José Martí awardees and past students at the school’s 41st Founders’ Day celebrations.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 9

 yl:office administration

Arranging business travel

HYACINTH TUGMAN Hotel reservations should be made as soon as possible. These
Contributor are normally made by telephone and confirmed in writing. When
hotel reservations are made, the name, address and telephone
LTHOUGH TECHNOLOGY is providing opportunities for number of the guest should be given and the name of the caller

A meetings to be held via electronic media, there still will be

occasions when travel is necessary in order to conduct a
company’s business.
given as reference.

2. PREPARING THE ITINERARY

One of the many duties one may be asked to do in the office is A travel itinerary must be prepared, especially when several
to make travel arrangements, especially when employed as an destinations are to be covered in the same trip. The information
assistant administrator. This needs to be done accurately with the should be organised so that the purpose of the trip is clear. The
objective of having everything accomplished on time, accurately itinerary should give the route to be taken, where the individual is
and efficiently. staying and should also give a brief description of the specific
activities with times, dates and locations.
The traveller should be able to concentrate on the purpose of
the trip and be able to create a positive image of the organisation Departure and arrival times should be detailed, hotels listed,
without worry. and confirmed reservations indicated. An itinerary should be
logically and neatly arranged.
Here is an example of an itinerary.
MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR TRAVEL

ITINERARY FOR MR B. FRANCIS

1. RESERVATIONS MONDAY, JANUARY 29
All the necessary travel information should be on hand before 0900 hours Depart head office by car
the reservation is made. This includes: 0945 hours Arrive Norman Manley Airport for check-in
 Name of traveller. 1055 hours Depart Norman Manley
 Private and business addresses and telephone numbers. 1540 hours Arrive Amsterdam – met by Mr Harris and Junior Gooden (left) and Cyril Hinds took on the
 Purpose of travel. driven to Ritz Hotel, Dam Place job of defending the good name of their school,
 Type of carrier. 1630 hours Dinner at Ritz with Dutch exporters Brown’s Town High.
 Places to be visited. Overnight at Ritz Hotel
 Dates of departure and return. 4. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL
 Times of travel.
 Overnight accommodation. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 These include passport, visa, entry permit, health certificate (if
 How accounts are to be paid. 1000 hours Meeting at Ritz with Dutch agents required), tax clearance certificate (where necessary).
 Transportation (if required) locally and overseas. 1300 hours Luncheon at Den Haag Restaurant with
Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce I will define for you two of the required documents.
Reservations should be made through a travel agency by giving 1515 hours Check-in at Schiphol Airport
accurate information. Preparations for reservations made without 1550 hours Depart Schiphol Airport  Passport – A passport is an official identification document
the help of travel agencies are usually complex. The agency will 2040 hours Arrive Norman Manley issued by a government after the appropriate documents have
provide confirmation, giving the check-in time, travel time and been submitted. Passports are necessary for immigration
arrival time. 3. PREPARING THE TRAVEL FOLDER purposes.
It is important that the items chosen for the travel folder be  Visa – This is a special document required by some
DETERMINING TIME ACCORDING TO LOCATION appropriate for the specific situation. These include: countries prior to entry. Visas are usually obtained from the
International flights are usually shown by the 24-hour clock. It  Tickets, itinerary maps, confirmation of letters for embassy of that country, prior to embarkation. These countries
is, therefore, important to be familiar with the way in which time is accommodation, relevant documents, for example, speeches and will not allow a traveller to enter the country unless a passport
recorded and be able to convert either way. handouts. and visa are offered as identification.
 Names, addresses, telephone numbers, job designations
and business names of all persons with whom appointments have Continue to study hard and have a good week.
Examples: 1700 hours would convert to 5 p.m. been made, confirmation of rental cars, emergency numbers,
11:20 p.m. would convert to 2320 hours. travellers’ cheques, foreign currency, passport, visa, tax clearance Hyacinth Tugman is an independent contributor. Send questions and
certificate, expense sheets. comments to [email protected]

10 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:principles of business

The role of the stock exchange

YVONNE HARVEY economic sectors such as agriculture, commerce and industry, trade shares on public exchanges) tend to have better
Contributor resulting in stronger economic growth and higher productivity management records than privately held companies (those
levels and more productive firms. companies where shares are not publicly traded, often owned by
OOD DAY to you all. So how did you fare with the putting the company founders and/or their families and heirs, or

G together of your personal budgets? I hope you made them

as realistic as possible, and even though times are tough,
you still budgeted something for savings.
FACILITATING COMPANY GROWTH
Companies view acquisitions as an opportunity to expand
product lines, increase distribution channels, hedge against
otherwise by a small group of investors).

CREATING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

volatility, increase market share, or acquire other necessary FOR SMALL INVESTORS
The topic under consideration this week is from the section of
the Business Finance syllabus which we started a few weeks ago. business assets. A takeover bid or a merger agreement through As opposed to other businesses that require huge capital
Many persons have heard about stock exchanges, but they do not the stock market is one of the simplest and most common ways outlay, investing in shares is open to both the large and small
know very much if anything about them. If you are in that for a company to grow by acquisition or fusion. stock investors, because a person buys the number of shares he
situation, I hope that after reading this lesson you will be more or she can afford. Therefore, the stock exchange provides the
enlightened on the topic. REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH opportunity for small investors to own shares of the same
companies as large investors.
Stock exchanges do not exist to redistribute wealth. However,
A stock exchange (formerly a securities exchange) is a both casual and professional stock investors, through dividends
corporation or mutual organisation which provides ‘trading’ and stock price increases that may result in capital gains, will GOVERNMENT CAPITAL RAISING
facilities for stockbrokers and traders to trade stocks and other share in the wealth of profitable businesses. FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue Governments at various levels may decide to borrow money in
and redemption of securities as well as other financial order to finance infrastructure projects, such as sewage and water
instruments and capital events, including the payment of income CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
treatment, works or housing estates, by selling another category
and dividends. By having a wide and varied scope of owners, companies
of securities known as bonds. These bonds can be raised through
The securities traded on a stock exchange include shares generally tend to improve on their management standards and
the stock exchange whereby members of the public buy them,
issued by companies, unit trusts, derivatives, pooled investment efficiency in order to satisfy the demands of these shareholders
thus loaning money to the government. The issuance of such
products, and bonds. To be able to trade a security on a certain and the more stringent rules for public corporations imposed by
bonds can obviate the need to directly tax the citizens in order to
stock exchange, it has to be listed there. Usually, there is a central public stock exchanges and the government. Consequently, it is
finance development. Although securing such bonds with the full
location at least for record keeping, but trade is less and less alleged that public companies (companies that are owned by
faith and credit of the government instead of with collateral, the
linked to such a physical place, as modern markets are electronic shareholders who are members of
result is that the government must tax the citizens or otherwise
networks, which gives them advantages of speed and cost of the general public and
raise additional funds to make any regular coupon payments and
transactions. Trade on an exchange is by members only. refund the principal when the bonds mature.
The initial offering of stocks and bonds to investors is, by
definition, done in the primary market and subsequent trading is
done in the secondary market. A stock exchange is often the most BAROMETER OF THE ECONOMY
important component of a stock market. Supply and demand in At the stock exchange, share prices rise and fall depending,
stock markets are driven by various factors which, as in all free largely, on market forces. Share prices tend to rise or remain
markets, affect the price of stocks. stable when companies and the economy in general show signs
of stability and growth. An economic recession,
Stock exchanges have multiple roles in the economy depression or financial crisis could eventually lead
and may include the following: to a stock market crash. Therefore, the movement
RAISING CAPITAL FOR BUSINESSES of share prices and, in general, of the stock
indexes can be an indicator of the general trend in
The stock exchange provides companies with the facility to the economy.
raise capital for expansion through selling shares to the investing
public. Do you feel a little more enlightened? Good! Next
week, we will cover another topic from this same
MOBILISING SAVINGS FOR INVESTMENT section of the syllabus. When the entire section is
When people draw their savings and invest in shares, it complete, I will present a simple test so you can see how
leads to a more rational allocation of resources because well you have grasped the topics in this section. Bye for
funds, which could have been consumed, or kept in idle now.
deposits with banks, are mobilised and redirected to
Yvonne Harvey is an independent contributor.Send questions and
promote business activity with benefits for several
comments to [email protected]

