The Physics of the Human Voice Essay -- Biology Science Essays

The Physics of the Human Voice The voice is our primary mean of communication and expression. We rarely last more than a few minutes without its use whether it is talking to someone else or humming quietly to ourselves. We can use the voice artistically in many ways. For example, singing carries the rhythm and melody of speech. It creates patterns of pitch, loudness, and duration that tie together syllables, phrases and sentences. We use the voice for survival, emotion, expression, and to reflect our personality. The loss of the voice is a severe curtailment to many professions. It is affected by general body condition which is why we need to consider the location of the larynx and how that organ produces voice. Surprisingly, this complex biological design is mechanical in function. It is mechanical to the point that when it has been excised from a cadaver and mounted on a laboratory bench, the larynx produces sounds resembling normal phonation. (Titze, Principles) The larynx, known as the voice box, consists of an outer casing of nine cartilages that are connected to one another by muscles and ligaments. There are three unpaired cartilages and six paired. The unpaired cartilages include the thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis. The thyroid cartilage is the largest and better known as the Adam’s apple. The cricoid cartilage is the most inferior cartilage of the larynx which forms the base of the larynx on which the other cartilages rest. Together, the thyroid and cricoid cartilages maintain an open passageway for air movement. The epiglottis and vestibular folds, or false vocal chords, prevent swallowed material from moving into the larynx. The paired cartilages, accounting for the remaining six, include the arytenoid (ladl... ...rynx for speech. Anatomy is very important when considering the physics of the voice. Much of the head, neck, and chest play an important role in sound production. Although the larynx is biological it is very mechanical in function. Mechanical means that we study objects in motion and the associated forces that produce that motion. The same three universal laws made famous by Sir Isaac Newton apply to the voice. The larynx can then become a nonbiological sound source. When compared to other instrument made by human hands the voice is not ideal in structure. Tissues found in the human body do not vibrate as easily or as predictably as the strings of a piano or the reed of a clarinet. One can speculate that our bodies are still evolving to create a sound more conducive in structure. Considering all that we can do with our voices, I doubt we will hear much complaining.

