Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Variable Cost and Net Income free essay sample

I agree with this statement. I would also like to add that cost behavior is also identifying the key resources that are performed, resources used in performing these activities, costs of the resources, and what the cost is driven from. 2-2. Two rules of thumb when analyzing cost behavior are to manage what the company manufactures, sells, and to give advice as to where costs can be reduced. 2-3. Three examples of a variable cost are a 12% increase in the production of dresses, which will cause a 12% increase in variable costs. A 10% increase in clothes will cause an 10% increase in variable costs. A 30% increase in labor hours will cause a 30% increase in variable costs. Three examples of a fixed cost are a 12% increase in airline costs but the fixed costs remain unchanged. A 50% increase in marketing advertisements and the fixed costs remain unchanged. Lastly, a 60% increase in units of production but the fixed costs remain the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Variable Cost and Net Income or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2-4. The word immediately is used in the definition of a fixed cost and not in the definition of a variable cost because changes to the cost drivers to not happen immediately with a fixed cost like they do with a variable cost. -5. I agree that it is confusing to think of fixed costs on a per-unit basis because changes to the cost driver take place at a slower rate than they do with a variable cost. So it would be difficult to single out any costs. 2-6. I disagree because you also must link the resource costs to the activities to get the result of your output. 2-7. I agree with this statement because fixed costs take longer to get back. That is why the relevant range is important for a fixed cost, since you can estimate the amount. 2-8. The major assumption that underlies CVP analysis is the effects of output volume on revenue, expenses, and net income. When you know what the effects are you can then figure out where you can improve or make cuts. 2-9. I agree with this statement because any financial situation is different. In a fixed cost situation, the cost would remain unchanged. 2-10. I agree with this statement since the contribution margin also has total sales and the variable cost percentage in the equation. 2-11. A break-even analysis is a misnomer because the CVP is sometime referred to the break-even analysis. A break-even point tells you at which point the profits exceed the expenses. The CVP can be used to plan, and make decisions based on sales or costs. 2-12. I do not agree with this statement because every company is different. One company may have higher expenses then another, making their break-even point higher. It does not matter what industry it is, because the break-even point will always be different based upon revenue or expenses. 2-13. I agree with this statement because it is important that you choose the correct method based upon your company’s revenue, expenses, and net income. All three of these are good methods, but there may be a more detailed plan that works better for you. 2-14. Three ways of lowering a break-even point are lowering your expenses, lower the product levels and reducing your staff. 2-15. I agree with this statement because the incremental analysis will do the same as the CVP, such as seeking the change in revenue, expenses, and income. 2-16. Operating leverage is the firm’s ratio of fixed to variable costs. A highly leveraged company may be risky because little changes in sales volume result in large changes in net income. -17. An increase in sales volume would result in decreasing economies of scale for this company by the changes would decrease the net income, and would cause higher variable costs. 2-18. The relationship between margin of safety and the break-even point is they both show where the company needs to be in order to make a profit. Also, it shows where expenses equal revenues. 2-19. I disagree with this statement bec ause the contribution ratio and the gross margin are never equal. 2-20. I disagree with this statement because no organization has unlimited resources and knowledge of how costs change with volume changes. 2-21. The reason for the lower contribution margin could be that the break-even point was not met which caused expenses to not equal revenue. 2-22. The CVP formula for computing the income before taxes is adding the income or gain and subtracting your expenses. 2-23. The CVP formula for computing the effects of a change in volume on after-tax income is the total contribution margin divided by total sales which gives you the variable cost percentage.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

