Financial Modelling Used To Evaluate Strengths And Weaknesses Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1565 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? In this coursework, University of Bulgari will be used as an example to be applied in the financial modelling to investigate and evaluate the financial strength and weaknesses. As a privately held independent company, financial data and performance data are not publicly available and strictly restricted (Jogaratnam et al., 1999). Hence, all the figures used in this coursework are merely assumption. Background of University of Bulgari Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial Modelling Used To Evaluate Strengths And Weaknesses Finance Essay" essay for you Create order University of Bulgari (UOB) is one of the first private learning institutions in MalaysiaÂÂ  to be awarded the prestigious MSC-status certification. It was established since 1988 by the founder, Joseph Keong. It was named after his favourite luxury brand, Bvlgari. With more than 8,000 students studying in 30 academic programmes, their academic programmes are approved by the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) and are developed to meet the high standards required by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA). It has Centre for Foundation Studies, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, Faculty of Nursing and Faculty of Engineering. The vision of UOB is to be a leader university aspiring to achieve excellence in the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and expertise. Strength and weakness Competition is growing not just from other universities, but from numerous other sources. Seeking to take advantage of the public perception of increasing awareness on the importance of education, colleges are offering more variety courses too which include degree, masters and PhD programmes. Competitors are focusing their attention on ways to boost total of students registered every intake. They held education fair in the schools and shopping complex to expose education life to the potential students. A growing number of private education companies had UOB diversified its courses offered available in local and overseas by co-operating with foreign universities. Basically it means students can study based on United Kingdom (UK) standard even though they are studying in Malaysia as all the teaching materials will be provided from the UK partner including the certificate too. A student has the option to choose to study the whole course locally or continue it at the foreign university during the second or third year. This strategy is beneficial to those who wish to study based on foreign standards and yet at an affordable price. Parents do not need to fork out a huge amount of money to support their children expenses locally comparing to studying abroad. UOB is offering the courses at a lower price compare to the competitors such as Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU) and Sunway College. For example, a business administrative degree in UOB costs RM40000 but for KDU it costs RM60000. Students need to have a lower price education as prices for goods and necessity are increasing. Some students do apply government loans but it is limited and must fulfil the requirement for it. Besides that, UOB had collaborated with a nongovernmental organization to provide a 30% reduction for those who do not qualify to get into local universities. UOB provide rebates too for student who enrolled during open days. The rebate might range between RM1000 till RM2000. At university level, all public schools student including those from Chinese and Indian schools need to fight for the limited space in the university. As a result, many students who failed to get a place in the public university opt for private university who provides economical course. Financial modelling- Cost volume profit A companys financing future can be predicted by using finance model (Benninga Czaczkes, 2000) to analyze profit and loss stability of a company. Cost volume profit analysis model will be used for explanation on the universitys financial status. It is generally used to study relations between revenue, costs and profits (Hirschey, 2009). It assists the manager in understanding and controlling operations (Baker Baker, 2011) to find the most profitable combination ofÂÂ  variable costs,ÂÂ  fixed costs, selling price, and sales volume. Profits can sometimes be improved by increasing the totalÂÂ  contribution marginÂÂ  figure. Estimation on profits can be analyse when the combination of theÂÂ  fixed costsÂÂ  or variable costs at vary levels of sales volume can be calculated (Harper, 2003). This is to show which combination is the best for the company. The size of theÂÂ  unit contribution marginÂÂ  (and the size of the contribution margin ratio -ÂÂ  CM ratio) is very important. For example, the greater the unitÂÂ  contribution margin, the greater is the amount that a company will be willing to spend to increase unit sales. This explains in part why companies with high unitÂÂ  contribution marginÂÂ  (such as auto manufacturers) advertise so heavily, while companies with low unitÂÂ  contribution marginÂÂ  (such as dishware