. The tobacco industry is one such industry. Advertisers appear to have put lots of pressure on media to suppress information relating to the hazards of smoking. In addition, some mass media including magazines especially those targeting the women promote dubious health products hence conspiring with manufacturers to swindle billions from consumers. All these claims have been fairly studied and seen to be largely true. This then necessitates a review of the way democracy works and the power of media in subverting democracy. The social and political outcomes of misinformation by the media are not yet ful ly exhausted. The outcomes on the democratic process due to commercialization of news are numerous. The development of the society is influenced in many ways. This creates the need to integrate findings from different disciplines to address the problem (Curran, 2005, p99). The economic factor Most media channels are privately owned and hence are pure investments requiring sustainable revenues to guarantee returns. For most of them, a greater percentage of revenues are generated through sponsorships and advertisements. This being the case, the newspaper, and TV and radio stations will definitely seek to best satisfy the specific interests of those who guarantee their revenue. These interests however are not in many ways similar to the interest of the viewers, readers and listeners. The predominant assumption among economists is that a free market benefits that entire society as it gives opportunity for more players meaning that there is higher differentiation and at a competitive pri ce. This reasoning dictates much of the western media policies today. However, it is also clear that full competition in the market does not always meet the market expectations. Issues of market failure exist. This is as a result of the fact that the free forces of demand and supply do not always maximize welfare. Products such as public goods including healthcare cannot be solely delivered by private firms.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of News in Democracy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On these note, news delivered by media houses influenced by commercial interests, public interest is only served to the extent to which they coincide with the interests of the advertisers. Consequently, just the same way a public good may not be adequately provided to the public, news contains inadequate quantities of information of public interest. This is probably the most important reason why most countries have m aintained public television and radio stations as public obligations are equally important to the state. The assumption that competition increases diversity and hence expands democracy may only be true in theory. This is so yet numerous policies have been developed to propagate higher competition to ensure that all interests are served. However, this approach has failed many times. Instead of achieving diversity in the delivery of news to propagate democracy duplication is the norm. Popular programs are simply duplicated across many competing media hence defeating the whole concept of diversity. According to analysts, modest competition is much better in achieving diversity of content in the media as opposed to the cut throat competition advocated for in the west. When a country has about three television stations each with one channel, then each of these competing stations will be tempted to duplicate the same popular news content in a bid to expand their market share. But if the c hannels have one owner, then there is a likelihood that each of the channels would seek to offer different content t minimize competition. In this case then, decreased competition is seen to increase diversity. As mentioned above free press is critical input in any democracy. Even in the early days, early theorists argued that openness and publicity were the most important tools to protect the masses from tyrannical rulership. This made the media earn the title â€Å"the fourth estate† another arm of the government providing crucial checks and balances hence ensuring effective governance. An effective watchdog is important especially in democracies with weak institutions and huge political pressures. When the executive, judiciary and legislative arms of government are subject to corruption, only the media can check any abuse of power. Despite the risks, news in modern democracies has exposed presidents, prime ministers, judges and even legislators. In fact the watchdogs do no t just watch out for corruption but also against some natural disasters. It is claimed that famine does not occur in functional democracies. This is because the media is always ready to fill the news agenda with information concerning the famine hence prompting necessary action towards elimination of the drought. The authorities cannot ignore such information because this would amount to political suicide.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The media also acts as a conduit between the governed and the governors. Through the discussions provided, policies are interrogated to ensure that they best fit the interests of the masses. As a request decision making is seen to incorporate those to be affected and there is improved relations and understanding between the two parties. This aide in the development of a civic culture among the masses which emphasizes on dialogue as opposed to conflict. Also, the media has become an important tool for poverty reduction as well as national reconciliation and popular empowerment. Issues of poverty reduction do not only entail reallocation of resources from the rich to the poor. It also entails availing information for the poor so that they are better able to participate in a bigger scale in the political as well as social processes. This is based on the understanding that it is difficult for the poor to push for their rights yet they do not even understand them. If the poor are not inf ormed about the laws and procedures followed in order to obtain their entitlements or remedy what is