How to Make a Phosphate Buffer Solution

How to Make a Phosphate Buffer Solution The goal of a buffer solution is to help maintain a stable pH when a small amount of acid or base is introduced into a solution. A phosphate buffer solution is a handy buffer to have around, especially for biological applications. Because phosphoric acid has multiple dissociation constants, you can prepare phosphate buffers near any of the three pHs, which are at 2.15, 6.86, and 12.32. The buffer is most commonly prepared at pH 7 using monosodium phosphate and its conjugate base, disodium phosphate. Phosphate Buffer Materials Monosodium phosphateDisodium phosphateWaterPhosphoric acid to make the pH more acidic or sodium hydroxide to make the pH more alkalinepH meterGlasswareHot plate with stirring bar Prepare the Phosphate Buffer Decide on the concentration of the buffer. Most buffers are used at a concentration between 0.1 M and 10 M. If you make up a concentrated buffer solution, you can dilute it as needed.​Decide on the pH for your buffer. This pH should be within one pH unit from the pKa of the acid/conjugate base. So, you can prepare a buffer at pH 2 or pH 7, for example, but pH 9 would be pushing it.Use the Henderson-Hasselbach equation to calculate how much acid and base you need. You can simplify the calculation if you make 1 liter of buffer. Select the pKa value that is closest to the pH of your buffer. For example, if you want the pH of your buffer to be 7, then use the pKa of 6.9: pH pKa log ([Base]/[Acid])ratio of [Base]/[Acid] 1.096The molarity of the buffer is the sum of the molarities of the acid and conjugate base or the sum of [Acid] [Base]. For a 1 M buffer (selected to make the calculation easy), [Acid] [Base] 1.[Base] 1 - [Acid].Substitute this into the ratio and solve:[Base ] 0.523 moles/L.Now solve for [Acid]: [Base] 1 - [Acid], so [Acid] 0.477 moles/L. Prepare the solution by mixing 0.477 moles of monosodium phosphate and 0.523 moles of disodium phosphate in a little less than a liter of water.Check the pH using a pH meter and adjust the pH as necessary using phosphoric acid or sodium hydroxide.Once you have reached the desired pH, add water to bring the total volume of phosphoric acid buffer to 1 L.If you prepared this buffer as a stock solution, you can dilute it to make up buffers at other concentrations, such as 0.5 M or 0.1 M. Advantages and Disadvantages of Phosphate Buffers The two key advantages of phosphate buffers are that phosphate is highly soluble in water and that it has an extremely high buffering capacity. However, these may be offset by certain disadvantages in some situations. Phosphates inhibit enzymatic reactions.Phosphate precipitates in ethanol, so it cant be used in preparations to precipitate DNA or RNA.Phosphates sequester divalent cations (e.g., Ca2 and Mg2).

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

International Banking Law and Capital Markets Assignment

International Banking Law and Capital Markets - Assignment Example There is a need to develop more stringent standards for the banks to address the deficiencies that come on the surface in the financial crises of late 2000. The introduction of Basel-111 aims at to strengthen the capital requirements of the bank and the regulatory requirement of bank liquidity and bank leverage. In Basel II, the risk management was out sourced to third party. The Ratings of financial instruments were conducted by the outsource agencies Fitch ibca, moody and poor and standard without intervention of official agencies. The AAA ratings on  mortgage backed securities,  credit default swaps  and other instruments in practice evidencing extremely bad credit risks. The implementation of Basel III surely will decrease annual GDP growth to the extent of 0.05 to 0.15 percentages. It is responsibility of the directors of the company to keep an eye on  market liquidity  condition that enables them to hold major assets for the accountability of material losses2. Require ment of Basel III The Basel III primarily addresses and focuses on the liquidity risk, capital adequacy ratios and stress testing. It requires banks to follow the requirement of Basel III and to compute the liquidity and leverage ratios accordingly. Therefore, the banks are to keep themselves align with the new requirement in order to integrate all relevant data to develop a new approach of data analysis and modeling. Basel III demands sufficient transparency and zero rated documentation ever than before to ensure that the deployment of funds would bear fruits3. Banks must ensure creation of new models that ensure compliance of Basel III requirement. It is a matter of fact that most of the institutions are reluctant to implement it in its true spirit due to reasons best known to them. However, they have no other option but to implement it in order to avoid penalty from compliance and monitoring watch dogs. In other words, compliance of Basel III requirement is mandatory and not opti onal. Keeping in mind the necessity, the banks are developing infrastructure and models for the banks to make best use of its capacity to pin point and respond to the profit making opportunities4. According to Simon Nixon, â€Å"no one disputes the broad thrust of Basel III, that banks should hold much higher levels of higher-quality capital. Indeed, all major European banks have well-developed plans to meet the new rules ahead of time.†5 It is a matter of fact that in today’s world each and every organization including banks heavily relies upon latest technology to meet the requirement of customer satisfaction besides regulatory compliance by the banks. The more efficient business decision making are based on the reliability of their quality data. Any bank who successfully receives the data through reliable domestic sources within the bank to position its data warehouse on sound footings coupled with technology infrastructure stands to deliver the goods efficiently in terms of compliance and better business6. â€Å"Basel III tightened up the rules on what could be counted as core capital, increased the risk-weights that determined how much capital a bank should hold against a particular exposure and finally introduced a tough new minimum ratio of core capital to risk-weighted assets, set at 7% for small banks and rising to 9.5% for the largest banks deemed

