Fossil Discoveries in Kansas :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Fossil Discoveries in Kansas Did you know, in the state of Oklahoma it is against the law to either hunt or catch whales? Sounds sort of ridiculous when you think logically about it, but according to paleontologists it isn’t that far fetched. Over 65 million years ago Kansas, including the whole Midwest Region of North America from the Arctic Circle to the Gulf of Mexico, was covered by the Sea. Due to the continental uplifts of the mountain ranges in North America during the Pangaea stage, the once shallow sea of Kansas became shut off from the sea-water flow and dried out to what we know it as today. The biome of Kansas over the last 65 million years has become extremely dry and flat, which would account for a once shallow inland sea. For example; Salt Lake City was once in the mist of a glacier that filled the inside â€Å"hole† of the City, causing the surface of it to be extremely flat excluding the surrounding mountains. Recently in an article from Elasmo.com, recognition for Mike Everhart’s discoveries has been noticed. Paleontologists and Archeologists in Western Kansas â€Å"have been finding sources of some of the best Cretaceous marine fossils that have ever been found anywhere in the world.† (Everhart, #1). These fossils, though interesting and vast, have pointed a lot of questions to how and when Kansas was under sea level. From my research, I have found that the only explanations to these issues and debates are the discoveries found consisting of both the archaic sharks and plesiosaurs. In my research, the Oceans of Kansas organization for Paleontology has given me more than enough to focus on when depicting out how to correlate our modern logic about how Kansas is mostly a wasteland to when it used to be an ocean with striving life within. The sharks that have been recently discovered are increasing not only in size, but by type. Mike Everhart, lead Paleontologist of this organization, in April 2002 discovered an extremely large shark called the Cretoxyrhina Mantelli "Ginsu Shark". â€Å"A large lamniform shark found worldwide from Turonian into Campanian time during the Late Cretaceous.   Much the same size as a modern Great White (but not closely related), the Ginsu shark reached lengths of more than 6 meters before becoming extinct about 82 million years ago.

Matter and its Properties Essay

The fundamental building blocks of matter are atoms and molecules. These make up elements and compounds. An atom is the smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that element. And element is a pure substance made of only one kind of atom. A compound is the substance that is made from the atoms of two or more elements that are chemically bonded. Water is an example of a compound because it is one of many compounds that consist of molecules. The hydrogen and oxygen molecules are chemically bonded to form a water molecule. Properties and Changes in Matter Every substance, whether an element or compound, has characteristic properties. Chemists use these properties to distinguish different substances and then use their knowledge of characteristics to separate them. A property may be a characteristic that defines an entire group of substances. That property can be used to classify an unknown substance within that group. For example, are large groups of elements is metals. The property that sets than apart from anything else is that they conduct electricity well. Therefore, if scientists find an unknown element, and test it for electricity conduction, and it turns out to conduct electricity well, it is, in fact, a metal. Properties also define subgroups or substances. And can also help to reveal the identity of an unknown substance. However, identification usually cannot be made based on only one property. Comparisons of several properties can be used to determine the identity of an unknown. Properties are either intensive or extensive. An extensive property depends on the amount of matter that is present. These properties include volume, mass, and the amount of energy in a said substance. Intensive properties, however, do not depend on the amount of matter present. These properties include the melting  point, boiling point, density, and ability to conduct electricity and heat. Regardless of how much of a substance is present, these properties will always be the same. Chemical and Physical Properties and Changes Physical Properties and Physical Changes A physical property is a characteristic that can be measured or observed without changing the identity of the substance. Physical properties describe the substance itself. Examples of these properties are properties such as melting point and boiling point. A change in a substance that does not involve a change in the identity of the substance is called a physical change. Examples of physical changes include grinding, gutting, melting, and boiling a substance or material. These changes do not change the physical identity of a property. For example: If you rip a paper in half, does that change the identity of the two torn parts? The answer is no, it is still a paper, just smaller and ripped. If you bend a paper clip, is it still a paper clip? Yes. Melting point and boiling point are part of an important classification of physical changes called change of state. A change of state is a physical change of a substance from on state to another. The three common states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. Matter in the solid shape has a definite volume and definite shape. Matter in the liquid state has a definite value, but not a definite shape-a liquid can be molded or formed into many different shapes. Matter in the gas state has neither definite volume nor definite shape. Chemical Properties and Chemical Changes Physical properties can be observed without changing the identity of the substance, but chemical properties cannot. A chemical property relates to a substance’s ability to undergo changes that transform it into different  substances. Chemical properties are easiest to see when substances react to form (a) new substance(s). For example, when charcoal burns, it combines with oxygen in air to become a new substance, carbon dioxide gas. After this chemical change, the original substances of the charcoal, carbon and oxygen, are no longer present. Another example is the ability of iron to rust by combining with oxygen in the air (moisture). A change in which one or more substances are converted into different substances is called a chemical change or reaction. The substances that react in a chemical change are called the reactants. The substances formed by the chemical change are called the products. By burning charcoal, carbon and oxygen are the reactants in a combustion, or burning reaction. Carbon dioxide is the product. Chemical changes and reactions, such as combustion and decomposition, form products whose properties differ greatly from those of the reactants. Chemical changes, however, do not affect the total amount of matter present before and after a reaction. The amount of matter, and total mass, remain the same.

Sociological Views of Poverty - 2768 Words

Sociological Views of Poverty Michelle Williams-Thomas Sociology 101 Professor Yelena Gidenko February 12, 2012 At the beginning of the twentieth century, the most common reasons people died were accidents or communicable diseases like pneumonia. Today, millions die each day from poverty. How can poverty be defined? And what is the difference between absolute and relative poverty? In the paper I will address these issues along with sociological views of poverty. Poverty is a social issue that affects the world. Poverty causes many to be malnourished and die at a young age, it is a cause of deviant behavior such as crime, and also causes the poor to be marginalized from society and have little voice in public†¦show more content†¦Usually these rates are higher among men because they are considered the â€Å"bread winner† of the family. Consider how standards of living have changed over the centuries. The average lifespan of Europeans who survived childhood 1,000 years ago was less than 35 years. In 1900, the average American could expect to live only 49 years, but people in many developed economies now typically live well into their 70s because of advances in nutrition and medicine. Polio, cholera, smallpox, diphtheria, and leprosy are now extinct or quite rare in developed economies. In the U.S. children raised in poverty tend to miss school more often because of illness. These children also have a much higher rate of accidents than do other children, and they are twice as likely to have impaired vision and hearing, iron deficiency anemia, and higher than normal levels of lead in the blood, which can impair brain function. When it comes to society many poor people are labeled or stigmatized. Most blame the poor for their pitiful state claiming that if they want to work they could. And government officials want to cut back on Medicaid, Medicare, and health care. Most of the elite or well off do not want to use their tax dollars to help the poor. Primitive or traditional societies existed for long periods of time without making major changes. In order for them to become more economically secure, the modernization theory assumes that thereShow MoreRelatedChild Poverty : An Advancing Social Issue Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout this paper, discussions will take place on, child poverty, an advancing social issue in New Zealand. Also, reasons why child poverty is a social issue in New Zealand will be debated. In addition, key concepts of three core sociological perspectives; structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism and conflict perspective will be explored. 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