deprived then it is really difficult to uplift them from the poverty. This is so yet democracy cannot be said to be embedded in a society where the very poor and powerless cannot be heard. News does provide this information to the poor hence encouraging them to take part in public life (Keane, 2005, p215). In most cases news are structured in such a way as to ensure that they give a voice to the marginalized. When information about poverty gender and ethnic as well as religious discrimination come to the forefront through news, then the entire public is involved in unearthing the vice and bringing up commonly agreeable solutions against social injustices. This way, news can help ease social tensions and conflicts and also promote reconciliation among different social groupings. In other cases though the news agenda is used proxies to extend political battles. This can be retrospectiv e as it enables few powerful people to sow divisiveness rather than build consensus. Rather than propagate sober debates, news can elicit deep suspicion and hate as well as social mistrust. In such cases then the news do not serve to encourage democracy. This can build cynicism hence subverting democracy. In some countries the news agencies have brought down governments due to investigative reporting. This is evidenced by the fall of governments in Latin America as a result of sustained news coverage of human rights violations, corruption and other social ills. At least four presidents in the Latin America fell due to pressure from the media. Fernando Collor de Mello came down in 1992; in Ecuador, Abdala Bucara’s downfall was in 1997; Carlos Perez of Venezuela fell in 2003 while Alberto Fujimori of Ecuador fell in 2000. All these presidents fell due to exposure of massive corruption and undercut dealings which were blown out by credible media houses leaving the culprits with no choice but to leave office. Such outcomes gave a lot of credibility for viewers in the region (McCullagh, 2002, p88). However such brave reporting requires that the journalists be protected by a functional and independent judiciary as well as security forces. This creates a chicken and egg dilemma. The freedoms of the media may not be guaranteed if other government institutions are dysfunctional. However these institutions cannot be fully functional unless there are independent checks like the media. From this point then it is left to the crusading journalists with the nerve to broadcast critical news. Recommendations Democracy is definitely propagated through dissemination of news by the media whose rights are protected. In addition, the news has to be developed by people with the requisite skills to ensure in-depth and holistic reporting as demanded by modern day democracies. The power of the media cannot be under estimated thus requiring that news is developed in a manner that is not only accountable to the public but also in observation of both professional and ethical standards (Keane, 2005, p45). The authenticity of news to propagate democracy is only guaranteed when the media houses are financially stable and free from manipulation by the owners. The power of news is however enhanced when the reach is widespread towards a large part of the society. This is because democracy does suffer whenever a sizeable proportion of the society cannot be reached by the media. Numerous initiatives have been explored in a bid to ensure that news coverage is free from manipulation or control by the powerful in society. In countries with weak democracies there have been deliberate efforts to protect the journalists. This is because independent delivery of news will more often than not brush the powerful groups in the wrong ways. Therefore specific laws have been passed to guarantee the rights of journalists as well as those who blow the whistle. Outdated laws restrict information flow and also impose heavy penalties for libels and defamations which in effect stifle the efforts put by the media. In addition, many countries have press associations which are charged with the responsibility of monitoring media freedom and pointing out issues relating to any attempts to stifle the freedom of the press. This way the news content is largely protected from malicious interference. This speeds up the process of achieving even greater democracy. In conclusion, news remains the most important piece of media broadcasting as it disseminates direct reports to people with minimal requirement for further processing. The news are compressed and delivered at specific times to ensure maximum reach. This being the case, contents should be free from any partisan interest in order to paint the correct picture of the socio political and economic situation as this is what ensures that democracy thrives. Reference List Curran, J. 2005.What democracy requires of the media â€Å"in the press. Keane, J. 2005. Journalism and democracy across borders in the press ed.G. Overholser K. Hall Jamieson, London:Routledge. McCullagh, C. 2002. The production of media messages: who sets the media agenda? media power London: Palgrave.

Cross Cultural management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cross Cultural management - Essay Example It is important to understand CCM In the management of global operations, particularly in the case of MNEs. All aspects of international business – understanding the customers, motivating employees, controlling operational processes, and strategically planning for shareholders – necessitate an understanding of the dynamics between the cultures of home country and host country nationals. CCM remains the central theme in MNE literature on this subject, and will be further examined in this brief study. Culture impacts the behaviour, morale and productivity of individuals at work, and because of this values and patterns of behaviour reflect upon company attitudes and actions. This poses no problems for companies operating domestically, but for globalized business problems are created when people from different cultural backgrounds are required to work together (Ching-Hsiang & Hung-Wen, 2008). For MNEs and even for domestic corporations, there are advantages in having a meas ure of cultural diversity in the workforce. A workforce is culturally diverse ‘if it is composed of individuals who differ on a characteristic on which they base their own social identity’ (Mazur, 2010, p. 6). A diverse workforce is vital in the present global environment because it currently reflects the changing world and marketplace (p.14). If a company is to grow significantly and prosper into the future, it cannot remain monocultural because doing so would render it irrelevant in an increasing multicultural environment. Furthermore, diversity in an organization enhances the adaptability of its workforce, and organizations characterized by high adaptability have a significant relationship to high performance (Taylor, et al., 2008). CCM is vital to a firm in both the marketing and operational functions. When a firm serves a foreign market, then its products for that market should be compatible with the culture of that country while maintaining the identity of the par ent company’s brand. In such cases, workforce diversity provides the firm with the necessary human resources (skills, tastes, and knowledge) needed to design, construct and market the product. Diversity among operations personnel, particularly in the provision of services, will enable the firm to connect more closely with the intended market (Lindholm, 2000). Literature Review There are six perspectives identified by Fontaine after his seven-year study on CCM in Malaysia, based on comparisons made between Britain, a relatively homogeneous culture, and Malaysia, a heterogeneous culture. The first perspective typifies the classical approach which is based on Hofstede’s theory that national cultures are defined by commonly shared values. Fontaine found issue with Hofstede’s discussion of Malaysian culture, which he described as sharing the same cultural values. Fontaine contends to the contrary, and found that Malaysians tended to mould their values and viewpoints according to their ethnicity, and a number of ethnical groups comprised Malaysian society. CCM uses Hofstede as its classical foundation and from thence diverge into the other perspectives. The

Troy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Troy - Essay Example In fact, at the very beginning of The Iliad, Achilles is upset (to say the least) with Agamemnon, and asks his mother, Thetis, to intervene by convincing Zeus to favor Achilles. Thetis does this, and it offends the goddess Hera. So goes the course of actions in The Iliad. At different times throughout The Iliad, the action scenes are actually gods and goddesses fighting amongst, and betraying, one another. This is very different from Troy, in which all of the action revolves around the main characters fighting Homer’s The Iliad is just his precursor for The Odyssey, so one of the other obvious differences is that The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector. Troy ends with the burning of the city, citizens fleeing for their lives, and the death of Achilles. Again, the importance of these details depends on what watchers of Troy already know. Students and scholars might be a little more inclined to deem the movie version unrealistic; however, those without prior knowledge or passion for the material may not care that Troy seems to be one long saga, rather than two separate pieces of epic poetry. David Benioff is the screenwriter who adapted Homer’s visions. Not speaking technically, he did a good job. Troy director Wolfgang Peterson did, of course, stray some from Homer’s vision, but overall the movie seemed to be an attempt to please even the layperson. Benioff’s translations are uncomplicated. The language of more modern versions of The Iliad is easy, which is what Benioff was after. Older, less translated versions of The Iliad are much more complicated. More often than not, novice readers would be more comfortable with the format Benioff uses. Even with the screenwriting and director’s license, the movie basically conveys Homer’s theme. The Iliad is a love story. So is Troy. The Iliad is action-packed. So is Troy. The mood of Troy is somewhat different than The

Contradicting Theories On Choking Under Pressure Psychology Essay

Contradicting Theories On Choking Under Pressure Psychology Essay For several decades, the relationship between stress and performance gained much attention. Numerous psychological researches provided evidence for the anecdotal phenomenon that pressure negatively affects cognitive and motor control during performance. This phenomenon is known as choking under pressure, defined as performing more poorly than expected, in situations where performance pressure is at a maximum, given at ones skill level. Contradicting theories on choking under pressure A widely accepted explanation for choking under pressure in cognitive tasks is the distraction hypothesis (Wine, 1971). In accordance to distraction theories, it is proposed in high-pressure situations, the individuals attention needed to perform the task at hand is coopted by task irrelevant thoughts and worries such as worries about the situation and its consequences that leads to choking which harm their performances. (Beilock Carr, 2001; Lewis Linder, 1997; Wine, 1971). Essentially, pressure creates a dual-task environment in which situation-related concerns compete with the attention required to accomplish the task at hand. Distraction-based accounts of skill failure propose that performance pressure affects concentration from the main task that one is trying to perform to irrelevant cues. Therefore, there are insufficient working memory resources to successfully support both primary task performance and to deal with worries about the pressure situation and its consequences un der pressure which results in skill failure. Although there is evidence that pressure prompts failure by sidetracking attention away from skill performance, a contradicting class of theories has been put forth as an alternate explanation