What does the conch's fate in Lord Of The Flies symbolize?

The destruction of the conch symbolizes the end of rules and of order. It had always been a symbol of civilized behaviour and became a token that there existed some form of order on the island. It was the instrument which summoned all the boys to meetings where behavioural norms and other important aspects to ensure the boys' survival on the island were discussed. Furthermore, it was a guarantee that the rules of decency and respect would be adhered to, for the one who had the conch also had the right to speak.

The conch, in being used to summon meetings, also made it possible for the boys to socialize and discuss their concerns as well as their fears but also to consider a means to make themselves noticeable so that they could be rescued. It became a source of comfort for especially the younger and weaker boys, such as the littluns and Piggy who would otherwise not have been listened to. In this sense, it gave them power.

For these reasons, the conch became the most powerful object on the island. Its deep, booming sound created an awareness amongst the boys that something important was about to happen. It is ironic, though, that such an unsophisticated object could attain such a great measure of significance. Further irony lies in the fact that, because it was so simple and natural, it would fit in better in a savage environment, rather than one in which it became a device to maintain civilized order, and, therefore, be an emblem of sophistication. 

Once the conch was destroyed, everything fell apart almost from the moment of its destruction. Its annihilation indicates a dramatic turning-point in the novel. It was obliterated as the following extract from chapter 11 illustrates:

...the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist.

It is no coincidence that Piggy died at the same time as the conch. He was the one who thought rationally and who insisted on an adherence to the rules. He believed that they would only survive and be rescued if they maintained control.

Although there had been a move away from civilized order, specifically by Jack and his hunters, who called themselves savages, painted their faces and formed a tribe, their bloodlust and savagery truly came to the fore once the conch was gone. It being out of the way meant that there was nothing to hold them back. They were then able to practice their malice without any restraint, and this is exactly what they did. Jack gleefully and remorselessly celebrated the conch's destruction:

Suddenly Jack bounded out from the tribe and began screaming wildly. “See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone—”  

Once the conch was no more, nothing was sacred to Jack and his tribe. We read in chapter twelve that they purposefully set out to hunt Ralph, flush him out, and kill him. Ralph was nothing more than an object to appease their savagery - he had become much the same as the pigs that they had so gleefully hunted. It was fortunate that the naval officer found Ralph before Jack and his tribe reached him. The officer's arrival meant the return of civilization, the restoration of order and the end of savagery.

What is the relationship between rate of cooling and crystal size?

As the rate of cooling increases, crystal size decreases. This means that something which cools very quickly will have smaller crystal formations, and something which cools slowly will have larger crystal formations. This is easily seen in igneous rock, which may cool at variable rates. Sometimes, larger crystals are trapped among lots of smaller crystals, showing that parts of an older, slow-cooled rock were broken up and mixed in with magma which has cooled quickly.

We can also see this principle in our very own homes! Sometimes when we put meat into the freezer to keep and then thaw it out, lots of fluid is lost during the thaw process. This can make a mess and even make the meat dry after cooking. Why might that be? It all has to do with the rate of cooling! When larger pieces of meat, like a roast, are placed directly into the freezer from room temperature, they do not cool at an even rate. This slow process of freezing-- sort of from the outside inward-- creates large ice crystals in the meat. When we take it out to thaw, those ice crystals melt, leaving behind big holes in the cellular structure. It's almost like the meat has been poked through with an icicle! Because the cellular structure has been damaged, fluid is let free in the thaw process. One way we can avoid this damage is to increase the rate of freezing. Begin by putting the meat into the refrigerator so that it can cool to a low temperature (without freezing) as uniformly as possible. When it's cool all the way through, transfer it to the freezer! Because the meat is already at a very low temperature, it will freeze faster, resulting in much smaller ice crystals and less tissue damage.

What states appear to have an affinity for democratic mechanisms such as the referendum and the initiative?

The development of the initiative and the referendum were ideas that began during the Progressive Era. There was significant concern that the average American was being shut out of the political process. As a result, the initiative and the referendum were developed to encourage the average American to become more involved in the political process.

The initiative allows people to get legislation or proposed constitutional amendments onto the ballot. The referendum allows people to vote on a proposed idea. The binding referendum means that whatever the voters decide will take place. The lawmaking body must follow the wishes of the voters. The advisory referendum gives advice to a lawmaking body but doesn’t bind them to follow the wishes of the voters.