Cell phones Essay

First, cell phones are impersonal and rather anti-social. If a kid were using their phone to text during class all the time, they would not need to be as good at actually talking to others, which would degenerate social skills, which are very important in life for jobs, creating good family relationships, and making and keeping friends. It is not just about safety or reassurance. Yes, I want my kids to call each morning when they arrive at school and each afternoon when they leave, and there are so few pay phones anymore on which to do that. However, my children’s lives are also enriched by the freedom to travel to a variety of extracurricular activities or social engagements without an adult chaperone. That is only possible because an adult is just a phone call away. If children are not allowed to keep their cell phones during the school day—off and in their backpacks or lockers—the school system is governing my parenting and my children’s behavior during non-school time. The affecting school has no such right. Besides, teachers should be teaching, not spending precious time tagging and bagging confiscated electronics. Secondly, the mobile phones can be a distraction to the students if the school allows them to bring. For instance, during lesson time, it is known that students cannot use it when the teacher is teaching. Some students may just use it underneath their desks or behind their textbook and ultimately this will affect their grades. Lastly, bringing mobile phones to school will only increase the temptations of other students to steal the phones. As some students have the newest, latest phones like the ‘iPhone 4s’ and ‘Samsung Galaxy S2†², some bad students may keep a look out and might steal from them. Not only will the victim be disheartened, the thief will think that he or she will be able to get away from it every time. However, there are some reasons why mobile phones should not be banned in schools. For example, if there is a family emergency like the student’s grandma is in the hospital, or his or her house caught fire, their parents will be able to contact them. In addition, it would certainly be distracting for the teacher trying to talk over student’s who are talking when they are. One of the best ways to get in trouble during class is to talk when the teacher is talking, for it district’s the teacher, the student, and their classmate’s; if cell phone  were allowed in school, they would increase the amount of time students are talking when they don’t need to, making the class more difficult to teach, take longer, and be less educational. Cell phones could also provide a means of cheating on tests. Almost all cell phones have texting, and kids have become good at texting without being caught. It would be easy for kids to text each other the answer’s to test’s during testing session’s if everyone is allowed to use their phone during class. If teachers ask what students are doing, they can just say that they are texting their mom. These days, mobile phones are everywhere on the streets. Mobile phones are not what they used to be for only calling or texting. Now, there are games, music and camera functions available in a mobile phone. Hence, I agree that mobile phones should be banned in schools, as there are disadvantages of students bringing their phones to school. Firstly, bringing their mobile phones to school is troubling matter. As students might misplace their mobile phones in the school canteen or their classrooms and forget them. There may be dishonest students who will take the mobile phone and not report it to the discipline head. This is one of the reasons why mobile phones should be banned. In a society where almost everyone over the impressive age of thirteen carries a cell phone, pager, or both, many school systems have banned these items from school grounds. Why? Many say it is due to the powerful ‘potential problems’, such as texting during classes. Others say it is because they interrupt the learning environment. Whatever the reason the powerful school boards give, should cell phones really be banned from school premise? In a day and age where everyone relies heavily upon modern technology for communication, cell phones are a good thing to have, especially for high school students. Many students have after-school activities, such as a sport or a club that they participate in after school hours, when most people, including the office staff, have already gone home for the day. The students need a way to contact their parents during and after these activities, and vice versa. If cell phones were banned from school grounds, even just during school hours, how would the kids contact their parents afterwards? With only one or two phones in the spectacular office or on a coach, having thirty or more students per activity coming in to use the phone one after the affecting other is just ridiculous. It would take hours, something that would take minutes overall if the kids each had their own cell phone. The board, principals, and teachers alike are concerned that if cell phones are allowed in school, there will be problems with texting in class. The solution to this is to make a rule that says cell phones have to be off and put away during school hours. If a student is caught texting in class, have the teacher take up the phone for the spectacular day, or maybe even until the next day. This seems like a reasonable compromise, because that way the kids are still able to contact whomever they need to after school, but are free from distractions during the day. So that they can call and let their parent’s know to come pick them up after a sport is over. So if they are sick or they are not felling so well so that their parents could come and pick them up if they do not feel so good. Cell phones, while they might seem like nothing but a distraction and a safety hazard for school across the country, are in actuality quite the opposite. Banning cell phones from the school premises will only ever have detrimental effects. As long as there is a sensible rule in place, such as †Students are required to leave cell phones off and out of sight during school hours†, there is no chance of distraction’s or of safety hazards because of them. After all, there is probably more of a chance a kid will trip and fall than the chance of a cell phone being a distraction when it is turned off, is not there. However, cell phones can also be used for less important reason’s, such as excessive amounts of texting. One big issue concerning cell phones and teenagers is the use of cell phones in school. Many teenagers believe that cell phone’s should be allowed in school, during class. However, cell phones should not be allowed during school, because they would provide distractions for students and teachers, allow for cheating on tests, and for other social reasons. If a student’s cell phone rang during class, it would obviously distract him from the class and whatever the teacher is teaching. If this continued, it could prove detrimental to that student’s education. In conclusion, considering all the reasons, I strongly stand with that mobile phones should be banned as it is a distraction to the students and their phones might be stolen. Should there be an emergency, the parents can call up the school and the school can immediately inform the student. Thus, mobile phones should be banned in schools. It would be quite distracting for those student’s, and for their classmate’s. Cell phones also can cause social â€Å"problem’s†, which would only increase if cell phones were allowed in school.