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategic Management - Case Study Example Inaugurated in 1999, the company’s 16 years of existence has proved remarkably beneficial in the global energy mix, crafting ultra-modern ideas that have contributed to resolving present day energy needs such as supply reliability, fuel cost volatility and overall conserving the earths scarce natural resources and fossil fuels with its exclusive cadmium telluride (CdTe) film technology, successfully achieving the undermost leveled cost of electricity (LCOE) in the entire industry. They also extraordinarily lowered manufacturing costs to the bare minimum i.e. less than a dollar per watt, another record breaker, and a new goal limit set for capital efficiency. (Citation, year) This success, although seen to only further excel, faced new rivalries in 2011, hence leading to the gradual decline of their electric empire in the solar module industry. Specializing in the production of crystal silicon (c-Si), these emergent companies such as Trina, Yingli and Suntech raced to not only reach but overcome these newly set standards, rapidly reducing overall manufacturing costs and increasing output. In 2013, Suntech replaced First Solar acclaiming the number one position of modules worldwide. Several strategic issues had surfaced due to which First Solar led to its downfall. Of the two major reasons, the first is that these new entrants began selling crystalline-silicon solar panels for less than a dollar, creating a price clash. Secondly, the silicon solar panels proved more efficient than the thin-filmed cadmium-telluride solar panels hence consumers preferred the newer products over theirs as they were getting better quality and reliability for the same price. Although a major part of their profits were accumulated from their solar power plants and installation, these low budgeted and better quality Chinese panels forced

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Glass Castle Essay Example for Free

Glass Castle Essay However, there are some far more substantial themes and symbols taking place within the novel. These themes require a little more critical thought, and aren’t directly delivered to the reader. One of these themes being the heavy emphasis placed on the glass castle, and also metaphorically what it signifies to Jeanette and her father, Rex. Through extensive deliberation and thought, the meaning of the glass castle becomes clear. It stands for the contrast between how Jeanette views her father, and how everyone else sees him. The idea of the glass castle in itself is the idolized version of Rex that Jeanette sees, while the reality of it never being completed, represents the views that everyone else has. Throughout the novel there are multiple instances that show the strong love and trust Jeanette feels for her father. A bond that remains strong, even when other member’s of the family have lost some of that trust. This contrast of emotions can best be described through various quotes given throughout the novel. â€Å"In my mind, Dad was perfect, although he did have what mom called a bit of a drinking situation† (Walls 23). This is one of the first occasions where the reader is introduced to the contrasting feelings about Rex that members of the Walls family have. Jeannette, despite already knowing that her father has a drinking problem at a young age, still feels that her father can do no wrong. This sets the scene for how most of the book develops, Jeannette idolizing her father, despite the slight disdain visibly felt by others. â€Å"We laughed about all the kids who believed in the Santa Clause myth and got nothing but a bunch of cheap plastic toys. Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten,’ dad said, ‘ you’ll still have your stars† (41). This is yet another example of the strong bond developed between Rex and Jeannette. However, it is important to note this quote is delivered at a time when Rex is still in relatively good standings with the rest of the family, besides just Jeannette. On that Christmas, even though he couldn’t provide his children with material gifts, he was still able to deliver a memorable gift, which the children could cherish for the rest of their lives. I swear honey, there are times when I think you’re the only one around who still has faith in me,’ he said. ’I don’t know what I’d do if you ever lost it. ’ I told him I would never lose faith in him. And I promised myself I never would† (78-79). This quote perfectly sums up the relationship Rex had with his daughter. It also further exemplifies th e acknowledged differences between how Jeannette feels about her father, and how the rest of the family feels. Even though Rex has let Jeannette down just as many times as Lori, or Brian, she is still able to somehow see past these faults of Rex’s. Throughout this novel the character’s general feelings on Rex sway dramatically. Even Jeannette’s feelings for her father are tried at some points. Yet through everything that happens she never truly loses faith in her father. Jeannette always maintains a sense of respect and love for Rex, despite the tribulations he has brought the family through. Even up to his last moments on his deathbed, Jeannette’s positive feelings for her father remain strong. This contrasted affection between what Jeannette feels for Rex, and what everyone else thinks, is what the glass castle really signifies.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Essay --