manufacturers) tend to spend much less for advertising. In short, the effect on theÂÂ  contribution marginÂÂ  holds the key in profit planning and short term decision making (Siegel Shim, 2006). There are a number of limitations of the cost volume profit analysis prepared. It assumes that all of the students are identical or that they are sold in a constant mix. Unless all types of students achieve the same contribution to sales ratio, the breakeven point and forecast profit or loss would change if the product mix changed. The analysis also assumes that fixed costs remain the same in total for all levels of output, but this may not be the case. The Bangsar University is likely to experience different students levels and different peaks and troughs in demand, compared with the Subang Jaya University. In the variable costs are to remain constant per students. This may not be realistic. For example, cost savings may be possible as a result of discounts from the increased level of offered expected for the Bangsar University. It is assumed that sales price will be constant at all levels of activity. It may also be necessary to reduce the selling prices in the Bangsar University in order to achieve the higher levels of sales. Furthermore, different levels of competition in the other location may require different pricing strategy. Break even analysis Break even point is where the organization has zero profit. There are two most often used approach to find break even point in units which are operating income approach and contribution margin approach (Hansen et al, 2009). Based on the UOB break even chart, the break even point is 205,455 students or RM 550,566. A formula will be used to verify whether the break even is correct; [Break even = Fixed cost/ (Selling price- Variable cost) =226,000 / 1.1 = 205, 455 students]. The graph states that UOB needs to have 205,455 students to achieve the breakeven point. Therefore, the university will be at lost if the UOB do not have at least 205,455 students enrolled. In that case, if the university successfully get at least 205,455 students, it will be making profits. The variable cost of UOB depends on the number. The contribution margin is [Break even point = Fixed cost /Unit contribution margin]. Based on contribution calculation, the contribution per course is RM1.30. To achieve the expected courses, the university need or require additional 67,692 students to gain the profit or increase of 26%. As for the margin of safety, the university had forecast it to have 21% profit. In order to achieve 21% more than the break even point, it need to have 260,000 courses applied. Profit volume chart According to the profit volume chart, we can see that the breakeven point is at 205,455 students. If the university wants to achieve the profit, it should market more courses to the students for the future enrolment to achieve the target of more than 205,455 students. For example, when the total enrolment of students reached 220,000, the university will profit RM300, 000. Recommendation University of Bulgari staffs can be proud of the local and international reputation it had been build together. The universitys reputation for quality teaching and excellence in research is a hard-won asset we must uphold. UOB needs to responds to the changing needs of the region including the changing needs of the staff and students. This is to ensure the university as a reputable organization and a service provider. The university needs to improve the quality of teaching and learning as well as the research strengths to become one of the wider regions Top 20 universities by 2020. Below are a few strategic plans; Develop a culture of excellence and innovation Recruiting and retain quality staff and the need to improve the quality of the university environment in which learning takes place more satisfying for both students and staff. Focus on high-quality courses in areas of strength. Continuous improvement of the teaching quality and work of comprehensive course review will see a consolidation and an improved financial viability of teaching units offered. By further developing activity in its established areas of research focus, it will accelerate and expand the universitys research achievements. Drive international excellence To become a leading university, it needs to build partnerships that enhance international reputation. Evaluation and implementation plans will be review to increase the universitys activity in targeted markets and improve activities in areas of low return. Enhance capacity and financial sustainability It needs to improve efficiency and productivity of current financial position and leverage the resources and capability of the university. Optimization the use of university buildings and land will see the continuous developments that improve utilization of existing buildings and land. Assumption Lists The University of Bulgari does not represent any existent university; it was invented for this coursework. All the figures used in this coursework are merely assumption. The money currency used is in Ringgit Malaysia (RM). The figures were round up to the nearest thousand.

The Characters in the Millers Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer...