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 11

 yl:principles of accounts

Accounting ratio and interpretation of final accounts

ROXANNE WRIGHT WORKED EXAMPLE
Contributor
Question: Charles Balfour is in a business of buying and selling goods on credit. The following
information is available:
HIS WEEK, I will focus on another topic on your external syllabus. I recommend that you
T remember the concepts and certainly how and when to apply each.
Ψ
ŽƐƚ ŽĨ^ĂůĞƐ ϲϰϬϬϬϬ
ŽŶĐĞƉƚƐ ĞĨŝŶŝƚŝŽŶƐ &ŽƌŵƵůĂĞ
• WƌŽĨŝƚ ĂƐ Ă ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞŽĨĐŽƐƚ ŽĨŐŽŽĚƐ /ŶǀĞŶƚŽƌLJ ĂƚKĐƚŽďĞƌϭ͕ϮϬϭϰ ϱϬϬϬϬ
DĂƌŬͲƵƉ ƐŽůĚ WƌŽĨŝƚdž ϭϬϬ /ŶǀĞŶƚŽƌLJ Ăƚ^ĞƉƚĞŵďĞƌ ϯϬ͕ϮϬϭϱ ϭϯϬϬϬϬ
• /ŶĚŝĐĂƚĞƐ ƚŚĞĂŵŽƵŶƚƚŽ ďĞĂĚĚĞĚƚŽƚŚĞ ŽƐƚŽĨŐŽŽĚƐƐŽůĚ džƉĞŶƐĞƐ ϭϮϬϬϬϬ
ĐŽƐƚ ƚŽ ĂƐĐĞƌƚĂŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĞůůŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ
dƌĂĚĞZĞĐĞŝǀĂďůĞƐ ϭϰϬϬϬϬ
• dŚŝƐŝƐŐƌŽƐƐƉƌŽĨŝƚ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨƐĂůĞƐ͘
• /ƚŝƐĞdžƉƌĞƐƐĞĚ ĂƐĂƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨƐĂůĞƐ͘
dƌĂĚĞ WĂLJĂďůĞƐ ϭϱϬϬϬϬ
DĂƌŐŝŶ • /ƚŝŶĚŝĐĂƚĞƐƚŚĞŐƌŽƐƐƉƌŽĨŝƚĞĂƌŶĞĚĨŽƌ WƌŽĨŝƚdž ϭϬϬ ĂŶŬKǀĞƌĚƌĂĨƚ ϯϬϬϬϬ
ĞĂĐŚĚŽůůĂƌŽĨƐĂůĞƐŝŶĂLJĞĂƌ͘ ^ĂůĞƐ
tŽƌŬŝŶŐ • dŚŝƐŝƐ ƚŚĞĐĂƉŝƚĂů ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐƵƐĞĚ ƚŽŵĞĞƚ DĂƌŬͲƵƉ Ϯϱй
ĂƉŝƚĂů ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ƚŽĚĂLJĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ƌĞůĂƚĞĚƚŽƚŚĞ
ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐŽĨƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ ƵƌƌĞŶƚƐƐĞƚƐʹƵƌƌĞŶƚ >ŝĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ You are required to calculate the following for the year ended September 30, 2015:
• /ƚ͛ƐŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚƚŽ ŚĂǀĞƐƵĨĨŝĐŝĞŶƚĂŵŽƵŶƚ
ŽĨǁŽƌŬŝŶŐĐĂƉŝƚĂůƚŽĞŶĂďůĞƚƌĂĚĞ
a. Profit for the year.
ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚĨŝŶĂŶĐŝĂůĚŝĨĨŝĐƵůƚŝĞƐ͘ b. Rate of turnover of inventory.
tŽƌŬŝŶŐ • dŚŝƐƌĂƚŝŽƐŚŽǁƐƚŚĞĞdžƚĞŶƚŽĨĨŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů c. Gross profit to sales percentage.
ĂƉŝƚĂů ZĂƚŝŽ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͘ d. Net profit to sales percentage.
KZ • dŽŽŚŝŐŚǁŽƌŬŝŶŐĐĂƉŝƚĂůŵĂLJŵĞĂŶ ŝĚůĞ
ƵƌƌĞŶƚ
e. Working capital ratio/current ratio.
ĐĂƐŚŽƌƵŶĚĞƌƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ͘
ZĂƚŝŽ • dŽŽůŽǁ ŵĂLJŵĞĂŶďƵLJŝŶŐŵƵĐŚ ŵŽƌĞ ƵƌƌĞŶƚƐƐĞƚƐ
ƚŚĂŶĐĂŶďĞ ƐŽůĚ͘ ŝŶ ƚŚŝƐ ĐĂƐĞƚŚĞĨŝƌŵ ƵƌƌĞŶƚ>ŝĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ
ŶĞĞĚƐ ƚŽƌĞĚƵĐĞƉƵƌĐŚĂƐĞƐ ĂŶĚŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ
SOLUTION
ƐĂůĞƐ͘  &ŽƌŵƵůĂ
• ^ƚŽĐŬ ŚĂƐ ƚŽďĞ ĞdžĐůƵĚĞĚ ƐŝŶĐĞŝƚ͛Ɛ Ă͘ 'ƌŽƐƐWƌŽĨŝƚ͗
>ŝƋƵŝĚ ZĂƚŝŽ ĚŝĨĨŝĐƵůƚ ƚŽĐŽŶǀĞƌƚƐƚŽĐŬ ŝŶƚŽ ĐĂƐŬ сŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƐĂůĞƐdžŵĂƌŬͲƵƉ ΨϲϰϬϬϬϬdžϮϱй сΨϭϲϬϬϬϬ
KZ ƋƵŝĐŬůLJ͘ ƵƌƌĞŶƚƐƐĞƚƐʹ^ƚŽĐŬʹ WƌĞƉĂLJŵĞŶƚƐ
WƌŽĨŝƚ ĨŽƌƚŚĞLJĞĂƌ͗ ΨϭϲϬϬϬϬʹΨϭϮϬϬϬϬ
ĐŝĚdĞƐƚ • dŚŝƐƌĂƚŝŽĐŽŵƉĂƌĞƐ ůŝƋƵŝĚĂƐƐĞƚƐǁŝƚŚ ƵƌƌĞŶƚ>ŝĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ сWƌŽĨŝƚͲĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ сΨϰϬϬϬϬ
ZĂƚŝŽ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůŝĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ͘ ď͘ ZĂƚĞŽĨdƵƌŶŽǀĞƌ͗
KZ • /ƚĐĂŶďĞƵƐĞĚƚŽƌĞĨůĞĐƚ ƚŚĞƐŽůǀĞŶĐLJ сŽƐƚŽĨ^ĂůĞƐ ǀĞƌĂŐĞ^ƚŽĐŬ͗ΨϱϬϬϬϬнϭϯϬϬϬϬсΨϵϬϬϬϬ
YƵŝĐŬZĂƚŝŽ ƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶ ŽĨƚŚĞĨŝƌŵ͘ ǀĞƌĂŐĞ^ƚŽĐŬ Ϯ