for skill failure. Baumeister (1984) proposed a self-focus theory called explicit-monitoring theory which claims the opposite that pressure could in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the performance of skilled individuals by causing them to engage explicit processes that interfere with carrying out the procedure such as increase in their self- consciousness and anxiety about performing well (Gray, 2004; Masters, 1992) which in turn leads performers to emphasize their attention on skill execution to ensure optimal result (Beilock Carr, 2001). This focus on the oneself is thought to prompt individuals to turn their focus inward on the precise processes of performance in an effort to apply more explicit monitoring and control than would be applied in a non-pressure situation. Rationale Distraction and explicit monitoring theories of choking under pressure pose very different mechanisms of skill failure. While distraction theories suggest that pressure influence performance by shifting attention and working memory resources away from it, explicit monitoring theories suggest that pressure shifts too much attention toward skill processes and procedures. However it is unclear as to whether distraction or explicit monitoring will impact performance, even though both mechanisms have tendencies to occur in certain contexts. We believe that pressure can do both in aspects of the performance environment itself. Distracting thoughts, explicit monitoring, or even both will be lead to depending on the specific elements of stress suffered in high-pressure situations as it may essentially involve multiple components; therefore, exerting multiple effects. The questions as to whether performance fail or succeed, and how this failure will occur, rest on aspects of the pressure situation and the required attention for the task being performed. Aim The aim of the experiment is to study the effect of different levels of pressure inflicted by an audience on peoples performance (word count and accuracy) in a typing task. Experimental outline This study was conducted on a total of 102 undergraduate psychology students, of which 54 were females and 48 were males. The participants ranged from 17 to 55 years of age (Mean=20.51 years; SD=6.28). The participants performed a typing task under 3 di ¬Ã¢â€š ¬erent environments which is no pressure, low pressure and high pressure in random order. The no pressure condition involves participants typing while the projector screen was turned off, so no one else in the room could see what they were typing. In the low pressure condition, the screen was turned on, so the rest of the class could see what was being typed. In the high pressure condition, the class crowded around the participant as they typed. In each condition, they are allocated a script of text which they need to replicate as much and as accurately as possible in the time allocated (45 seconds). Quality of performance is analyzed by counting the number of words typed and errors made. Hypothesis We hypothesize that pressure have a negative impact on performance. In no pressure condition, we predict that the participants would achieve the highest word count with lowest number of errors, whereas in high pressure condition, we predict that the participants would achieve the lowest word count with highest number of errors. Discussion The results showed that the number of words typed was significantly affected by pressured condition. Participants performance speed was fastest in the low pressure condition compared to the high-pressure condition. The results showed that accuracy was significantly affected by pressure condition. As for the participants accuracy, it was greater in the no-pressure condition compared to the low-pressure and the high-pressure condition. As such, the results of this study support the hypothesis proposed. These findings are consistent with the study conducted by Gray (2004) who examined how expert baseball players batted in a baseball simulator in both low-pressure and high-pressure conditions. Gray (2004) found an increase in batting errors and movement variability under high pressure, relative to low-pressure situation; suggesting that pressure negatively affects performance. As with the baseball players, we believe that our participants also experienced distracting thoughts and/or explicit monitoring under pressure which interrupted their performance. As a result, the participants experience a decrease in typing speed; hence, produced less word count and made more errors while typing. Strengths of the experiment This experiment assessed both male and female which rules out any possible gender difference. With the wide age range of 17 to 55 years of age, it also rules out age difference. Also, by manipulating the pressure environment, individuals will focus on the process of performance versus the outcome of performance, allowing us to study different aspects affecting ones performance in pressure-filled situations. Improvement to the experiment A larger sample size would have enabled us to achieve more accurate results. Significance This study enables us to better understand performance failure, and ways to prevent it; across a variety of skill types and situations, from a student taking a final exam paper to a professional athlete playing on the field. Such developed knowledge aids the improvement of training regiments and performance strategies designed to lighten these choking performances as such reducing the possibility of failure. Understanding the reason choking occurs is important for developing training methods to deal with it. Understanding skill failure and success under pressure may give a clear view on the similarities and differences in the cognitive control structures underlying a diverse set of skills. Furthermore, by uncovering the mechanisms thats leading pressure-induced failure, we can also further our understanding of how emotional and motivational factors combine with memory and attention processes to impact skill learning and performance. An understanding of how the performance environment modifies cognitive processes not only advances our understanding of the choking under pressure phenomenon explicitly but also provides an perception into related situations in which performance unintentionally falters, ranging from test anxiety to the threat of conforming to a negative stereotype. Finally, these  ¬Ã‚ ndings suggest an important avenue for future research working toward an all-embracing th eory of when performance will fail versus succeed under stressful situations.