The Characters in the Millers Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer During the middle ages, religion was the matrix of a person’s life. Everything, even boiling an egg, depended on religion, for the egg was cooked when the prayer was finished. With religion came certain morals and ideals that even now are associated with Christianity. A person was viewed based on how he measured up to the ideals of his profession or position in life. This was mostly proven in the satiric tone that Geoffrey Chaucer chooses to give to the narrator, in the Prologue, when describing such corrupt characters as the Monk and the Pardoner. The Miller’s Tale further illustrates this point by showing that a person who does not†¦show more content†¦With the help of Nicholas and Alison, the wife of the carpenter, all of the town thinks that the Carpenter is crazy. Because he sins by being jealous, this public humiliation is his punishment. Nicholas the Gallant is punished for several things. He lusts after a married woman. He uses his knowledge of the stars and the study of astrology, to his own advantage and to the disadvantage of another, namely the Carpenter. He is not an honourable man like men of that time were supposed to be, because he insults and assaults another person. For this, Nicholas is punished by the branding he receives on his â€Å"arse.† Absalon is also declining from his duties to God and the society, which are to be courteous and honourable and not sin. Like Nicholas he is lusting after Alison. Not only was that a sin because Alison is married, but also because lust in general is one of the deadly sins. Furthermore, he works for the church, which means that his moral level should be high and he is supposed to be setting the example for the rest of the people around him, so he should be judged more harshly than any man of the secular world. For this, â€Å"Absalon had kissed her [Alison’s] nether eye,† and also Nicholas’. He also received an unpleasant bodily gas in his face. 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How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men Free Essays

I think source A completely suggests that Field Marshal Sir General Haig did not care about the lives of his men because after one day of fighting the Germans on the 1st of July 1916 in the Battle of the Somme, over 57,000 British troops had been killed. The British only gained 750m. The next day Haig still continued with the same tactic even though a large amount of the army had lost their lives the day before. We will write a custom essay sample on How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men? or any similar topic only for you Order Now After suffering such heavy losses Haig still sent men out to their death every day. In source A Haig himself writes, â€Å"The nation must be taught to bear losses†. In every war there are losses but by writing this Haig gave no indications of just how many men he thought the nation would loose. I think Haig didn’t care how many men were killed as long as his main objective to relieve pressure on the attack of Verdun was completed. â€Å"No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victory to be won without the sacrifice of men’s lives.† In the two books the World of War and Modern World History, both books suggest that one of Haig’s chief subordinates Sir Henry Rawlinson was against the idea of a large offensive even before the Battle of the Somme begin. Rawlinson suggested that the British should concentrate its operations on the Western Front by launching a series of small discreet attacks. Inexperienced British troops would gain experience from these attacks while they could use the British industrial strength, which was now fully mobilised, to beat the Germans. Instead Haig went against the suggestion by launching a great offensive followed by a massive tightly controlled infantry attack. â€Å"No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders†. I think Haig’s deputy Rawlinson did have a lot of skill. He had good tactical idea but Haig choose not to use them. â€Å"no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men†. Rawlinson suggested small attacks to give the British troops experience. â€Å"no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great will enable victories to be won. From the Modern World History book it says, â€Å"Many of the shells supplied to the allied gunners were of poor quality. There was certainly a vast bombardment but many shells were not powerful enough to destroy the defensives or simply failed to go off†. â€Å"The nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists†. I think this is giving the same meaning as the first sentence in source a â€Å"The nation must be prepared to see heavy causality lists†. Haig had used the same tactic at another battle where he had been General. The Battle of Neuve Chappelle, which happened during 1915. The method used was to continuously bombard the enemy with shells for weeks. The barbwire would be cut then the British would attack using infantry. The method failed at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle but Haig used it again at the Battle of the Somme but on a much bigger