• dŚŝƐŚĂƐĂƉĂƌƚŝĐƵůĂƌǀĂůƵĞŝŶĐŽŶƚƌŽůůŝŶŐ сΨϲϰϬϬϬϬсϳ͘ϭϭƚŝŵĞƐ
EĞƚ WƌŽĨŝƚ ĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ͘ ΨϵϬϬϬϬ
WĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ • tŚĞŶĞǀĞƌŐƌŽƐƐƉƌŽĨŝƚ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ EĞƚ WƌŽĨŝƚdžϭϬϬ Đ͘
ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ĐŽŶƐƚĂŶƚĂĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞŝŶŶĞƚ dƵƌŶŽǀĞƌ ^ĂůĞƐсŽƐƚŽĨ^ĂůĞƐнWƌŽĨŝƚ ΨϲϰϬϬϬϬнϭϲϬϬϬϬсΨϴϬϬϬϬϬ
ƉƌŽĨŝƚ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ ƐŚŽǁƐƚŚĂƚĞdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ
ŚĂǀĞŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ͘ 'ƌŽƐƐWƌŽĨŝƚƚŽ ^ĂůĞƐ
ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ͗ ΨϭϲϬϬϬϬdž ϭϬϬсϮϬй
^ƚŽĐŬ • dŚŝƐŝƐƚŚĞŶƵŵďĞƌŽĨƚŝŵĞƐŝŶĂLJĞĂƌ
с'ƌŽƐƐ ƉƌŽĨŝƚdžϭϬϬ ΨϴϬϬϬϬϬ
dƵƌŶŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĂƚƐƚŽĐŬŝƐƐŽůĚ͘ ^ĂůĞƐ
KZ • ŝƚŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐƚŚĞƐƉĞĞĚĂƚ ǁŚŝĐŚƐƚŽĐŬ ŝƐ ZĂƚĞŽĨ^ƚŽĐŬ dƵƌŶŽǀĞƌс ŽƐƚŽĨ 'ŽŽĚƐ
Ě͘ EĞƚWƌŽĨŝƚ͗
ZĂƚĞ ŽĨ ĐůĞĂƌĞĚ͘ ǀĞƌĂŐĞƐƚŽĐŬ с'ƌŽƐƐWƌŽĨŝƚ ͲdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ΨϭϲϬϬϬϬͲϭϮϬϬϬϬсΨϰϬϬϬϬ
^ƚŽĐŬ • ƚŚĞ ƌĂƚĞŽĨƐƚŽĐŬ ƚƵƌŶŽǀĞƌŵĂLJǀĂƌLJ ĨƌŽŵ
dƵƌŶŽǀĞƌ ĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚLJƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƚŽĐŽŵŵŽĚŝƚLJƚƌĂĚĞĚ
Ğ͘Ő͘ŶĞǁƐƉĂƉĞƌǀĞŶĚŽƌƐ ĐůĞĂƌƐƐƚŽĐŬ EĞƚWƌŽĨŝƚ ƚŽƐĂůĞƐ
ǀĞƌĂŐĞ^ƚŽĐŬ͗ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ͗ ΨϰϬϬϬϬdž ϭϬϬсϱй
ĞǀĞƌLJ ĚĂLJ͘tŚŝůĞ͕Ă ĨƵƌŶŝƚƵƌĞƐƚŽƌĞ ƐƚŽĐŬ сEĞƚWƌŽĨŝƚ džϭϬϬ ΨϴϬϬϬϬϬ
ƚƵƌŶŽǀĞƌŵĂLJƌĞĨůĞĐƚ ĂůŽǁƚƵƌŶŽǀĞƌŽŶĂ сKƉĞŶŝŶŐ^ƚŽĐŬнůŽƐŝŶŐ^ƚŽĐŬ ^ĂůĞƐ
ĚĂŝůLJďĂƐŝƐ͘ Ϯ
Ğ͘ tŽƌŬŝŶŐĂƉŝƚĂůZĂƚŝŽ͗
• dŚŝƐ ƚĞůůƐ ƚŚĞďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐŵĂŶŚŽǁŵƵĐŚ ŚĞ сƵƌƌĞŶƚƐƐĞƚ ΨϭϯϬϬϬϬнϭϰϬϬϬϬ сΨϮϳϬϬϬϬ
ZĞƚƵƌŶŽŶ ŝƐŐĞƚƚŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ŚŝƐŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚŝŶƚŚĞ ƵƌƌĞŶƚ>ŝĂďŝůŝƚŝĞƐ ΨϭϱϬϬϬϬнϯϬϬϬϬсΨϭϴϬϬϬϬ
ĂƉŝƚĂů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ WĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞсEĞƚWƌŽĨŝƚ džϭϬϬ
ŵƉůŽLJĞĚ • ƚŚĞ ŽǁŶĞƌ ŝƐĂďůĞƚŽĐŽŵƉĂƌĞŝƚǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ĂƉŝƚĂů
сϮϳϬϬϬϬ сϭ͘ϱ͗ϭ
ƌĂƚĞŽŶƌĞƚƵƌŶŝĨ ŚĞŚĂĚŝŶǀĞƐƚĞĚŝŶĂ ΨϭϴϬϬϬϬ
ďĂŶŬ͘
• ƚŚŝƐŝƐ ǀĞƌLJŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚƐŝŶĐĞŝƚŝƐ
ĞďƚŽƌͬ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐƚŝĞĚƵƉ ŝŶ ĚĞďƚŽƌƐ͘ EŽ͘ ŽĨĚĂLJƐсĞďƚŽƌƐdžϯϲϱĚĂLJƐ
This is where we will end for this week. Come back next week as we continue to complete the
^ĂůĞƐZĂƚŝŽ • ŝƚĂƐƐĞƐƐĞƐŚŽǁůŽŶŐŝƚ ƚĂŬĞƐƚŚĞ ĚĞďƚŽƌ ƌĞĚŝƚ^ĂůĞƐ
ƚŽƉĂLJ ƚŚĞĨŝƌŵ͘ syllabus. Grasp the concepts and retain them well. You will need them as you progress to excellence.
• dŚŝƐƌĂƚŝŽĂƐƐĞƐƐĞƐŚŽǁůŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ See you next week.
ƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐͬ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƚĂŬĞƐ ƚŽƉĂLJ ƚŚĞŝƌĐƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐ͘ EŽ͘ ŽĨĚĂLJƐсƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐdž ϯϲϱĚĂLJƐ
WƵƌĐŚĂƐĞƐ ƌĞĚŝƚWƵƌĐŚĂƐĞ
Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy. Send questions and comments to [email protected]
ZĂƚŝŽ

12 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:chemistry

Preparation and properties of gas

FRANCINE TAYLOR-CAMPBELL displacement of water in a gas tube, and it is wet. To dry the gas, fire extinguishers. The gas, when cooled, forms dry ice (solid
Contributor a drying agent such as concentrated sulphuric acid can be used to carbon dioxide) and is used as a refrigerant.
pass the gas through. The test for carbon dioxide is that it turns calcium hydroxide
(lime water) milky or cloudy. The cloudy appearance is due to the
BY WHAT METHODS ARE GASES USUALLY
CITE THE PROPERTIES OF OXYGEN precipitation of calcium carbonate.
COLLECTED IN THE LABORATORY?
Ca(OH)2 (aq) + CO2 (g) CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l)
GAS THAT RELATE TO ITS USE.
The method of collection of a gas depends on its solubility in Oxygen gas is colourless, odourless, tasteless and slightly
water and its density. Gases that are insoluble or slightly soluble soluble in water. It is, therefore, essential for breathing, especially HOW IS AMMONIA PREPARED IN THE LABORATORY?
in water can be collected over water. Gases that are denser than for aquatic animals. It supports combustion and is important for Ammonia is produced by the action of an alkali on an
air are collected by downward delivery, while those that are less the burning of fuels. The test for oxygen is that it relights or ammonium salt. When ammonium chloride and calcium
dense are collected by upward delivery. rekindles a glowing splint. hydroxide are heated, ammonia, calcium chloride and water are
produced. The equation is given below:
2NH4Cl (s) + Ca(OH)2 (s) 2NH3 (g) + CaCl2 (s) + 2H2O (g)
HOW IS CARBON DIOXIDE PREPARED IN THE LAB?
WRITE THE EQUATION FOR THE REACTION.
NOTE: To dry the gas, calcium oxide (a base) is used instead of
concentrated sulphuric acid or calcium chloride. Why? Ammonia
is an alkaline gas and would react with the sulphuric acid.
2NH3 (g) + H2SO4 (l) ? (NH4)2SO4 (aq)

Ammonia also reacts with calcium chloride. Anhydrous

HOW IS OXYGEN PREPARED IN THE LABORATORY? calcium chloride is often used as a drying agent with neutral
Use the diagram below to answer questions on the preparation gases.
of oxygen in the laboratory.
Why is ammonia collected by the upward delivery method?

Ammonia is very soluble in water and is also lighter than air.

In the laboratory, carbon dioxide is produced from the action of So, notice that it is collected by the method of upward delivery.
an acid on a carbonate. Reacting calcium carbonate (marble Being alkaline, it will turn damp red litmus to blue. This is a test
chips) with hydrochloric acid produces calcium chloride, water for the gas.
and the gas carbon dioxide. Ammonia dissolves in water to form a weak alkali, ammonium
Equation: CaCO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq) CaCl2(aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l) hydroxide. It is important in the formation of ammonium fertilizers
and in the production of nitric acid.
BY WHAT METHOD IS THE CO2 GAS BEING
Identify substance Q and write an equation for the reaction with COLLECTED IN THE DIAGRAM? HOW COULD How could hydrogen be prepared and tested in the laboratory?
hydrogen peroxide. THE GAS BE DRIED? Write the equation for the reaction in the diagram.
The wet gas is collected by the downward displacement of
Oxygen can be prepared in the laboratory from the Hydrogen can be obtained by the action of dilute acid on a
water. This is used for gases that are not very soluble in water.
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. This process is slow, so a metal. In the diagram, zinc and dilute hydrochloric acid react to
The gas could also be collected by downward delivery
catalyst is usually added to speed up the decomposition process. produce a salt and hydrogen gas.
(displacement of air) as it is denser than air and so collects at the
The catalyst used is manganese (IV) oxide, which would be bottom.
substance Q in the diagram. When the catalyst is added, the
hydrogen peroxide breaks down to produce oxygen and water. Equation: Zn (s) + 2 HCl (aq) ZnCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)
In water, carbon dioxide produces a weakly acidic solution,
The equation for the reaction is given below: The hydrogen produced can be tested with a lighted splint,
carbonic acid.
2H2O2 (l) 2H2O (l) + O2 (g) which burns with a 'pop' (sound).
CO2 (g) + H2O (l) H2CO3 (aq).
Since carbon dioxide is acidic, it can be dried by passing the Francine Taylor-Campbell is an independent contributor. Send feedback to
Remember: MnO2 (catalyst) would not appear in the equation wet gas through concentrated sulphuric acid.
as it is unchanged at the end of the reaction. [email protected]

WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES OF CARBON DIOXIDE

WHAT IS THE METHOD OF COLLECTION OF THE AND HOW CAN IT BE TESTED?
OXYGEN GAS AND WHY?
Carbon dioxide does not support combustion, so it is used in
The oxygen produced is collected by the downward

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 13

 yl:biology
MONACIA WILLIAMS

Nitrogen cycle
Contributor

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the one who
cannot read.”
– Mark Twain

OW ARE you this week? I hope you are in excellent health and
H spirit, willing and able to take on the world!