How US Public Land Is Surveyed and Distributed

Public land in the United States is land that was originally transferred directly from the federal government to individuals, to be distinguished from land that was originally granted or sold to individuals by the British Crown. Public lands (public domain), consisting of all land outside the original 13 colonies and the five states later formed from them (and later West Virginia and Hawaii), first came under government control following the Revolutionary War with the enactment of the Northwest Ordinance of 1785 and 1787. As the United States grew, additional land was added to the public domain through the taking of Indian land, by treaty, and by purchase from other governments. Public Land States The thirty states formed from the public domain, known as public land states, are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The original thirteen colonies, plus Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and later West Virginia and Hawaii, form what is known as the state land states. Rectangular Survey System of Public Lands One of the most significant differences between land in the public land states and state land states is that public land was surveyed prior to being made available for purchase or homesteading, using the rectangular-survey system, otherwise known as the township-range system. When a survey was done on new public land, two lines were run at right angles to each other through the territory - a base line running east and west and a meridian line running north and south. The land was then divided into sections from the point of this intersection as follows: Township and Range - Townships, a major subdivision of public lands under the rectangular survey system, measure approximately six miles on a side (thirty-six square miles). Townships are then numbered from the base line north and south and then from the meridian line east and west. The east/west identification is known as the Range. A Township is identified by this relationship to a base line and a principal meridian.Example: Township 3 North, Range 9 West, 5th Principal Meridian identifies a specific township that is 3 tiers north from the baseline and 9 tiers west (Range) of the 5th Principal Meridian.Section Number - Townships were then further broken down into thirty-six sections of 640 acres each (one square mile) called sections, which were numbered with reference to the baseline and meridian line.Aliquot Parts - Sections were then further subdivided into smaller pieces, such as halves and quarters, while still (generally) keeping the land in a square. Aliquot Parts were used to representing the exact subdivision of each such section of land. Halves of a Section (or subdivision thereof) are represented as N, S, E, and W (such as the north half of section 5). Quarters of a Section (or subdivision thereof) are represented as NW, SW, NE, and SE (such as the northwest quarter of section 5). Sometimes, several Aliquot Parts are required to describe a parcel of land accurately.Example: ESW denotes the east half of the southwest quarter of a section, containing 80 acres. What a Township Is In general: A township contains 23,040 acresA section contains 640 acres,A half section contains 320 acres,A quarter section contains 160 acres,A half of a quarter contains 80 acres,A quarter of a quarter contains 40 acres, etc. A legal land description for the public land states might, for instance, be written as: the west half of the northwest quarter, section 8, township 38, range 24, containing 80 acres, usually abbreviated as W ½ of NW ¼ 8T38R24, containing 80 acres. Public lands were distributed to individuals, governments, and companies in some ways, including: Cash Entry An entry that covered public lands for which the individual paid cash or its equivalent. Credit Sales These land patents were issued to anyone who either paid by cash at the time of the sale and received a discount or paid by credit in installments over four years. If full payment was not received within the four-year period, title to the land would revert to the Federal Government. Because of the economic hardship, Congress quickly abandoned the credit system and through the Act of April 24, 1820, required full payment for land to be made at the time of purchase. Private Land and Preemption Claims A claim based on the assertion that the claimant (or his predecessors in interest) derived his right while the land was under the dominion of a foreign government. Pre-emption was a tactful way of saying squatter. In other words, the settler was physically on the property before the GLO officially sold or even surveyed the tract, and he was thus given a pre-emptive right to acquire the land from the United States. Donation Lands To attract settlers to the remote territories of Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, the federal government offered donation land grants to individuals who would agree to settle there and meet a residency requirement. Donation land claims were unique in that acreage granted to married couples was divided evenly. Half of the acreage was placed in the husbands name while the other half was placed in the wifes name. Records include plats, indexes, and survey notes. Donation lands were a precursor to homesteading. Homesteads Under the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers were given 160 acres of land in the public domain if they built a home on the land, resided there for five years, and cultivated the land. This land did not cost anything per acre, but the settler did pay a filing fee. A complete homestead entry file includes such documents as the homestead application, homestead proof, and final certificate authorizing the claimant to obtain a land patent. Military Warrants From 1788 to 1855 the United States granted military bounty land warrants as a reward for military service. These land warrants were issued in various denominations and based upon the rank and length of service. Railroad To aid in the construction of certain railroads, a congressional act of September 20, 1850, granted to the State alternate sections of public land on either side of the rail lines and branches. State Selection Each new State admitted to the Union was granted 500,000 acres of public land for internal improvements for the common good. Established under the Act of September 4, 1841. Mineral Certificates The General Mining Law of 1872 defined mineral lands as a parcel of land containing valuable minerals in its soil and rocks. There were three kinds of mining claims: Lode Claims for gold, silver, or other precious metals occurring in veinsPlacer Claims for minerals not found in veinsMill Site Claims for up to five acres of public land claimed for processing minerals. Created and maintained by the US Federal Government, records of first transfer of public domain lands are available in multiple locations, including the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and some State Land Offices. Land records related to subsequent transfers of such land between parties other than the Federal Government are found at the local level, usually a county. The types of land records created by the Federal Government include survey plats and field notes, tract books with records of each land transfer, land-entry case files with supporting documents for each land claim, and copies of the original land patents. Survey Notes and Field Plats Dating back to the 18th century, government surveys were begun in Ohio and progressed westward as more territory was opened for settlement. Once the public domain was surveyed, the government could begin to transfer title of land parcels to private citizens, companies, and local governments. Survey plats are drawings of boundaries, prepared by draftsmen, based on data in the sketches and field notes. Survey field notes are records that describe the survey performed and are completed by the surveyor. The field notes may contain descriptions of land formations, climate, soil, plant and animal life. Land Entry Case Files Before the homesteaders, soldiers, and other entrymen received their patents, and some government paperwork had to be done. Those purchasing land from the United States had to be given receipts for payments, while those obtaining land through military bounty land warrants, preemption entries, or the Homestead Act of 1862, had to file applications, give proof about military service, residence on and improvements to the land, or evidence of citizenship. The paperwork generated by those bureaucratic activities, compiled into land entry case files, is held by the National Archives and Records Administration.   Tract Books The best place to being your search when youre looking for a complete land description, tract books for the Eastern States are in the custody of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For the Western States, they are held by NARA.  Tract books are ledgers used by the U.S. federal government from 1800 until the 1950s to record land entries and other actions related to the disposition of  public domain land. They can serve as a useful resource for family historians who want to locate the property of ancestors and their neighbors who lived in the 30 public land states. Especially valuable, tract books serve not only as an index to patented land but also to land transactions that were never completed but may still contain useful information for researchers.