Race Car Aerodynamics

Race Car Aerodynamics Gregor Seljak April 8, 2008 1 Introduction First racing cars were primarily designed to achieve high top speeds and the main goal was to minimize the air drag. But at high speeds, cars developed lift forces, which a? ected their stability. In order to improve their stability and handling, engineers mounted inverted wings pro? les1 generating negative lift. First such cars were Opel’s rocket powered RAK1 and RAK2 in 1928. However, in Formula, wings were not used for another 30 years. Racing in this era 1930’s to 1960’s occured on tracks where the maximum speed could be attained over signi? ant distance, so development aimed on reducing drag and potencial of downforce had not been discovered until the late 1960’s. But since then, Formula 1 has led the way in innovative methods of generating downforce within ever more restrictive regulations. Figure 1: Opel’s rocket powered RAK2, with large side wings 2 Airfoils Airfoil can be de? nead as a shape of wing, as seen in cross-section. In order to describe an airfoil, we must de? ne the following terms(Figure 2) †¢ The mean camber line is a line drawn midway between the upper and lower surfaces. †¢ The leading and trailing edge are the most forward an rearward of the mean camber line. Compared to an aircraft 1 †¢ The chord line is a line connecing leading an trailing edge. †¢ The chord length is the distance from the leading to the trailing edge, measured along the chord line. †¢ The camber is the maximum distance between mean camber line and chord line. †¢ The thickness is the distance between the upper and lower surfaces. Figure 2: Airfoil nomenclature The amount of lift L produced by the airfoil, can be expressed in term of lift coe? cient CL 1 2 (1) L = V? SCL 2 where V? denotes the freestrem velocity, ?uid density and S the airfoil area. 2. 1 Flow over an airfoilProperties of an airfoil can be measured in a wind tunnel, where constantchord wing spannes the entire test section, from one sidewall to the other. In this conditions, the ? ow sees a wing without wing tips. Such wing is called in? nite wing and streches to in? nity along the span. Because the airfoil section is identical along the wing, the properties of the airfoil and the in? nite wing are identical. Therefore the ? ow over an airfoil can be described as a 2D incompressible inviscid ? ow over an in? nite wing. Lift per unit span L? generated by an arbitrary airfoil(or any other body) moving at speed V? through the ? ud with density and circulation ? is 2 given by Kutta-Joukowsky theorem L? = V? ? . (2) Circulation around an airfoil, can be calculated with the concept of a vortex sheet, which was ? rst introduced by Prandtl an his colleagues. Consider an airfoil of arbitrary shape and thickness as shown in Figure 3. Circulation can be distributed over the whole airfoil area with surface density(vortex sheet strength) d? /ds = ? (s), where ? (s) must satisfy Kutta condition ? (trailing edge) = 0 (3) Entire circulation is then given by ?= ? (s)ds , (4) where the integral is taken around the complete surface of the airfoil.However, there is no general solution for ? (s) for an airfoil of arbitrary shape and it must be found numericaly, but analytical solutions can be found with some aproximations. Figure 3: Simulation of an arbitrary airfoil by distributing a vortex sheet over the airfoil surface. 2. 2 Thin airfoil theory Here we discuss thin airfoil in freestream of velocity V? under small angle of attack ?. Camber and thickness are small in relation with chord length c. In such case, airfoil can be described with a single vortex sheet distributed over the camber line(Figure 4). Our goal is to calculate the variation of ? s), such that the chamber line becomes streamline and Kutta condition at trailing edge, ? (c) = 0, is satis? ed. 3 Figure 4: Thin airfoil approximation. Vortex sheet is distributed over the chamber line The velocity at any point in the ? ow is the sum of the uniform freestream velocity and velocity induced by the vortex sheet . In order the camber line to be a streamline, the component of velocity normal to the camber line must be zero at any point along the camber line. w ? (s) + V? ,n = 0 , (5) where w ? (s) is the component of velocity normal to the chamber line induced by the vortex sheet and V? n the component of the freestrem velocity normal to the camber line. Considering small angle of atack and de? ning ? (x) = dz/dx as the slope of the chamber line, V? ,n can be written as (Figure 5) V? ,n = V? ? ? dz dx (6) Because airfoil is very thin, we can make the approximation w ? (s) ? w (x) , (7) where w (x) denotes the component of velocity normal to the chord line and can be, using the Biot-Savart law, expressed as c w (x) = ? 0 ? (? )d? 2 ? (x ? ? ) (8) Substituting equations (6), (7) and (8) into (5) and considering Kutta condition, we obtain 1 2? c 0 ? (? )d? dz = V? ? ? x dx ? (c) = 0 undamental equations of thin airfoil theory. 4 (9) Figure 5: Determination of the component of freestrem velocity normal to the chamber line In order to satisfy this conditions , we ? rst transform our variables x and ? into c c x = (1 ? cos ? 0 ) (10) ? = (1 ? cos ? ) 2 2 and equation (9) becomes 1 2? ? 0 ? (? ) sin ? d? dz = V? ? ? cos ? ? cos ? 0 dx (11) with a solution that satis? es Kutta condition ? (? ) = 0 ? (? ) = 2V? A0 ? 1 + cos ? An sin(n? ) + sin ? n=1 (12) In order to ? nd coe? cients A0 and An , we substitute equation (12) into equation (11) and use the following trigonometric relations ? 0 sin(n? ) sin ? ? = cos(n? 0 ) cos ? ? cos ? 