Last week, we began our study of nutrient cycles by taking a

look at the carbon cycle. This week, we will be looking at the
nitrogen cycle but, first, some recap.

Do you remember how we arrived at this point? Of course you

do! We started out looking at soils and then discovered that soils
had literally millions of organisms living in them, so we went on
to look at the organisms living in the soil. We found out that these
organisms fell into two groups, the detritivores and the
decomposers.
I will pause here to let you know that some students have a
difficulty in making a distinction between the two, but you, my
readers, can free yourself from this confusion by bearing in mind
that the detritivores are those organisms such as earthworms and
woodlice that feed on partially decaying plant and animal material
known as detritus. These detritivores feed on the organic matter,
breaking it down further, and in so doing they increase the surface
area of the material, enabling the next group, the decomposers, to
complete their portion of the breakdown more easily. In other
words, the decomposers complete the breakdown of the remnants
of the organic compounds of dead and decaying organisms, as
well as their wastes, to inorganic compounds, forming simple
compounds that can be taken up by plants in the process. By
doing this, the decomposers: &ŝŐƵƌĞϭ
 Allow for the reuse of certain elements and compounds.
 Reduce the chances that these elements will be depleted. the cycle that we are going to look at next, the nitrogen cycle. The fixation. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen
 Prevent the accumulation of substances which may become nitrogen cycle is a bit more complex than the carbon cycle and into nitrates. These bacteria include Rhizobium in root nodules of
toxic or cause pollution. tends to be the focus of both multiple-choice and essay-type leguminous plants and Azotobacteria, found in aerated soil.
questions in your external exams. Students are often asked to  Ammonium ions from organic waste and dead organic
Do you remember the types of organisms that fall into the discuss the role of decomposers in the cycle. You will find that remains can be converted into nitrites and finally nitrates by
category of decomposers? Did you say bacteria and fungi? If you different types of bacteria are involved in the cycle, but not all of nitrifying bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.
did, then you are correct and are keeping up with the lessons! them are decomposers.  Nitrate ions are absorbed by the plant roots. Some get
Remember that they are also known as saprophytes. What makes leached into the groundwater or can be converted back to nitrogen
decomposers suitable for their role? Can you figure this out by gas by denitrifying bacteria. Denitrifying bacteria are found in
THE NITROGEN CYCLE
yourself, using the knowledge that you have gained so far? Let me waterlogged soils under anaerobic conditions.
Plants and animals need nitrogen to make proteins. Although Notice from the diagram that the role of the decomposers
help you to organise your thoughts. nitrogen gas constitutes about 80% of the air around us, this
 They do not have chlorophyll, so they cannot manufacture remains the same. The decomposers break down dead plant and
nitrogen cannot be used by plants and animals; it has to be animal remains, along with waste material, into ammonium ions
their own food. converted to useable forms. This is in the form of ammonium
 They have the ability to secrete enzymes externally, which which can be taken up by the plant or converted to nitrates by the
compounds or nitrates. Some bacteria have the ability to convert nitrifying bacteria. They, in turn, incorporate some of this material
they use to digest the decaying material. Remember that the atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates. These bacteria are known as
digestion is done externally, after which the end products of into their bodies. When they respire, they return carbon in the
nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Plants use the nitrates to make proteins, form of carbon dioxide to the air; and when they die, their remains
digestion diffuse into the organism. and animals get the proteins when they eat the plants. Figure 1
 They can respire anaerobically, hence, can live in conditions also contribute to the nitrates in the soil.
shows the nitrogen cycle in the form of a diagram. Get familiar
where there is a limited amount of oxygen. with the diagram; you never know when you may see it again! Interesting, isn’t it? See you next week!
Why have I given so much information on these organisms? I The nitrogen cycle can be divided into three stages: Monacia Williams is an independent contributor. Send questions and
have done so because they happen to play very important roles in  Nitrogen in the air is made available to plants by nitrogen comments to [email protected]

14 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:geography

are numbered from the prime meridian, or 0 degree longitude,

Location and time

FOCUS QUESTIONS listening to BBC radio.
which passes through Greenwich, England.
Time zones east of the Greenwich zone are ahead of Greenwich
time.
This is because the earth spins toward the east, so that lands in
the east get the sun earlier than Greenwich does. Time zones west
of Greenwich are behind Greenwich time.
 What is the time difference between meridians of longitude? For example, the captain of a ship in the midst of the ocean They get the sun later than Greenwich. The boundaries of the
 What is the earth’s rotation? wants to find out in which longitude his ship lies. If GMT is 8 a.m. time zones usually follow straight lines over the oceans.
 What is the time of a place using the line longitude? and it is noon in the local region, it means that he is four hours Every 15th degree of longitude marks a different time zone. On
ahead of Greenwich, and must be east of Greenwich. His the continents, time zone boundaries usually zigzag.
longitude is 4 x 15° or 60° east. Some countries are so large that they cover more than one time
TIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN zone. Russia stretches across 11 time zones.
MERIDIANS OF LONGITUDE From the state of Maine to the state of Hawaii, the United States
EARTH ROTATION
We know that the earth revolves about its axis once every 24 spreads across seven time zones.
hours. By definition, the earth’s rotation is the amount of time that it
In other words, the sun completes its apparent revolution of takes to rotate once on its axis. This is, apparently, accomplished To determine what time it is in another time zone, you must add
360° in 24 hours. once a day – i.e., every 24 hours. The earth rotates about an or subtract, depending on whether you are going east or west.
This means that the sun crosses each of the 360 meridians of imaginary line that passes through the North and South Poles of  First, determine the time for the time zone in which you live.
longitude once every 24 hours. So, in 1 hour, the sun appears to the planet. Next, find the time zone you want and count how many time zones
move 15’, in 4 minutes, it appears to move 1°, in 1 minute it  This line is called the axis of rotation. away it is from yours.
appears to move 15°, in 4 seconds it appears to move 1’. Earth rotates about this axis once each day (approximately 24
From this, it becomes obvious that there is a direct relationship hours). Now, determine if the new time zone is east or west of where
between arc and time, such that 1 minute of time equals 15 There are actually two different kinds of rotation that need to be you live.
minutes of arc. considered here.  If it is east, add one hour for each time zone away it is from
your time.
I. The amount of time it takes for  If it is west, subtract one hour for each time zone away it is
CALCULATING LONGITUDE BY COMPARING the earth to turn once on its axis from your time.
TIME DIFFERENCE so that it returns to the same For example, if it is 8 a.m. where you are and you go three time
If we have two accurate clocks, one calibrated to orientation compared to the zones east, you add 3 to 8 and get 11 a.m. in the new time zone.
GMT and the other calibrated to local time, then it is an rest of the universe. If it is west, it would be 8 subtract 3 for a time of 5 a.m.
easy matter to calculate our longitude from the II. How long it takes for Using this simple formula, will enable you to always know what
difference between the two times. For example, if the the earth to turn so that the time it is.
difference between GMT and local time is three hours, sun returns to the same spot
then the difference in longitude must be 3 x 15°. If local in the sky. Answer the following questions:
time is ahead of GMT, then the local longitude must be 1. The world is divided into how many times zones?
east of the Greenwich Meridian; and if local time is The amount of time it takes for 2. How many degrees of longitude is each time zone?
behind GMT, the longitude must be west. the earth to rotate once on its axis is 3. When going east, do you add or subtract one hour for each
Example: If it is 18 GMT when it is 09:20 local time known as a sidereal day – which is time zone through which you travel?
on the same day, then local time must be 8 hours and 40 minutes 23.9344696 hours. Because this type of day-measurement is based 4. When going west, do you add or subtract one hour for each
behind GMT. Therefore, Long = - [(8 x 15°) + (40 ÷ 60 x 15°)] = - on the earth’s position relative to the stars, astronomers use it as a time zone through which you travel?
[120° + 10°] = -130° = 130° West time-keeping system to keep track of where stars will appear in the 5. You are in Time Zone I. What time is it according to the
night sky, mainly so they will know which direction to point their map?
telescopes in. 6. You live in Time Zone G. Your friend lives in Time Zone K.
HOW TO CALCULATE LOCAL TIME
The amount of time it takes for the sun to return to the same How many hours difference is there?
1. Work out the longitude difference. spot in the sky is called a solar day, which is 24 hours. However,
2. Convert this to a time difference. 7. You live in Time Zone I. You want to call Time Zone D. How
this varies through the year, and the accumulated effect produces many hours difference is there?
3. Adjust the time according to the direction of movement (east seasonal deviations of up to 16 minutes from the average. This is
or west). 8. If it is 6 p.m. in Time Zone F, what time is it in Time Zone M?
caused by two factors, which include the earth’s elliptical orbit 9. If it is 9 p.m. in Time Zone U, what time is it in Time Zone P?
Example: What is the time in Calcutta (longitude 96° east) around the sun and its axial tilt.
when it is 9 a.m. in Munich (longitude 11° east)? 10. You live in Time Zone H. Your friend lives in Time Zone O.
1. Longitude difference = 85 degrees If it is 2 p.m. in Time Zone H, what time is it at your friend’s
2. Time difference 85/15 = 5 hours 40 minutes SUMMARY house?
3. Calcutta is east of Munich; therefore, the time is ahead. A day is the time it takes the earth to spin around once on its
Thus, 9 a.m. plus 5 hours and 40 minutes = 2:40 p.m. axis. Next class, we will look at coral reef.
An hour is 1/24th a day, so the earth is divided into 24 standard
Send questions and comments to [email protected]
There are many ways of determining the longitude of a place. time zones, each covering approximately 15 degrees of longitude.
The simplest way is to compare the local time with GMT by The time of day depends on where you are on the earth. Hours