There are many states that allow for both the referendum and the initiative. These states include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The U.S. Virgin Islands also allows for the initiative and the referendum.

What would happen when lead nitrate solution is added to potassium iodide solution?

When lead nitrate is added to potassium iodide, a chemical reaction takes place and new products- lead iodide and potassium nitrate, are formed. The chemical reaction can be represented by the following well-balanced equation:

`Pb(NO_3)_2 (aq) + 2KI (aq) -> PbI_2 (s) + 2KNO_3 (aq)`

In this reaction, lead nitrate solution is colorless (even though lead nitrate is a white solid) and when it reacts with potassium iodide, it forms a precipitate of lead iodide, which is a bright yellow colored solid. 

Another aspect to note here is that the reaction is a double-displacement reaction. The cations (lead and potassium) and the anions (nitrate and iodide) exchange their partners. The lead cation which was bonded with the nitrate anion exchanges it for iodide anions from potassium, which replaces iodide with nitrate ions. Hence, we observe a double displacement reaction, which produces a yellow colored precipitate.

Hope this helps. 

How did Elie initially avoid losing his gold crown in Night?

Wiesel saved his gold crown the first time by pretending to be sick. 

A medical checkup takes place for the prisoners after they have been sorted.  Three doctors examine them and it pretty much just consists of asking them "Are you in good health?"  As Wiesel notes, who would admit otherwise?  The only way to save their lives is to be useful. 

Then they see the dentist.

On the other hand, the dentist seemed more conscientious: he asked me to open my mouth wide. In fact, he was not looking for decay but for gold teeth. Those who had gold in their mouths were listed by their number. I did have a gold crown. (Ch. 4) 

Elie did not really think anything of it, but naturally the fact that the teeth were being inventoried would mean that they were going to be taken.  When the dentist told him his tooth was going to be extracted, Wiesel had to think fast.  He wanted to save that tooth. 

"What are you going to do, sir?"

"I shall remove your gold crown, that's all," he said, clearly indifferent.

I thought of pretending to be sick:

"Couldn't you wait a few days, sir? I don't feel well, I have a fever … " (Ch. 4)

The dentist told him to come back when he felt better, but he didn't have to.  When Wiesel found out that the dentist was to be hanged, he felt no remorse because it meant that his gold crown was safe.  The gold crown was an insurance policy.  He was aware that it was useful, and could be used later to buy something, such as “some bread or even time to live.”  

Later, he found out that since the crown had not been listed, it could mean trouble for him and his father.  The foreman Franek tried to take it, and he said he needed it to eat. Franek claimed it wasn’t needed for the food they got.  He started to beat Wiesel’s father savagely each day until Wiesel gave him the tooth.  They finally gave in, and he made Wiesel pay him his bread ration to have the dentist pull his crown with a rusty spoon.

What are the main characteristics of ballads and to whom do they relate?

The ballad is a form of sung poetry that is part of the European oral tradition. It is generally considered part of a "folk" tradition, meaning that it mainly evolved and developed outside the traditions of the church and the courts, being practiced in the villages and the countryside, with leading practitioners often being itinerant musicians. Ballads traditionally are a form of narrative poetry accompanied by music and divided into four-line stanzas with various patterns of repetition of a chorus or a refrain. 

The ballad originated in France as a type of music to accompany dancing. In Britain and North America, there evolved three types of ballads, those that remained part of the folk tradition, those printed on broadsides, and literary imitations of the ballad form, originally made popular in the Romantic period. The written and literary forms appealed to an educated audience nostalgic for a folk or a pastoral tradition, while the oral folk tradition continued to be associated with rural or remote areas and an uneducated audience, whether in Northumbria on the border of England and Scotland or in Appalachia. 

What hormone does the corpus luteum secrete to keep the placenta a rich, thick bed of blood vessels?

The corpus luteum forms after the release of an egg from the ovary, and it secretes progesterone which helps to develop and maintain the endometrium, or the inner lining, in the uterus.

If an egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone after about 10 days in humans, at which time the lining of the uterus is shed. If an egg is fertilized and implants in the lining of the uterus, the developing ball of cells produces human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone which signals the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone. In this way, the lining of the uterus is maintained and provides a healthy environment for a fetus to grow along with the placenta. Eventually the placenta will take over the role of producing progesterone, but the corpus luteum is essential at the beginning of the process to maintain a pregnancy.