scale risking more lives. Using a method of attack that has failed shouldn’t have been tried if it was going to risk so many men’s lives. Haig had been involved in other wars before the 1900’s when there wasn’t any planes or tanks available. When they were available for Haig to choose he decided not to use them and instead use older tactics. In Source F a modern historian has written, â€Å"The principal that guided him was if he could kill more Germans than the Germans could kill his men then he would inevitably at some time win the war†. This to me does not sound like the opinion of a General who cared about his men. Haig was more interested in winning a battle of attrition. In Source B Haig writes about the troops before the attack and he says how everyone is so confidant. â€Å"The men are in splendid spirits†. He also says how well the barbwire was cut. The second extract in Source B is again written by Haig giving us the report after the first day of the battle. â€Å"Very successful attack†¦the battle is going very well†¦The Germans are surrendering freely†. From what we know the battle wasn’t very successful and is known as one of the worst British battles. If the attack had started at midnight on the 1st July and carried on for 24 hours that would mean that 2375 British troops would die every hour and 1 soldier would die every 1 second. The battle didn’t go on for 24 hours though so the losses per hour would have been greater. Haig ordered his men to walk across no-man’s land because he thought that there wouldn’t be â€Å"even a rat alive† in the German trench. The Germans who had burrowed 12 meters underground were unaffected by the shelling and as the British were walking across and getting tangled in the masses of barbwire the Germans simply used a machine gun. This disaster could have been avoided if they had just run across. The tactics of the battle were good in theory but each one failed in some way. * There would be a huge military bombardment and mines would devastate the Germans positions. The bombardment didn’t devastate any of German positions. * The Germans barbwire would be cut. The barbwire wasn’t cut. It was simply thrown up into the air and it landed in a tangled mess. * The British troops would be able to walk across no-man’s land. The British troops got caught in the tangled barbwire and were mowed down by the German machine guns. * The British would carry heavy packs and trench repairing kit. Each solider carried 66lb of kit, which was half the men’s body weight. It was difficult to get out of the trench, move fast or even to get down or stand up quickly. These tactics sounded good but there were lots of faults. The Germans knew about the attack and were ready for it. Haig overestimated the ability of the artillery. The German’s trenches were on higher grounds then the English’s trenches so the Germans had a good view of anyone attacking. The German trenches had been there since 1914 and the German soldiers had not been idle. They had prepared the trenches well for the attack and fortified them with concrete. The Germans had barbwire stretching 30 meters wide all over the western front. How to cite How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men?, Papers How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men Free Essays string(108) " as the Director of ‘Blackadder’ \(Source D\) about Field Marshall Haig and his drinks cabinet\." Source A is a piece of text written by Haig just before the battle of the Somme (July 1916 to Nov 1916), It explains that in Haig’s opinion the nation has to accept the losses of warfare. He believes that however well an army is trained and led they will have to bear sacrifices. This is true but not to the extent of the Somme where the allies alone lost a massive 620,000 men. We will write a custom essay sample on How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Haig wrote this extract a month before the first attack suggesting that he knew there was going to be a large amount casualties. This also implies that he hadn’t made much of an effort to change the tactics and save the lives of men but lazily chose to prepare the nation of heavy losses. In this extract, a stubborn side of Haig has been unleashed with his mind concentrating only on the victory of the battle, no matter what the costs. For example Haig states † a nation must be taught to bear losses† and â€Å"no of skill will enable amount of victories to be won, without the sacrifice of men’s lives† giving us the impression that his determination for victory would stop at nothing. Before arriving at a conclusion to this question, we must consider Haig’s background as well as his current position. Sir Douglas Haig had had a long military career fighting in many battles and wars including the Boer War where he had served in the Cavalry. During his 40-year career he had lost many comrades and it is probable that certain toughness will grow inside him and he will learn to forget about the sadness of death. We must also remember that Haig is the General of the Allied Forces, he will want to be portrayed as a tough man ready to take tough decisions. We also know Haig is a religious man. Would a religious man