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 15

 yl:history

The Haitian Revolution

DEBBION HYMAN made under the compensation package of
Contributor revolutionary Jacobins. 150 million francs – an act
that stifled the young
Toussaint formed an republic economically.
OBJECTIVE
alliance with the Spanish
1. Assess the immediate and long-term effects of the Haitian and was able to gain 2) Political instability –
Revolution. control over the entire The revolution made every
north of St Domingue, Haitian a politician and
HE FRENCH Revolution had an ideological influence –

T ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity’. The French Revolution was

a contributing success as its principles of individual liberty
and freedom of expression, equality before the law and security of
except for Le Cap. The
British, who were fearful of
the spread of slave
rebellion and French CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
legitimised usurpation and
force. After 1818,
instability and dictatorship
marked Haiti’s history.
property were applicable to all social groups in St Domingue. In radicalism, invaded St Five students living with sickle cell disease and currently
addition, the natural rights of man and of the citizen were viewed Domingue in 1793. By the attending tertiary institutions have received financial
as sacred and inalienable. IMMEDIATE IMPACT
end of the year, two-thirds assistance totalling $450,000 from the FLOW Foundation.
From left: Christine O’Leary, Sanjay Williams, Avia Aiken, ON THE CARIBBEAN
of the colony were either in
The grand blancs supported the revolution in France to the Spanish or British hands. FLOW Foundation Chairman Errol Miller, Ashleigh Gordon 1) Sympathetic revolts
extent that it ensured they had greater power in running the Toussaint would later end and Sherona Smith at the presentation ceremony, held at – The revolution inspired
colony and freedom of trade. They eventually gained control of the his alliance with Spain. FLOW headquarters in Kingston. sympathetic revolts in
assembly in 1790 and excluded the mulattoes from participation. Jamaica (Maroons), St
The power wielded by the grand blancs would end, as it was Vincent (Black Caribs), and Grenada (Fédon) in 1795.
crushed by the small whites and the colonial authorities. The 2) Rise in sugar prices – following the loss of St Domingue’s
grand blancs would soon turn their rage on the mulattoes, who EFFECTS OF THE REVOLUTION – IMMEDIATE IMPACT sugar production, the British Caribbean prospered temporarily.
had offered the other whites assistance in their defeat. ON HAITI 3) Emigrés expertise – The planters of St Domingue fled to
Emancipation of the populace – Haiti became the first free Jamaica, Cuba and Puerto Rico. They brought their expertise in
The mulatto revolt was led by Vincent Ogé. The mulattoes black/coloured state in the Caribbean. It became a magnet and coffee production, for instance, to islands such as Jamaica.
sought to gain rights (such as the right to vote) that were being refuge for other emancipators and revolutionaries, for example, 4) Santo Domingo/Dominican Republic – After suffering
refused by St Domingue’s Colonial Assembly. The number of Alexandre Pétion’s aid to Simón Bolívar in 1816. various military invasions during the Haitian Revolution, Santo
fighters Ogé had at his disposal was quite limited and, as a result, Domingo declared itself independent of Spain in 1821, only to be
he ended his fighting and fled to Santo Domingo. [He would be immediately annexed by Pétion’s successor, Jean Pierre Boyer, in
ECONOMIC DEVASTATION
sent back to St Domingue, where he was executed]. The ensuing 1822. The period of Haitian rule (1822-1844) was marked by a
conflict between the mulattoes and the whites gave the enslaved 1) Division of lands - Sugar plantations were divided into harsh anti-Spanish and anti-white policy. The period also
Africans an opportunity to fight for their freedom. The revolt coffee and ground food small holdings. This proved socially witnessed continued economic decline even though there had
began under the leadership of Boukman. After the death of advantageous but was economically disastrous, as the main been attempts to redevelop the cattle ranching and sugar sectors.
Boukman, François, Biassou and later Toussaint L’Ouverture production crop was impacted. For instance, sugar production fell The end result was a continued white exodus, further reducing
continued the revolt. from 163 million pounds in 1791 to 1.8 million pounds in 1818. Santo Domingo’s meagre population (half that of Haiti) and the
2) Significant damage to farm lands – The conflict resulted in creation of a largely mulatto populace.
Toussaint entered into an alliance with the French to defeat the severe damage to dams and the country’s irrigration system. This
Spanish and the British. Toussaint was seen as a superb strategist had the resultant effect of damaging agricultural lands.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON THE CARIBBEAN
and tactician, as he continuously defeated enemies (French,
British, Spaniards, coloureds) although outnumbered and out- LONG-TERM IMPACT ON HAITI Black inspiration – The successful outcome of the revolution
gunned. He served as a unifying force as he succeeded in creating and the prowess of its black heroes (particularly Toussaint)
1) Devastation of local economy – The economy never again provided downtrodden enslaved Africans elsewhere in the
a disciplined and efficient army out of a mob of slaves. Blacks returned to its pre-1791 prosperity. The economy was not only
were bound to Toussaint by loyalty, discipline and respect. He Caribbean with pride and hope that they too could end, in their
affected by problems within the agricultural sector, but also by respective territories, the system of chattel slavery.
was also a good judge of ability, as he proved competent in external factors. The French and the Americans instituted a ban on
choosing lieutenants. Toussaint recognised the abilities of commercial trade with the new republic. Additionally, France Debbion Hyman is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments
Dessalines and Christophe and could delegate responsibility. He outlined that it would have to receive compensation for French to [email protected]
was also an opportunist, as he changed sides when necessary. enslavers who lost property during the revolution; it was only at
For example, desertion of the Spanish in 1794 when the English this point that it (France) would recognise Haiti’s independence.
looked dangerous, and breaking with France in 1801 when By 1825, Haiti completed negotiations with France to pay a
Napoleon’s imperial ambitions were putting an end to the gains

16 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:social studies

Last one was 2016, next should be 2021

MAUREEN CAMPBELL CANDIDATE
Contributor 1. Voter apathy, meaning voters’ lack of interest, enthusiasm or
This is a person who is selected by others as a contestant for
an office; in this case, to become a member of parliament or a concern for politics or towards a candidate.
parish councillor. 2. Family and friends: Voting as a cultural and civic tradition
OBJECTIVES
It is, therefore, apparent that political parties and their and voter loyalty to political parties. Those who grow up around
 Describe how political parties prepare for elections. family members who vote and discuss politics frequently are
candidates are key stakeholders in elections. They are the ones
 Outline the factors that influence the outcomes of elections. more likely to vote themselves.
competing for public office, carrying out election campaigns, and
 Describe the factors that influence voter participation in 3. Voter education: Education has always been a significant
trying to convince persons to vote for them. From another
elections. factor in a person’s likelihood of voting. The more educated the
perspective, the final validation of the election result is, in
practice, in the hands of the political parties and candidates. If person is, the more likely it is that he/she will vote.
“Elections matter, but how much they matter depends entirely on 4. Voter attitudes towards the government: People are less
they do not accept the results due to real or perceived electoral
how free, open and fair they are.” likely to vote if they don’t believe that their vote will be counted, or
fraud or irregularities, the legitimacy of the resulting legislature or
– Elliott Abrams if they don’t trust the government. A loss of faith in the electoral
government is threatened.
process leads to a belief that a person’s vote doesn’t really matter.
POLITICAL PARTIES Parties and candidates are also described many times as actors 5. Campaign issues and how far-reaching these issues are, and
A political party is defined as an organised group of people, who have the potential to be destructive. Practices of vote buying how much they affect individuals.
with similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence or illegal party finance, the proliferation of defamation and hate 6. Voters’ age will also affect their voting; younger persons will
public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office. speech in campaigns, voter intimidation by party workers, have to be encouraged
Political parties are institutions of democracy. They are corruption in decision-making, and the systematic exclusion of
essential as, by competing in elections, parties offer citizens a certain sectors of society constitute examples of where political ACTIVITIES
choice in who will govern, and while in opposition they help to parties threaten the functioning of democratic systems rather than 1. Complete the table below:
hold governments accountable. Most citizens will join political support it. Laws and regulations regarding campaigning, funding,
parties, volunteer their time, donate money and vote for their
choice leaders. In doing this, they are exercising their basic
and functioning of political parties have been developed to
minimise the potential disruptive influence of political parties
Factors that influence the Impact of these factors on elections
democratic rights. Participation of citizens in political parties while still allowing them enough freedom to contest elections. outcomes of elections
offers unique benefits, including opportunities to influence policy Media coverage
choices, to choose and engage political leaders, and to run for PREPARATION FOR ELECTIONS
office. The role of political parties is, therefore, of extreme
Since political parties are part of the democratic system in the
Campaign advertising
importance.
Caribbean, where elections are held every five years in most Public opinion polls
countries, they must prepare for elections so they can win and be
Political parties perform key tasks in a democratic society, such
the next government.
Voter turnout
as:
1. Amassing and expressing the needs and problems as
1. Candidate selection: Candidates will be selected to represent Voter attitude to
the party or a constituency.
identified by members and supporters of the party.
2. Campaigning/fundraising: Funds will have to be raised
government
2. Socialising and educating voters and citizens on the
functioning of the political and electoral system.
legally to help in campaigns. Campaign strategy
3. Monitoring of performance: Parties will look on important
3. Activating and mobilising citizens into participating in
issues and this will include monitoring the party in power or in Campaign spending
political decisions and channelling public opinion from citizens to
opposition.
government, behaving as a mediator. SOURCES
4. Monitoring of electoral process: The careful monitoring of
4. Recruiting and training candidates for public office, and
the electoral processes will be very essential, so too encouraging http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/pc/onePage
using them to help citizens in each constituency in fulfilling their
public opinion polls to gain support for the party. http://www.nonprofitvote.org/voter-turnout-factors.html
needs and expectation as much as possible within the law.
5. Party manifesto: Each party is required to publish a Syllabus for Social Studies CSEC
manifesto which is a public declaration of policies and aims of the Political parties: https://www.ndi.org/what-we-do/political-
As mentioned before, political parties may be described as
party. parties
institutionalized mediators between civil society and those who
decide and implement decisions. This gives them the opportunity
Maureen Campbell is an independent contributor. Send questions and
to enable their members’ and supporters’ demands to be FACTORS INFLUENCING VOTER TURNOUT comments to [email protected]
represented in parliament and in government. Voter turnout is affected by many variables – from family and
community factors to election competition and mobilisation.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 17