0 (13) ? sin(n? 0 ) cos(n? )d? = cos ? ? cos ? 0 sin ? 0 (14) ? 0 and ? nnaly obtain ? dz An cos(n? 0 ) = (? ? A0 ) + dx n=1 5 (15) This equation is in form of a Fourier cosine series expansion for the function dz/dx. Comparing it to the general form for the Fourier cosine expansion we obtain 1 ? dz A0 = ? ? d? 0 (16) ? 0 dx 2 ? dz cos(n? 0 )d? 0 (17) An = ? 0 dx The total circulation due to entire vortex sheet from leading to the trailing edge is c cc ? (? ) sin ? d? (18) ? (? )d? = ?= 20 0 Substituting equation (12) for ? (? ) into equation (18) and carrying out the integration, we obtain ? = cV? ? A0 + A1 (19) 2 hence the lift per unit span, given by Kutta-Joukowski is 2 L? = V? ? = c V? ? A0 + ? A1 2 (20) This equation leads to to the lift coe? cient in form cl = ? (2A0 + A1 ) = 2? ? + 1 ? ? 0 dz (cos(n? 0 ) ? 1)d? 0 dx (21) and lift slope dcL = 2? (22) d? Last two results are important. We can see, that lift coe? cient is function of the shape of the pro? le dz/dx and angle of attack ? , and that even symmetrical wing produces lift, when set under an angle of attack. Lift slope is constant, independently of the shape of the pro? le, while the zero lift angle lS ? ?L=0 = ? 1 ? 0 dz (cos(n? 0 ) ? 1)d? 0 dx (23) depends on the shape. The more highly chambered the airfoil, the larger is ? L=0 2. 3 Vi scid ? ow By now, we have studied the inviscid incompressible ? ow. But in real case, ? ow is viscous. It is time to compare our theoretical results with real one. In Figure 6, we can see variation of lift coe? cient with the angle of attack. 6 At low angles of attack cl varies linearly with ? , as predicted by the theory. However, at certain angle of attack, cl reaches it’s maximum value cl,max and starts to decrease. This is due to viscous e? ect of the ? uid (air). First, the ? w moves smoothly over the airfoil and is attached over most of the surface, but at certain value of ? seperates from the top surface, creating a wake of turbulent ? ow behind the airfoil, which results in drop in lift and increase in drag. Figure 6: Variation of lift coe? cient with the angle of atack. To increase lift of the airfoil, we must increase cl,max . As we have seen, the cl,max of the airfoil primarily depends on it’s shape. Airfoil’s shape can be changed with use of multiele ment ? aps at the trailing edge and slats at leading edge. They increase chamber of the airfoil and therefore its cl,max .The streamline pattern for the ? ow over such airfoil can be seen in Figure 7. 3 Finite wings Properies of airfoils are the same as the properties of a wing of in? nite span. However, all real wing are of ? nite span and the ? ow over ? nite wing is 3 dimensional. Because of higher pressure on the bottom surface of the wing, the ? ow tends to leak around the wing tips. This ? ow establishes a circulary motion that trails downstream of the wing. A trailing vortex is created at each wing tip. These wing-tip vortices induce a small downward component of air velocity, called downwash . It produces a local relative wind which is Figure 7: Flow over multielement airfoil. directed downward in the vicinity of the wing, which reduces the angle of attack that each section of the wing e? ectively sees ?ef f = ? ? ? i (24) and it creates a component of drag, de? ned as induc ed drag. 3. 1 Prandtl’s classical lifting-line theory The idea of lifting line theory, is to use two dimensional results, and correct them for the in? uence of the trailing vortex wake and its downwash. Let’s replace a ? nite wing of span b, with a bound vortex 2 extending from y = ? b/2 to y = b/2. But due to the Helmholtz’s theorem, a vortex ? ament can’t end in a ? uid. Therefore assume the vortex ? lament continues as two free vortices trailing downstream from the wing tips to in? nity(Figure 8). This vortex is due to it’s shape called horseshoe vortex. Downwash induced by such vortex, does not realistically simulate that of a ? nite wing, as it aproaches at wing tips. Instead of representing the wing by a single horseshoe vortex, Prandtl superimposed an in? nite number of horseshoe vortices, each with an in? nitesimally small strength d? , and with all the bound vortices coincident along a single line, called the lifting line.In this model, w e have a continious distribution of circulation ? (y ) along the lifting line with the value ? 0 at the origin. The two trailing vortices in single horseshoe vortex model, have now 2 A vortex bound to a ? xed location in ? ow 8 Figure 8: Replacement of the ? nite wing with single horseshoe vortex. Figure 9: Superposition of an in? nite number of horseshoe vortices along the lifting line. became a continious vortex sheet trailing downstream of the lifting line,and the total downstream velocity w , induced at the coordinate y0 by the entire trailing vortex sheet can be expressed as w (y 0 ) = ? 4? b/2 ?b/2 (d? /dy )dy y0 ? y (25) The induced angle of attack at the arbitrary spanwise location y0 is given by ? i (y0 ) = arctan ?w (y0 ) ?w (y0 ) = , V? V? (26) where we considered V? ? w (y0) and arctan(? ) ? ? for small values of ?. Now we can obtain an expression for the induced angle of attack in term of the circulation distribution along the wing ?i (y0) = ? 1 4? V? 9 b/2 ?b/2 (d? /dy )dy y0 ? y (27) Combining results cl = 2? (y0) V? (28) and cl = 2? [? ef f (y0 ) ? ?L=0 ] (29) for coe? cient of lift per unit span from thin airfoil theory, we obtain ? ef f = ?(y0 ) + ? L=0 ?V? c(y0 ) (30)Substituting equations (27) and (30) into (24), we ? nally obtain the fundamental equation of Prandtl’s lifting line theory. ? (y 0 ) = 1 ?(y0 ) + ? L=0 (y0 ) + ?V? c(y0 ) 4? V? b/2 ?b/2 (d? /dy )dy y0 ? y (31) Just as in thin airfoil theory, this integral equation can be solved by assuming a Fourier series representation for the distribution of vorticity N An sin n? ?(? ) = 2bV? (32) n=1 where we considered transormation y = (? b/2) cos ? , with 0 ? ? ? ? and coe? cients An must satisfy Equation (31). With such vorticity distribution, Equation (31) becomes ?(? 0 ) = N N 2b sin n? 0 nAn An sin n? 0 + ?L=0 (? 0 ) + ?c(? 0 ) n=1 sin ? 