send a man to his death without caring? In the end I think ‘care’ is too strong a word. From the evidence above I conclude that Haig sent men to their deaths, because he personally and honestly believed himself to be doing the right thing to succeed in victory. Haig did care, but he was an old fashion general using old fashion method to succeed in a modern war. Study Sources B C: Which one of these sources do you trust more? Sources B and C are both brief extracts from accounts of the battle of the Somme. Haig wrote source B on the day before and during the first attack. He states â€Å"the men are in splendid spirits† and we wonder how men could be in such â€Å"splendid spirits† when they are living lives in a trench, probably suffering from trench foot and feeling homesick. This makes us wonder if Haig has actually visited the men in the front line, because he will find that the â€Å"spirits† of his troops are not as â€Å"splendid† as he described. Also when Haig states â€Å"the barbed wire has never been cut so well† we know that from Private George Coppard (Source C) account that the barbed wire was one of the main reasons for such a high casualty list on the first day, if anything the wire as a result if the bombardment, was â€Å"in a worse tangle than before†. Haig’s statements are hugely contradicted by Coppard whose attitude towards the Generals â€Å"who told them that the artillery fire would pound such wire to pieces† suggests to us that the morale of the men was not as high as Haig had expected. The phrase also tells us that the wire was not cut to allow troops the break through to the German line. This is enough for us to question the reliability of Source B. However, if Source B is unreliable, the question must then be asked why would a top British General make such statements. The reasons could be many, amongst which one could include that Haig could have been poorly informed, for political reasons, or simply to keep morale up both at home and on the front. There are also many reasons why Source B is not accurate; amongst the most important evidence are the many eyewitness accounts and the simple fact that the British Army suffered more than half million casualties throughout the battle. It could be argued that Coppard’s interview is the experience of one man through out the 15-mile line of the Somme. However, whereas Haig would gain credibility and keep his job by lying, it is unlikely that Coppard would want to tarnish the memories of his late comrades by lying about the real incidents of the Somme. Factually, the evidence supports Coppard’s case. The facts tell us that there were over 55,000 casualties on the first day. Haig claims it was a successful attack† whereas Coppard describes the â€Å"hundreds of dead†. The evidence supports Coppard when he claims that the wire was not completely cut whereas Haig states, â€Å"the wire has never been cut so well†. Coppard’s purpose in doing the interview was probably to reveal the truth and horrors of war and possibly to make sure the mistakes of war are never repeated. Haig’s purpose in writing Source B was probably political and to maintain his position. So I conclude that Source C is more reliable as it relates to the proven facts. Study Sources D E: These two sources are not about Haig and the battle of the Somme. How far do you agree that they have no use for the historian studying Haig and the battle of the Somme? Sources D and E are both made to amuse the audience. Source D is a comical TV series of life in a trench. However, Source E is a piece of antiwar propaganda and even though it has been made to amuse, it shares the same point of view as the Director of ‘Blackadder’ (Source D) about Field Marshall Haig and his drinks cabinet. You read "How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men?" in category "Papers" I think a historian studying Haig and the Somme would find Sources D and E of considerable use. They both show popular ideas of Haig, one at the time of the event and the other 60 years later. As a television series, Source D would present views that the majority of the people agree with in order to boost it’s ratings. This suggests that the majority of people agree that Haig was a poor leader. The series ‘Blackadder goes Forth’ shows both side of war; life in the frontline trenches and then in the General’s headquarters. This will give a historian an insight to the conditions of the trenches and that of the headquarters. However, Source D was made 60 years after the war so the director must have made it using sources such as E and other possibly accounts. Source E also shows how men were kitted out and how poorly training would have prepared them for the reality of the war they were about to fight. This is useful as it shows how much thought they gave to the training and equipping of his troops. I think both sources are relevant to a historian studying Haig as they show the view shared by many people, which is always important. Source E also tells us that the whole of the nation did not support the war propaganda and it gives a historian an insight to Britain during 1914-1918. Study Sources F,G H: Do Sources G and H prove that F is wrong? Source F is an