 yl:english language
contain one of three types of error. Each incorrect sentence

Error recognition
OR THIS lesson, I will focus on error recognition. This 2. Parents will not want to send their children to a school with a
contains only one type of error. Some of the sentences are correct
as they are. Select the letter that best describes each sentence:
a. If the sentence is too wordy, that is repetitive or contains
redundancies.
b. If the sentence contains clich*s or misused metaphors.
c. If the sentence is incorrect grammatically or faulty in diction.

F section of Paper 01 tests your ability to recognise if there are

redundancies, mixed metaphors, clichés, poor use of diction
(word choice) and grammatical errors in given sentences. I have
bad repetition.
3. He needs to make his own discussion and not depend on
others to influence him.
d. If the sentence is acceptable as it stands.

1. In the early years of one’s life, one must sow and build in
order to reap the harvest of achievement before the final curtain.
provided you with a refresher of specific terms that you may come 4. She suffered from a serious migration and had to take
across in this section. painkillers regularly. 2. There is no doubt in our minds about the person who
committed this heinous and criminal act.
3. Donald and me are very disappointed with the outcome of
MIXED (MISUSED) METAPHORS PROVERB the games.
Mixed metaphors are different metaphors – occurring in the This is a brief, popular saying that gives advice about how 4. Any disease such as diabetes or cancer which are difficult to
same utterance, especially in the same sentence – which are used people should live or expresses a belief that is generally thought cure must be researched.
to express the same concept. They are usually illogical to be true. 5. The consensus of opinion was that the test was the easiest
(contradictory). Mixed metaphors often, but not always, result in a 1. Empty barrels make the most noise. they have had in years.
conflict of concepts. 2. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 6. The team fought tooth and nail to avoid being defeated.
3. Birds of a feather flock together. 7. She was recommended for the position because of her
4. When trouble come, pickney shut fit you. efficiency and diligence.
EXAMPLES
5. The early bird catches the most worms. 8. The principal and the parents launched the project as a
1. We saw the writing on the wall and realised it was not a level rocket, but could not keep pace with its speed above water.
playing field. 9. Though he seems to walk with an air of arrogance, he is a
2. All at once he was alone in this noisy hive with no place to IDIOM
down-to-earth person who has never lost the common touch.
roost. This is an expression that cannot be understood from the 10. It is important that we identify the causes of truancy in our
3. Instead of biting the bullet, many Jamaicans prefer to throw meanings of its separate words but has a separate meaning of its schools.
in the towel. own together.
4. If we can hit the bull’s eye, then the rest of the dominoes will Until next week, take care!
EXAMPLES
fall like a house of cards.
Kick the bucket (die)
Spilled the beans (let out a secret) VOCABULARY TOP-UP
CLICHÉ Feeling blue (sad) loquacious – talkative.
A cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work An arm and a leg (very expensive) lucrative – profitable.
which has become overused to the point of losing its original ludicrous – absurd or ridiculous.
meaning, or effect, to the point of being trite or irritating. This ACTIVITY
especially occurs when, at some earlier time, it was considered Send questions and comments to [email protected]
meaningful or novel. Some of the sentences below are incorrect because they

EXAMPLES
1. What goes around comes around.
2. Make hay while the sun shines.
3. The early bird catches the most worms.
4. Out of sight, out of mind.
5. Action speaks louder than words.

MALAPROPISM
A malapropism (also called a dogberryism) is an absurd or
humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of
a similar sound. An example is Yogi Berra’s statement: “Texas has
a lot of electrical votes,” rather than “electoral votes”.

EXAMPLES
1. Students should be punished when they validate the school From left: Dylan O’Brien,Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Dexter Darden and Rosa Salazar star
rules. in ‘Maze Runner:The Death Cure’.

18 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:english literature

Short stories – Cont’d

BERYL CLARKE her innocence. This is evident in instances such conscious of and attracted to Towser’s type of I would like you to find and list incidents in
Contributor as the following: lifestyle. It is not that she did not find the way this story that make you laugh; in other words,
Towser dresses and looks admirable before, but humorous goings-on. Afterwards, see how many
S WE continue to ‘talk’ about Olive ‘She says she cannot imagine how a girl-child she was not then drawn to them. She did not like of them are caused by the granddaughter’s

A Senior’s wonderful story, we need to think

about the narrator. It is through her at-first
unspoilt and innocent eyes that the narrative is
(that’s me) can leave home with nothing but blue
jeans and T-shirts and shorts and not a single
dress.’ (Grandma Del)
the change(s) in Melody after she attended
charm school for the first time but later, as she
gets older, she alters her attitude. She is
naivete.

One of the questions that arises about the

told. She it is who shows us, the readers, that ‘Other than that, your Grandmother Del is a certainly not going to miss Melody’s party so family in this story is, ‘what about love?’ It
there are at least two separate realities in the country bumpkin of the deepest waters, and that she can get to Grandma Del’s house early appears that, among the adults, we have
country.You know that many children are don’t quote her goddam sayings to me.’ the next day! gossiping, colour and class distinctions, lack of
curious but have limited experience of life. They (Grandma Elaine) responsibility and selfishness. Among the teens,
learn by asking questions and by observing Do you blame her for modifying her position we find poverty and abuse, irresponsibility and
what takes place around them. Each visit that the As she grows older and begins to lose her towards Pearlie? Why do you think she does so? lack of self-control. It does not appear as if
child narrator of our story pays to a innocence, she begins to make judgements and She spends her time indoors when she goes to Grandma Towser loves or is in love with any of
grandmother, yields more information. they are not in favour of the simple, rustic way of Grandma Del. What reasons does she have for the three men with whom she is involved in the
living. She becomes doing so? course of the tale. Their material possessions
When she goes to Grandma Del’s house, she and appearance attract her to them. Does she
notices the photographs that are prominently love her granddaughter? It is hard to tell, for she
displayed. She also sees those that are not, so cannot find time to spend with her and does not
she becomes aware that one that she expects to even clean up her expression to accommodate
be there – a wedding picture of her grandmother the child.
and her husband – is missing. The reaction of
her grandmother to her question tells us that it We see and hear of no interaction between the
is a touchy subject. The granddaughter still had child’s parents. In fact, she says towards the end
no clue as to the truth of the situation of the narrative that her father doesn’t have time
because her experience is of children for anyone anymore and questions whether there
being born to married couples. The writer is ever a time nowadays when he is at home.
also uses the incident to prepare us However, we have to take into account that
for Eulalie’s later disclosures. persons of the grandmothers’ generation did
not always show their affection with hugs
What we hear about is and kisses, but rather with the
through the regular chat things they do for their children
sessions that the child has with and grandchildren. Grandma
her mother. The questions she Del demonstrates her feeling
asks and the ‘confidences’/gossip towards her grandchild by
that she shares, inform us and move making dresses and a hat for
the story forward. You must have noticed her. In her own way, Grandma
that her mother does not reply, but later Towser shows she cares by
developments let us know that she is suggesting that her grandchild should attend
cooperating with her daughter. charm school. What do you think?