0 n=1 (33) The total lift distribution is obtained by integrating equation for lift distribution over the span L= b/2 ?b/2 V? ?(y )dy (34) C oe? cients of lift and induced drag3 , can be calculated via equations CL = and CD = 2 L = q? S V? S D 2 = q? S V? S 3 b/2 ?(y )dy (35) ?i (y )? (y )dy (36) ?b/2 b/2 ?b/2 Note the di? erence in nomenclature. For 2D bodies, coe? cients have been denoted with lowercase letters. In 3D case, we use capital letters 10 respecteviliy. Considering expressions (32) and (33), they can be written as CL = A1 ? AR (37) and 2 CL (1 + ? ) (38) ?AR here AR is aspect ratio of ? nite ? ng, de? ned as AR = b2 /S , and ? = N 2 2 (An /A ? 1) . Note that CL depends only on the leading coe? cient in Fourier series expansion and that ? ? 0. Therefore, the lowest induced drag will be produced by a wing where ? = 0, that is, n = 1. Such circulation distribution is given by ? (? ) = 2bV? A1 sin ? and is known as elliptical circulation distribution CD,i = 4 Ground e? ect The main di? erece between wing application in aviation and car racing is, that cars are in contact with the ground. Therefore, wing experien ces some additional e? ects due to ground proximity.Remember the wing tip vortices we mentioned at the beginning of the previous section. They do nothing but harm, as they increase drag and decrease lift at given angle of attack. When ?ying near to the ground, the ground partially blocks(Figure 10) the trailing vortices and decreases the amount of downwash generated by the wing. This reduction in downwash increases the e? ective angle of attack of the wing so that it creates more lift and less drag than it would otherwise. This e? ect is greater, the closer to the ground the wing operates. Figure 10: E? ect of the ground proximity on creation of the trailing vortices.Another way to create downforce is to create low pressure area underneath the car, so that the higher pressure above the car will apply a downward force. The area between car’s underbody and the ground, can be thougth as an example of Venturi nozzle. The Venturi e? ect may be derived from 11 a combination of Bern oulli’s principle and the equation of continuity. The ? uid velocity increases through the constriction to satisfy the equation of continuity, while it’s pressure decreases due to conservation of energy. The gain in kinetic energy is supplied by a drop in pressure.The main advantage of ground e? ect is, that it produces almost no drag. 5 Applications in car racing Now summarize what we have learned so far. The coe? cient of lift increases with increasing angle of attack. At some angle, ? ow seperates from the wing, which causes drop of lift coe? cient. With use of multidimensional ? aps, we increase chamber of the airfoil and thus maximum coe? cent of lift. In 3 dimensional case, vortices appear at wing tips. They reduce wing’s e? ciency and increase drag. The lowest drag can be achieved with elliptically shaped wing. Dimensions of the wing are also important.Wing with greater surface, produces more lift and wing with higher aspect ratio induces less air resista nce. In the next sections, we will see, how engineers used this principles at developing the main aerodynamical parts of racing cars. 5. 1 Rear wing First rear wing appeared in 1966, when Jim Hall equiped his Chaparral 2E with a rear wing. From then on, use of wings grew quickly. First wings were mounted high over the rear end of the car to operate in indisturbed ? ow. They were also mounted on pivots, so the driver was able to change the angle of attack during the ride. High mounted wings often broke o? uring the race and were therefore prohibited by FIA. In Formula 1, wings were ? rst introduced in 1968 at the Belgium grand prix, when Ferrari used full inverted rear wings, and Brabham did likewise, just one day after the Ferrari’s wings ? rst appeared. Modern rear wings produce approximately 30-35 % of the total downforce of the car. A typical con? guration(Figure) consists of two sets of airfoils connected to each other by the wing endplates. The most downforce is provided by the upper airfoil. To achieve the greatest possible lift coe? cient, it consists of multiple high aspect ratio elements, which prevent ? w separation. Angle of attack depends on circuit con? guration. On tracks with many turns, more downforce is needed, therefore the wing is set at higher angle of attack. Conversely, on tracks with long straights, wing has small angle attack, thus reducing air drag and allowing higher top speeds. Lower airfoil section ac12 Figure 11: Chapparal 2E (left) and Ferrari 312 (right). tually reduces the downforce produced by total rear wing, but it creates a low-pressure region just below the wing to help the di? user4 to create more downforce below the car. Ususally it consists of two elements.Another important part of rear wing are endplates . They provide a convenient way of mounting wings, but also have aerodynamic function. They reduce the 3D e? ect of the wing by preventing air leakage around the wing tips and thus formation of trailing vortices. An additional goal of the rear endplates is to help reduce the in? uence of up? ow from the rear wheels. The U-shaped cutout from the endplate further alleviates the development of trailing vortices. 5. 2 Front wing The front wing on the car produces about 1/3 of the car’s downforce and it has experienced more modi? ations than rear wing. It is the ? rst part of the car to meet the air mass, therefore, besides creating downforce, it’s main task is to e? ciently guide the air towards the body and rear of the car, as the turbulent ? ow impacts the e? ciency of the rear wing. Front wings appeared in Formula 1 just two weaks after the ? rst rear wings, on Lotus 49B. First front wings were quite simple with single rectangular airfoil with ? at vertical endplates to reduce wing tip vortices. First improvement appeared in 1971, with so-called Gurney ? ap. This is a ? at trailing edge ? p perpendicular to the chord and projects about 2% of the chord. It can improve the perfor mance of a simple airfoil to nearly the same level as a complex design. The same year, the concept of elliptical wing was applied. March equiped it’s 711 with elliptical front wing. Two years later Ferrari avoided wing-body interaction with wing mounted quite far ahead 4 See section 5. 