extract from a recent book called â€Å"British Butchers and Bunglers of World War†. The tone of the title is derogatory, particularly towards Haig. The book centres on the popular view, that Haig was a bungling old general. The book, like many written, is based on opinion rather than on fact. Whilst the book probably contains statistical evidence, the success or failure Haig’s battle strategy is to an extent based on opinion. The writer has not taken into consideration that WW1 was the first type of war to be fought in trenches and with machine guns. I think it’s unfair to blame Haig (who had been trained as a cavalry officer) for not having developed a successful strategy. The author has also forgotten to mention had Haig not reacted at the Somme, the French would have been taken at Verdun and the German army would have overwhelmed the British. Source G is an extract from the â€Å"German Official History of the First World War† which surprisingly contradicts Source F. Unlike many other sources, this extract compliments the British for their victory. Source G is telling us that the victors of the Somme were given a great morale boost for the future. It also meant that the Germans had lost all of their experienced soldiers, which weakened the German front line. It seems as though the Germans are praising Haig, unlike Source F. However, this source may also be questioned given that at the time of writing the Germans were paying massive reparations to the allied forces so they might have felt if they could keep in good terms with the allies, they may be able to clear some of the debt. However this is unlikely. Source H was written by a British general 57 years after the battle of the Somme. Because of the amount of time between the battle and the time of writing, it is possible that that of others has influenced his memory. Especially if he had risen to the rank of General, he would have been in an environment where Haig was respected, as his superiors were followers of Haig. However whilst this has some merit, it is more likely that the General as a military person could appreciate more Haig’s strategy. He begins by saying that the German armies were broken by the â€Å"courage an resolution of Haig’s armies, which had complete confidence in the leadership of their commander†. This completely contradicts Source F which claims Haig was a terrible commander. In conclusion whilst Source F repeats a popular view of Haig, I believe that Sources G and H does prove F wrong as it was written one by a fellow general with military training and from German point of view which had no reason to be bias. Study Source I J: Why do you think that sources I and J differ about the Battle of the Somme? Sources I and J are both comments made by Lloyd George during and after the Battle of the Somme. Even though the sources have been written by the same man they completely contradict each other. It is almost as if the extracts were written by different men. Source I is part of a letter written by Lloyd George to Haig after his visit to the battlefields during the battle of the Somme. Lloyd George seems to be congratulating Haig on the battle plans. He seems sure that battle is going in their favour yet it was still another month until the battle ended. There are various reasons why Lloyd George did not write what we would have expected him to write. Firstly, Lloyd George would have wanted his General to be confident in his actions; he would have to encourage him. Secondly it would be stupid to start a quarrel with your General during a battle and bad for the morale of the troops. Source J is an extract written by Lloyd George in the 1930’s. He is now 14 years later criticising Haig claiming that at the time of his visit he was confused by the cavalry in No mans Land. Now 14 years later and with no need to encourage Haig he speaks freely. However it may also be that at the time of writing Source I he did not see the faults in the British line up and is in Source J lying to try to stop any blame falling on him as Secretary of War. Study all the Sources. â€Å"Haig was an uncaring General who sacrificed the lives of his soldiers for no good reason† How far do this sources support this views. I believe that these sources do not go far to support this view. This is based on the following: – Sources A and B written by Haig himself, perhaps shows his deficiencies as a modern day leader not necessarily an uncaring butcher. Source C written by written by a private in the army, whilst giving a realistic picture from the trenches could not possible see the overall strategy. Sources D E whilst relevant in promoting the populist view, again are biased. Sources F, a recently written book, again follows the more popular view and is a better titles to sell books. Sources G is probably the most unbiased view given that it was written by the enemy with little to gain. This source perhaps gives the biggest insight into Haig’s strategy. Source H again does not support the view of the question, and was the only sources written by a fellow general who has been trained in warfare. Sources I and J both written by Lloyd George, highlights the difficulty in coming to any conclusion. He contradicts himself and argues convincingly for and against, proving that the question, even with the benefit of hindsight, is a difficult one to answer. How to cite How far does Source A prove that Haig did not care about the lives of his men?, Papers