When she tells her mother The young child we meet at the start of the
that Grandma makes church story is certainly different in outlook by the time
dresses and a hat for her, we find out that her the story ends. Next time, we intend to ‘chat
parents do not attend church. This is made even about’ this. Don’t hesitate to start up your study
clearer when she tells her that Grandma sends group. Walk good and God bless!
her to Sunday school and wants to know if her
mother had gone to Sunday school. That she Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send
often repeats comments that her grandmothers questions and comments to
[email protected]
say which could create conflict, is evidence of

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 19

 yl:information technology

System and application software

NATALEE A. JOHNSON solving and program design. The problem-solving phase includes the following steps:
Contributor 1) Define the problem.
PROBLEM-SOLVING AND PROGRAM DESIGN 2) Find a solution to the problem.
OOD DAY, students, this is lesson 17 in our series of 3) Evaluate alternative solutions.

G lessons. In this week’s lesson, we will conclude looking at

system and application software and begin a new unit.
Betty Williams had quoted, “There’s no use talking about the
problem unless you talk about the solution.”

You will certainly apply this notion to this unit, as you will be
4) Represent the most efficient solution as an algorithm (An
algorithm may be defined as a sequence of logical steps used to
solve a problem).
5) Test the algorithm for correctness.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE given computer-related problems for which you will have to
A graphical user interface (GUI, commonly pronounced ‘guey’) determine their solutions. The implementation phase is comprises the following steps:
is a human computer interface (HCI) based upon a graphical 1) Translate the algorithm into a specific programming
display. GUIs are most commonly found on workstations or PCs SO, WHAT DOES PROBLEM-SOLVING INVOLVE? language.
fitted with graphics adapters able to support high-resolution 2) Execute the program on the computer.
graphics. GUI is a variation of the menu-driven system of The business dictionary defines problem-solving as the
process of working through details of a problem to reach a 3) Maintain the program.
selecting commands with the use of the mouse and pointers,
along with the use of windows. Thus, this interface is often solution. Problem-solving may include mathematical or
summarised using the acronym WIMP, which stands for windows, systematic operations and can be a measure of an individual’s DEFINING THE PROBLEM
icons, menus (‘pop-up’ and ‘pull-down’) and pointers. A mouse is critical-thinking skills. Defining the problem is a way to help the programmer
used to click on an icon to execute some operation or select understand what he or she is required to do. It involves breaking
options from a pop-up or pull-down menu. In our everyday life, we actually solve simple problems. For down the problem into three key components:
example, you have a problem meeting your deadlines. How would 1. What is given (the input).
you solve this problem? 2. The expected results (the output).
3. The tasks that must be performed (processing).
1. Examine the problem – determine why you are having
difficulty meeting your deadlines. These three components can be illustrated using what is a
called a defining diagram. Some texts may refer to this as the
2. Determine possible solutions to the problem, such as using Input Processing and Output (IPO) chart. The defining diagram is
reminders on your phone, workbook, etc., for the deadlines you a formal approach to defining a problem. The defining diagram is
have to meet; getting your parents involved in reminding you a table with three columns, which represent the three
about your deadlines; completing the tasks assigned as soon as components: input, processing and output.
you get them, etc.
INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT
3. Evaluate to determine the best solution to the problem.
4. Choose the best solution to your problem.

Similarly, the computer is designed to solve problems for you,

the user. How is this possible? A computer solves end-user We have come to the end of this lesson. See you next week,
ADVANTAGES OF GUIS problems by following a set of instructions given to it by the when we will continue to look at problem-solving and program
1. Its user-friendliness results in less anxiety on the part of the programmer and producing the specified results. design. Remember, if you fail to prepare,
user. you prepare to fail.
2. Icons/symbols easier to recognise and provide the user with The computer programmer creates the instructions for the
a context. computer to follow. These instructions are referred to as computer Natalee A. Johnson teaches at
3. Fewer command errors. programs. Ardenne High School. Send
4. Reduce typing. questions and comments to
A computer program is a finite set of clear and specific [email protected]
instructions written in a programming language.
DISADVANTAGES OF GUIS
1. It may consume more screen space.
2. For programmers, the design of GUIs is more complex. PROBLEM-SOLVING ON THE COMPUTER
3. Increased use of computer memory can lead to slower The design of any computer program involves two major
processing. phases:
 The problem-solving phase.
We have now officially concluded the Fundamentals of  The implementation phase.
Hardware and Software unit and will begin a new unit: Problem-

20 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:mathematics
CLEMENT RADCLIFFE SOLUTION

Algebra
Contributor
If you are to use the graph, y = 2x2 - x - 3, then 2x2 - x - 3 must
be on one side of the equation.
HIS WEEK, we will complete the review of algebra by

T
By reorganising the equation 2x2 - 2x - 5 = 0, it follows that:
considering aspects of graphs. Specifically, it is my 2x2 -x -x - 3 -2 = 0
intention to elaborate on the solution of quadratic equations 2x2 -x- 3 - x - 2 = 0
using a graph. 2x2 -x- 3 = x + 2
The following is another example for your review.
REMINDERS Then the solution of 2x2 - 2x - 5 = 0 is the x coordinates of the
points of intersection of the curve y = 2x2 - x - 3 and the line y = x + 2.
 A quadratic equation is represented graphically by a curve.
EXAMPLE By plotting the line y = x + 2, the solution of the given equation
 The curve is usually plotted against perpendicular x and y
Using an appropriate scale, please plot the curve y = 3x2 - 2x - 1. is found by reading off the points of intersection.
axes.
 The axes should be labelled and appropriate scale(s) used. Hence, solve the equations:
 A curve should be drawn by free-hand sketch. a) 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 0 PRACTICE EXAMPLES
 The x axis has the equation y = 0, and the y axis has the b) 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 4x - 1
i) Given the plot of the graph y = x2 + 3x + 2, use it to solve the
equation x = 0. equation x2 +2x +1 =0
 Given the curve y = f(x) and the line y = g(x), then the points SOLUTION ii) Given the plot: y = 2x2 - 3x + 4, hence solve 2x2 - 5x + 1 = 0
of intersection of both are represented by: Given the equation y = 3x2 - 2x - 1, we complete the table:
Let us now review the application of graphs to find maximum
y = f(x) = g(x) and minimum values.
x –2 –1 0 1 2 3
f(x) = g(x)
y 15 4 –1 0 7 20 Given the function f(x) = 2x2 -x- 3, the minimum value may be
If f(x) = x2 + 2x - 3 and g(x) = 0 (x axis) found using the graph y = 2x2 -x- 3. This value is found by the
GRAPH 2 determination of the coordinates of the turning points of the
Then the points of intersection of the curve and the line are curve. Given the turning point M (x , y), then the x coordinate is
represented by : x2 + 2x - 3 = 0 a) Given the curve y = 3x2 - 2x - 1, the solution of the equation the position of the minimum value and the y coordinate is the
3x2 - 2x - 1 = 0 is the x values of the points of intersection of the minimum value of the function f(x).
Therefore, the solution of this equation is the x coordinates of curve y = 3x2 - 2x - 1 and the line y = 0 or the x axis.
the points of intersection of the curve and the x axis. The solution is x = 1, - .33 Plotting the graph y = 2x2 -x- 3

If f(x) = x2 + 2x - 3 and g(x) = 2x - 2 b) Given the curve y = 3x2 - 2x - 1, by plotting the line y = 4x - x –2 –1 0 1 2 3
1, then the points of intersection of the curve and the line will y 7 0 –3 –2 3 12
then the points of intersection of the curve and the line are also represent the solution of the equation 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 4x - 1.
represented by: f(x) = g(x). GRAPH 3
Using the same axes, plot the line y = 4x - 1.
x2 + 2x - 3 = 2x - 2
x2 + 2x - 2x - 3 + 2 = 0 From the graph, the solution is x = 0 or 2. From the graph, the turning point is (1/4, - 13/4)
x2 - 1 = 0
The minimum value of f(x) is - 13/4 and at the point is
The x coordinates of the points of intersection are, therefore, POINTS TO NOTE (1/4, - 13/4).
the solution of the equation x2 + 2x - 3 = 2x - 2 OR x2 - 1 = 0.  Given the curve y = 3x2 - 2x - 1, then the curve may be used
The following are the graphs of f(x) and g(x) illustrating the to solve any equation as long as 3x2 - 2x - 1 is on one side of the The axis of symmetry is the vertical line through the turning
points of intersections. equation. point. In this case, it is x = 1/4.
y = x2 + 2x - 3  Given 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 4x - 1, then the equation may be
y= 2x - 2 reorganised as follows: A similar approach is used to find the maximum value of
f(x) = - 2x2 +5x+ 3
x –4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 4x - 1.
y 5 0 – 3 – 4 –3 0 5 13 3x2 - 2x - 1 - 4x + 1 = 0 Please attempt the following example on your own:
3x2 - 6x = 0
x 0 1 2 3x(x - 2) = 0 1. Given the function f(x) = - 4x2 + 3x + 2, solve:
y –2 0 2 i) - 4x2 + 3x + 2 = 0
The solution of 3x2 - 2x - 1 = 4x - 1 and 3x(x - 2) = 0 is the ii) - 4x2 - x + 1 = 0
GRAPH 1 same, that is, x = 0 or 2.
Please explain your method.
Points A and B represent the points of intersection and have EXAMPLE
coordinates, A(1 , 0 ) and B (-1 , - 4 ). The x coordinates, 1 or - 1, CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
are the solutions. Given the curve y = 2x2 - x - 3, solve the equation 2x2 - 2x - 5 = 0.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 21

 yl:communication studies

TRUDI MORRISON-REID
Fallacies – Part 1
Contributor

HIS WEEK, we will look at the practical application of what

T we have covered in our research lessons, in relation to

internal assessment, and begin our two- part journey into
the world of fallacies.