3 13 Figure 12: Modern rear wing consists of upper(2) an lower(3) airfoil section mounted on endplates (1) with U-shaped cutout (4). from the body. Multi element wings were introduced in 1984 by McLaren.The angle of attack of the second element was allowed to be modi? ed so that the load applied on the front wing could be changed to balance the car according to the driver’s wishes. In 1990 Tyrell raised the nose of it’s 019 to increase the ? ow under the nose cone and improve ? ow conditions under the car. This concept avoids wing-body interaction and allows the front wing to operate in undisturbed ? ow. It also enlarges e? ective area of the wing. After Imola 1994, the FIA regula tions do not allow any chassis parts under a minimum ground height. This clearance is di? erent between the centre and the side of the car.Teams used this to curve front wing in the centre of the span and regain some of the lost ground e? ect. In 1998, regulations decreased the width of Formula 1 car, so the front wings overlapped the front wheels. This created unnecessary turbulence in front of the wheels and reducing aerodynamic e? ciency of the wing. With reducing wing’s span this could be avoided, but it would also decrease wing’s aspect ratio. Insted this, teams use wing tips to direct the air around the wheels. 14 Figure 13: Con? guration of modern front wing. Two element airfoil (1 & 2) is mounted under the nose of the car (5).Endplates (4) direct air around the wheels and curved area (4) under the nose increases wing’s e? ciency. 5. 3 Ground e? ect The second revolution in Formula 1 aerodynamics occurred about a decade after the ? rst, with the introucti on of the Lotus T78 in 1977. Lotus T78 and it’s further development, Lotus T79, were ? rst cars to use ground e? ect. The underbody took shape of inverted wing pro? le(Figure). The decreasing crosssectional area accelerated the air? ow and created low pressure underneath the car. The gap between the bottom of the sidepods and the ground was sealed with so-called sidepods. They helped to maintain 2D ? w characteristics that provide increased downforce and reduced drag, compared to a typical 3D wing. Skirts enabled very high cornering speeds and were prohibited by the rules, due to safety reasons and from 1983 onwards, the tehnical regulations in Formula 1 require the underbody panel between the wheels to be completely level. The ? ow wolume between the vehicle and the ground is strongly dependent on the car’s attitude relative to the ground. This correlation is illusrtated in Figure. Very small ground clearence results in positive lift, since there is almost no air? ow between the underbody and the ground. With in- 15Figure 14: Some historical milestones in front wing develpment. Lotus 49B, March 711, Ferrari 312 T2 and Tyrrell 019. Figure 15: Lotus T79 and sketch of it’s underbody creasing ground clearence the air? ow produces low pressures causing overall lift to be lowered to negative values and then to rise again as ground clearence continues to increase. This is due to the fact that the ? ow velocity under the car decreases as ground clearence increases. More downforce can be generated using a di? usor between the wheels at the rear of the car. The air enters the di? user in a low-pressure, high-velocity state after accelerating under the 16 ar. By gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the di? user, the air gradually slows down and returns to its original free-stream speed and pressure. The di? user’s aim is to decelerate the air without it separating from the tunnel walls, which would cause a stall, reducing the down force and inducing a large drag force. By installing an inverted wing close to the di? user exit 5 it is possible to create a low-pressure area, which essentially sucks the air from the di? user. The di? user and wing combination permits a higher air mass ? ow rate through the di? user, thus resulting in higher downforce.Sharp edges on the vertical tunnel walls generate vortices from entrained air and help con? ne the air through the di? user and reduce the chance it will separate. Figure 16: Correlation between lift coe? cient and ground clearence(left) and di? user on Ferrari F430(right) Again Chaparral, showed completely new way to create downforce. The Chaparral 2J in 1969 used two rear fans to suck in air from under the car, thus creating low pressure under the car. Big advantage of this concept is, that downforce can be generated independently of the speed. Fans were also used in Formula 1. Brabham BT46 used a rear mounted fan driven o? he gearbox. It won it’s debut rac e in 1978, but was promptly banned by the governing body. Barge boards were ? rst seen in 1993 and their purpose is to smooth the air? ow around the car and into the radiator intakes. They are most commonly mounted between the front wheels and the sidepods (See Figure) . Their main purpose is to direct relatively clean air into the sidepods. Clean air is from the low section of the front wing where air? ow is fairly una? ected 5 See rear wing section 17 Figure 17: Two cars which used fans to create downforce. The Chaparral 2J â€Å"sucker car† (left) and Brabham BT46 â€Å"fan car† y the wing and far away from tires, which may throw stones and debris in to the radiator. Bargeboards also produce vortices, to seal the area between the sidepots and the surface. They work as a substitude for skirts. Figure 18: Bargeboards on McLaren MP4/8 6 Conclusion References [1] J. D. Anderson; Fundamentals of Aerodynamics 18 [2] Applied Aerodynamics: A Digital Textbook, http://www. de sktopaero. com/appliedaero/preface/welcome. html [3] W-H Hucho: Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles [4] Peter Wright: Formula 1 Technology [5] Milliken,Milliken: Race Car Vehicle Dynamics [6] F. Mortel: Cran? eld Team F1: The Front Wing 19