Euoplocephalus - Facts and Figures

Euoplocephalus - Facts and Figures Name: Euoplocephalus (Greek for well-armored head); pronounced YOU-oh-plo-SEFF-ah-luss Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (75-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and two tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large spines on back; quadrupedal posture; clubbed tail; armored eyelids About Euoplocephalus Probably the most evolved, or derived, of all the ankylosaurs, or armored dinosaurs, Euoplocephalus was the Cretaceous equivalent of the Batmobile: this dinosaurs back, head and sides were completely armored, even its eyelids, and it wielded a prominent club on the end of its tail. One can imagine that the apex predators of late Cretaceous North America (such as Tyrannosaurus Rex) went after easier prey, since the only way to kill and eat a full-grown Euoplocephalus would be to somehow flip it onto its back and dig into its soft bellya process that might entail a few cuts and bruises, not to mention the occasional loss of limb. Although its close cousin Ankylosaurus gets all the press, Euoplocephalus is the best-known ankylosaur among paleontologists, thanks to the discovery of over 40 more-or-less complete fossil specimens (including about 15 intact skulls) in the American west. However, since the remains of multiple Euoplocephalus males, females, and juveniles have never been found heaped together, its likely that this plant-eater led a solitary lifestyle (though some experts hold out hope that Euoplocephalus roamed the North American plains in small herds, which would have afforded them an extra layer of protection against hungry tyrannosaurs and raptors). As well-attested as it is, theres still a lot about Euoplocephalus that we dont understand. For example, theres some debate about how usefully this dinosaur could wield its tail club in combat, and whether this was a defensive or offensive adaptation (one can imagine male Euoplocephalus bonking each other with their tail clubs during mating season, rather than trying to use them to intimidate a hungry Gorgosaurus). There are also some tantalizing hints that Euoplocephalus may not have been as slow and plodding a creature as its anatomy would indicate; perhaps it was able to charge at full speed when enraged, like an angry hippopotamus! Like many dinosaurs of North America, the type specimen of Euoplocephalus was discovered in Canada rather than the U.S., by the famous Canadian paleontologist Lawrence Lambe in 1897. (Lambe originally named his discovery Stereocephalus, Greek for solid head, but since this name turned out to be already preoccupied by another animal genus, he coined Euoplocephalus, well-armored head, in 1910.) Lambe also assigned Euoplocephalus to the stegosaur family, which was not quite as big a blunder as it may seem, since stegosaurs and ankylosaurs are both classified as thyreophoran dinosaurs and not as much was known about these armored plant-eaters 100 years ago as it is today.

The Science of Magnetic Field Lines

The Science of Magnetic Field Lines A magnetic field surrounds any electric charge in motion. The magnetic field is continuous and invisible, but its strength and orientation may be represented by magnetic field lines. Ideally, magnetic field lines or magnetic flux lines show the strength and orientation of a magnetic field. The representation is useful because it gives people a way to view an invisible force and because mathematical laws of physics easily accommodate the number or density of field lines. Magnetic field lines are a visual representation of the invisible lines of force in a magnetic field.By convention, the lines trace the force from the north to south pole of a magnet.The distance between the lines indicates relative strength of the magnetic field. The closer the lines are, the stronger the magnetic field is.Iron filings and a compass may be used to trace the shape, strength, and direction of magnetic field lines. A magnetic field is a vector, which means it has magnitude and direction. If electric current flows in a straight line, the right hand rule shows the direction invisible magnetic field lines flow around a wire. If you imagine gripping the wire with your right hand with your thumb pointing in the direction of the current, the magnetic field travels in the direction of the fingers around the wire. But, what if you dont know the direction of current or simply want to visualize a magnetic field? How to See a Magnetic Field Like air, a magnetic field is invisible. You can view wind indirectly by throwing small bits of paper into the air. Similarly, placing bits of magnetic material in a magnetic field lets you trace its path. Easy methods include: Use a Compass A group of compasses can show the directions of magnetic field lines. Maciej Frolow / Getty Images Waving a single compass around a magnetic field shows the direction of the field lines. To actually map the magnetic field, placing many compasses indicates the direction of the magnetic field at any point. To draw magnetic field lines, connect the compass dots. The advantage of this method is that it shows the direction of magnetic field lines. The disadvantage is that it doesnt indicate magnetic field strength. Use Iron Filings or Magnetite Sand Iron is ferromagnetic. This means it aligns itself along magnetic field lines, forming tiny magnets with north and south poles. Tiny bits of iron, such as iron filings, align to form a detailed map of field lines because the north pole of one piece orients to repel the north pole of another piece and attract its south pole. But, you cant just sprinkle the filings onto a magnet because they are attracted to it and will stick to it rather than trace the magnetic field. To solve this problem, iron filings are sprinkled onto paper or plastic over a magnetic field. One technique used to disperse the filings is to sprinkle them onto the surface from a height of a few inches. More filings can be added to make the field lines more clear, but only up to a point. Alternatives to iron filings include steel BB pellets, tin-plated iron filings (which wont rust), small paper clips, staples, or magnetite sand. The advantage to using particles of iron, steel, or magnetite is that the particles form a detailed map of magnetic field lines. The map also gives a rough indication of magnetic field strength. Closely-spaced, dense lines occur where the field is strongest, while widely-separated, sparse lines show where it is weaker. The disadvantage of using iron filings is that theres no indication of magnetic field orientation. The easiest way to overcome this is to use a compass together with iron filings to map both orientation and direction. Try Magnetic Viewing Film Magnetic viewing film is a flexible plastic containing bubbles of fluid laced with tiny magnetic rods. The films appears darker or lighter depending on the orientation of the rods in a magnetic field. Magnetic viewing film works best mapping complex magnetic geometry, such as that produced by a flat refrigerator magnet. Natural Magnetic Field Lines The lines in the aurora follow Earths magnetic field lines. Oscar Bjarnason / Getty Images Magnetic field lines also appear in nature. During a total solar eclipse, the lines in the corona trace the Suns magnetic field. Back on Earth, the lines in an aurora indicate the path of the planets magnetic field. In both cases, the visible lines are glowing streams of charged particles. Magnetic Field Line Rules Using magnetic field lines to construct a map, some rules become apparent: Magnetic field lines never cross.Magnetic field lines are continuous. They form closed loops that continue all the way through a magnetic material.Magnetic field lines bunch together where the magnetic field is strongest. In other words, the density of field lines indicates magnetic field strength. If the field lines around a magnet are mapped, its strongest magnetic field is at either pole.Unless the magnetic field is mapped using a compass, the direction of the magnetic field may be unknown. By convention, direction is indicated by drawing arrowheads along magnetic field lines. In any magnetic field, the lines always flow from the north pole to the south pole. The names north and south are historical and may have no bearing on the geographical orientation of the magnetic field Source Newton, Henry Black and Harvey N. Davis (1913) Practical Physics, The MacMillan Co., USA.

No Topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No Topic - Assignment Example The company is doing its best to improve the infrastructure, but does not have enough information about its customers. The information about customers and their needs is necessary to gain new customers. The data should be gathered and properly analyzed to get to know whom to focus on. The company is not going to make any IT innovations, but they still need to use information technologies. IT are used by the competitors and it is essential to use them to keep the competitive advantage. The probable strategy to attract new customers is widely discussed by the Carnival’s managers. One of the most important things is to make the customers loyal. The one possible way is to use customers’ relationship management. CRM strategy has been already applied but due to the rather neglecting attitude towards information technologies, the strategy was not applied successfully. CRM strategy can help Carnival attract new customers and gather important data about them