You will recall that for your portfolio, you will be required to
conduct some actual research on the topic you have chosen. It is
highly recommended that you use a mixture of primary and
secondary sources for your research. We have looked at what
these are. You should choose sources that will be able to provide
you with reliable, trustworthy information. Try to identify and
avoid biases where possible. Fallacies, which we will look at over
two weeks, should also be avoided in your reasoning, and in your
presentations, whether they are written or oral. You may be
burning to ask ‘What are fallacies?’

FALLACIES
A fallacy is a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning.
It is an argument which seems to be correct, but contains at least Attendees at the Jamaica Moves road tour, held in St Elizabeth last year.
one error, which is sometimes difficult to find and, as a result, 2. BEGGING THE QUESTION 5. EITHER/OR SYNDROME
produces an incorrect result or conclusion. Fallacies most often
occur in persuasive reasoning where inductive reasoning is being The writer/speaker restates a claim, giving the impression that An attempt to convince the reader/listener that there are only
used. Inductive reasoning is a conclusion which is often based on by simply doing so it proves the argument presented. two ways of viewing or understanding an issue – one right and
observations and specific experiences. In the absence of one wrong – when there are, in fact, other possibilities.
mathematical or scientific evidence, there are several errors which Example: Because violent movies are not fit for public viewing,
may occur in the reasoning. the violent movie Kill Them All should be banned in this city. Example: Yes, daddy, I admit that this is the most expensive
dress in the store, but you didn’t expect me to go to the ball
You will recall from a previous lesson on types of discourse, looking like a nobody?
3. RED HERRING
that there are three appeals that generally guide persuasion. They The writer/speaker introduces an irrelevant point to divert the
are the appeal to logic (logos), the appeal to the emotions readers’/listeners’ attention from the main/relevant issue. 6. STRAW MAN
(pathos) and the appeal based on the credibility/authority of the The writer/speaker selects the opposition’s weakest or most
speaker (ethos). Each appeal runs the risk of containing a fallacy. Example: Before you can talk about greater productivity in this insignificant point to argue against, in order to divert attention
This week, we will look at a few fallacies which affect content and country, Mr Prime Minister, you need to deal with the boatloads of from the real issues.
logic, as presented by McDermott (2008) in CAPE Haitian refugees that have landed on our shores.
Communication Studies. Example: I won’t even waste time talking about the jobs my
opponent claims he has created in this city. I don’t accept his
4. POST HOC (‘AFTER THIS/THEREFORE,
apology for being late for this meeting and you should not. A
FALLACIES AFFECTING CONTENT AND LOGIC BECAUSE OF THIS’)
good leader is never late.
(LOGOS) This is based on the erroneous assumption that a causal (cause
1. Non sequitur (‘It does not follow’) and effect) relationship exists between two things simply because As you read the newspaper this week, listen to the news and
The writer’s/speaker’s conclusion does not logically follow, one event follows another in time. The second event is thought to review the information collected from your sources for your
based on the facts presented. This usually occurs because one be caused by the first which preceded it. internal assessment, try to identify whether there are fallacies
step in the argument has been omitted or is implied. presented in the content and logic presented.
Example: Since the track team got new outfits, there has been a
Example: Sanjay is from a famous cricketing family, so he will transformation. They got the new gear in September and for the Trudi Morrison-Reid is an independent contributor. Send questions and
be a world-class cricketer in the future. whole term, they have never lost a single track meet. comments to [email protected]

22 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018

 yl:caribbean studies

Caribbean art forms

GOAL CARIBANA weekend. It includes concerts, contests, children’s pageants and
For students to evaluate the ways in which the arts and popular The Toronto Caribana Festival began in 1967 as one of the first private parties in addition to the main event, the parade.
culture impact Caribbean society. Caribbean festivals held outside of the region. Originally known Brooklyn’s carnival initially came out of Trinidad’s carnival
as the Canadian Centennial festivals, Caribana was meant to tradition and, as such, steel bands are one of the most commonly
share West Indian and black Canadian culture and traditions with heard sounds at the parade. Over time, other Caribbean traditions
OBJECTIVE and music have been added, including reggae from Jamaica,
the community, and to help fund the building of a West Indian
1. Assess the ways in which Caribbean art forms are retained in cultural centre. Since then, every summer Toronto, Canada, spouge from Barbados, cadence from Dominica, and merengue
the diaspora. comes alive to the pulsating rhythm of calypso steel pan music. from Haiti. Many food vendors set up in the streets surrounding
The atmosphere is also enlivened with elaborate masquerade the parade, offering curried chicken, oxtail, patties, roti, fried
Major cities in the North Atlantic (USA, Canada, England) are costumes. This two-week festival attracts over a million plantains, ginger beer and coconut juice, to name some of the
heavily populated with Caribbean nationals. Caribbean nationals participants and tourist annually. The festival today includes the many refreshments available. Other kinds of vendors also set up
and their ‘offprints’ make up a considerable segment of the music, dance, food and costumes of Jamaica, The Bahamas, stalls at the parade, selling many different goods, including crafts
population of England, Canada and the United States of America, Brazil and other cultures present in Toronto. from the Caribbean, African sculptures and beadwork.
hence, forming what is known as the Caribbean diaspora. The
Diasporic Caribbean refers to a group of people who reside in Send questions and comments to [email protected]
another geographical location, for instance, people of Caribbean BROOKLYN LABOUR DAY PARADE/
ancestry who share an emotional connection to their homeland. WEST INDIAN DAY PARADE
The West Indian Day Parade is held
Festivals in the Caribbean diaspora play an integral role in the every Labour Day and runs down
lives of the migrants, since this is a time when they get to Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. It is part of
experience authentic Caribbean cuisines, music, fashion and the the West Indian-
general culture. At these carnivals in England, Canada and the American
USA, the parade is made up of bands, revellers dressed in Carnival
costumes depicting a common theme, along with participants celebrations
jumping to the music while competing for ‘Band of the Year’ title. which take
Along with the parade is the calypso monarch competition (best place during and
calypso performer). There is also a junior carnival competition – before Labor Day
(inculcation of carnival traditions so it won’t die). Popular
diasporic festivals include the Brooklyn Labour Day parade in
USA, Notting Hill Carnival in England, and Caribana in Canada.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

The event originated in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean
communities in the UK to celebrate their cultures and traditions,
similar to the Caribbean carnivals of the early 19th century. These
types of carnivals were hugely popular in Trinidad and were
generally a celebration of the abolition of slavery. During the
period of slavery, festivals were forbidden, so the residents took
full advantage of their new-found freedom.
The first-ever Notting Hill Carnival was arranged as a showcase
for popular steel band musicians who played in Earl’s Court every
weekend. The festival music drew residents out on to the streets,
reminding many of the Caribbean homes they had left behind. The
well-known tradition of elaborate costumes began as an element
of parody, mimicking the European fashions of their former
masters. Today, this tradition has evolved into 15,000 handmade
costumes every year, requiring one million hours to create and
decorate them all!

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018 23

 yl:mathematics
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
HOMEWORK
1. The functions P(x) and Q(x) are defined as:
P(x) = 3x - 4 /2
Q(x) = 1 + x2

i) Evaluate P(5)
ii) Determine the inverse of P(x)
iii) Determine PQ(x)

2. Given the function f(x) = 2x2 - 9x - 5, solve:

i) 2x2 - 9x - 5 = 0
ii) 2x2 - 10x - 7 = 0

3. Given that h(x) = 4x2 - 8x - 1

By plotting the function h(x), find:
 Its minimum value.
 The value of x for which h(x) is a minimum.

Please continue to practise, using exercises from your textbook.

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Clement Radcliffe is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to [email protected]

Elaine Thompson (centre) powers away from the field to the win the Women s 60m Invitational Open, clocking 7.17 seconds, at the Queens /Grace Jackson Track and
Field Meet, held at the National Stadium recently.

24 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 6-12, 2018