Gun Control The time has come for our country to take action to reduce gun violence in America. Aurora, Colorado, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and most recently Arapahoe High School are only three of the recent atrocities. More than twenty mass shootings have taken place since 2009, yet many people still believe it’s acceptable to own guns. We, as a country, have suffered too many losses to not take action. No laws created can ever fully stop every act of violence, but there are ways to prevent the mentally ill, the suicidal, and criminally minded from buying guns and ammunition. If the government tries to ban people from owning every type of gun, we will get no where with the issue. The problem in our country is having access to assault rifles and handguns. Many assault rifles sold are semi-automatic, firing one round every time the trigger is pulled. For example, an AR-15 can fire between 45 and 60 rounds per minute. No civilian needs to have a gun this powerful; the only place they should be allowed is for military use. Having these types of guns available to the public ...

Monday, January 13, 2020

Pluma: Rizal, Ang Dakilang Manunulat Essay

Jose Rizal, just like any of us, used to live an ordinary life. Just like a normal person, he underwent the mundane stages of human life such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Yet, unlike any of us, Rizal inadvertently stood out because he lived by the saying, â€Å"Live life to the fullest.† He made the best out of his 35 years of existence. However, certain events and persons might have inspired him on the first place that eventually transformed his life from ordinary to an â€Å"extraordinary† one. Rizal’s parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, had already introduced to him the value of education. His father owned several books in their shelf in which the young Rizal had a lot of novels to choose from and to read that suits his interest as a child. His mother also served as his first teacher. She taught him how to read and write. At an early age, he already shows brilliance as a writer with a good sense of social awareness. An 8-year old Rizal was able to write his first poem, â€Å"Sa Aking mga Kabata.† This poem highlights love of nationality and Filipino language. Additionally, he excelled academically when he started attending schools in the Philippines, as well as in abroad. Putting his thoughts into writing became his hobby through the years. His works such as A La Juventud Filipina and El Consejo de los Dioses earned him the recognition to the Filipino youth and won an award in Manila respectively. Given the fact that Rizal’s eyes had long been opened to the awful reality during Spanish colonization, he further wrote novels, which include the famous Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed). Most likely, the former includes the story of Sisa, which was said to be inspired by what happened to his mother, Teodora, who was imprisoned due to the accusation of poisoning her sister-in-law. This taste of injustice could have aided Rizal to boost his patriotism. The latter was also written in honor of the memory of GOMBURZA who were executed due to the 1872 Cavite mutiny. With the aid of Paciano who witnessed the execution, Rizal’s eyes became widely opened to the gruesome reality of the Philippine society during their time. In a celebration of the achievement of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho, Rizal also realized and proclaimed that Filipinos do have something to be proud of.