Identification of Petroleum Hydrocarbons free essay sample

Abstract: Unknown hydrocarbon K was identified by using purification, determination of boiling point by using the capillary tube technique, the calculation of density and obtained refractive index value from the Abbe-3L refractometer. The density was not useful due to an error of the machine but the boiling point and refractive index were used to confirm that the unidentified hydrocarbon K was 2,2 Introduction Thrush is a gasoline additive that is claimed to improve engine performance (Lehman,2009). Gasoline is derived from petroleum and must be refined to be used as a fuel source Straight chain carbons like heptane and hexane burn rapidly causing a shock wave that does not give a good source of power and damages the engine (Lehman,2009). Highly branched hydrocarbons on the other hand burn slower and uniformly not causing a shock wave (Lehman,2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Identification of Petroleum Hydrocarbons or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The octane number of motor fuel measures the ability of the fuel not to cause a shock wave (Lehman,2009). The higher the number the more branched the hydrocarbon (Lehman,2009). The purpose of this experiment is to identify the hydrocarbon in thrust and determine whether or not its octane number is greater than 87. The hypothesis for this experiment was that with the measurement of boiling point, density and refractive index the hydrocarbon can be identified therefore allowing for the determination of the octane number. The strategy of this experiment is using simple distillation in order to purify the substance then using the capillary tube boiling method to find the boiling point of the unknown and then determining the density using the previously learned technique from the first lab Materials and Methods Unknown k was distilled using the technique of simple distillation once it was distilled a portion of the distillate was used to determine the boiling  point using the capillary tube boiling point technique. Another portion of 1 ml was used to figure out the density of unknown hydrocarbon K. The density was measured by weighing out intervals of .2 ml at a time and then graphing the mass and the volumes to get the slope which was the density of unknown K. The last thing done was the refractive index which was done by using the Abbe-3L refractometer. Results The boiling point range for the unknown k was between 48 and 49 degrees centigrade averaging out to be 49 degrees centigrade from the capillary tube boiling point technique. The density of unknown K was . The refractive index was 1.36521 at 20 degrees centigrade. the corrective refractive index was not necessary. finally the unknown was identified to be 2,2 dimethylbutane. Graph 1: The mass weighed from the volumes in intervals of 0.2ml. The slope is the density of unknown K which is 1.1265g/ml Discussion In conclusion unknown K was identified to be 2,2, dimethyl butane because of the refractive index and the boiling point. The refractive index obtained was 1,36521 and the expected was supposed to be 1.3688 since the experimental value was so close to that of the expected it was determined that the unknown was 2,2 dimethyl butane. The boiling point was also an indicator that the unknown hydrocarbon was 2,2 dimethyl butane because the experimental temperature average was 49 degrees centigrade which was exactly that of the temperature of 2,2 dimethyl butane. the density wa not a good indication for which hydrocarbon in table 8.2 because it was well over any of the hydrocarbons in the table. This suggested that there was great source of error when weighing the hydrocarbon. Indeed there was error but it was from the analytical balance which did not settle on a number but went down further and further because the hydrocarbon was extremely volatile. the octane of 2,2 dimethylbutane was dete rmined to be 97 which is greater than 87 suggesting that the hydrocarbon is highly branched making it a hydrocarbon in thrust that will promote an anti-shocking which means it is proven to be good for the engine. Discussion Questions 1. You would correct the refractive index by : 1.3780+(0.00045*(78.2-20)) =1.40419 and the density calculation would be: 0.133/0.200=.665g/ml. The unknown hydrocarbon is not listed. 4. If the density is greater than water then it will remain on the surface of the water causing a problem with the aquatic animals trying to come up to the surface of the water. Will suffocate the water by not allowing for oxygen to be dissolved in the water making it hard for sea creatures to breath. It will possibly create the tar balls as what was said in lecture. 6. a) Dioxane has a boiling point of 101 degrees centigrade just like methylcyclohexane so another property such manipulation of solubility could separate the two from each other because boiling with evaporate both at the same time.