The history of a technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The history of a technology - Research Paper Example To put in more bluntly, Cooper’s history of air conditioning refers to the human history of managing or controlling the atmosphere in relation to man’s needs. The history of air conditioning as the history of air becomes apparent in the debate on whether or not windows should be close in exchange for mechanical system; this debate largely transpired in the 1970s. As if following Cooper’s idea of air conditioning, Arora (2009) traces its history from Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century ventilating fan. This ventilating fan lessens the experience of heat generated by the natural weather. In the 17th and 19th centuries, Boyle and Dalton were able to find the scientific laws involving heat or gasses. Arora (2009) notes that it was Robert Buchanan in the 1815 who first wrote into text pertaining to the theories of heating and ventilating. On the other hand, Whitman, Johnson, and Tomczyk (2005) define the notion of air conditioning not only as an air filtration and ventilation but also as a â€Å"space cooling, heating, humidification, [and] dehumidification.† Following this definition, they state that the first â€Å"air conditioning† (i.e., storing natural ice) occurred in 1000 B.C. ... It is interesting that Whitman et al. (2005) put the time line, in a visual representation, of the history of air conditioning from the 1800s (p. xxvi). Here, they appear to view the concept of air conditioning in its present understanding. Of Scientific Theories There are several scientific theories and/or laws that predate the theory characterized in the modern-day air conditioning. So-called Charles’s Law and the Law of Partial Pressures are Dalton’s contributions to the understanding of temperature, pressure, and gasses. The former refers to the proportional expansion of gases given an equal increase of temperature at constant pressure; the latter points to the independent exertion of gasses, as if they are the â€Å"only gas[es] present,† upon their mixture â€Å"in a closed vessel† (Weber, 2000). Charles’s Law helps comprehend the phenomenon occurring within and outside the present-day air conditioner when temperature increases or decreases. M oreover, The Law of Partial Pressures provides a greater depth in understanding the gases that come in and go out from the air conditioning machine. However, the theory of present-day notion of air conditioning is traced highly to Michael Faraday’s 19th-century equation concerning gases and constant pressure. According to Freudenberger (2006), today’s scientists are able to figure out the quantitative measurement of the absolute zero: -273.15 degrees Celsius. In this theoretical state, cold is very much evident while heat is utterly absent. In Thermodynamics, heat is a form of energy. Since the theory of cold signifies the absence of heat, then the law of heat is quite essential in fully comprehending the nature of cold or cooling. In explaining the processes involved in

Critical Comparison between Questionnaires and Focus Groups Essay

Critical Comparison between Questionnaires and Focus Groups - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of research as a systematic or scientific way of searching for knowledge. Research provides answers to questions by uncovering hidden truths. An individual can conduct a research to familiarise with a certain phenomenon or discover new insights on a familiar phenomenon. Research can also be conducted to test formulated hypothesis on a phenomenon or describe the characteristics of the object under study. Therefore, the kind of research approach that an individual utilises is based on the purpose and objective of the research. Research can be categorised in many ways. One such way is descriptive versus analytical research. Descriptive research is conducted to investigate various aspects of a phenomenon. A researcher in this case aims at finding out facts about research objects. It may include surveys and enquires on the current situation in the researcher’s area of interest. In a descriptive research, the researcher simply reports fac ts about variables. The researcher has no control of over variables and cannot manipulate them in the study. Therefore, the researcher gives a description of variables as they exist in their natural environment. Descriptive research is useful in measuring objects. In this kind of research, different methods are used depending on the nature of the study and the researcher’s preferences. Comparative and correlation research methods are used in descriptive research. Analytical research involves using the facts collected on a phenomenon to evaluate that phenomenon. Therefore, the researcher does not just gather facts about research objects but also uses those facts to analyse or make judgements about the objects under study (Kumar 2008, p. 6; Kothari 2008, p.2). Research can also be categorised as fundamental or applied research. Applied research differs from fundamental research in that it seeks to provide an immediate solution to an existing problem. Fundamental research will g eneralise a problem and develop theories of how the problem began or how it can be solved. Thus, multiple solutions may be generated and analysed in fundamental research but the researcher gives his or her recommendation on the ideal solutions. Fundamental research is often referred to as basic research because an individual gathers facts for the sake of adding to their level of knowledge. Applied research is conclusive and provides solutions to research questions or actual problems in the area of study. Therefore, basic or fundamental research adds to the existing body of scientific knowledge while applied research provides solutions to problems (Ethridge 2004, p. 20). Research can be categorised as conceptual or empirical. Conceptual research is based on theories and is used to develop new concepts about a phenomenon. This research can also be used to reinforce or interpret existing concepts and theories. Empirical research does not consider the existing theories but relies on obs ervation. This type of research is based on data collected and conclusions are drawn based on observations. Empirical research is experimental and a researcher collects firsthand information on phenomenon. The research may manipulate things in an environment to achieve the desired results. Empirical research in most cases starts with a hypothesis or expected results from an experiment. The data collected in this case will be used to test hypothesis. Empirical research is used to describe relationships between two or more variables (Kumar 2008, p. 8; Burns 1992, p. 195). Research can be categorised as either quantitative or qualitative. This is the most common categorisation of research. Quantitative research is based on measurable variables. The main objective in quantitative research is to generalise collected data. Qualitative research focuses on collecting information on immeasurable variables such as human behaviour, emotions and feelings among