yl:chemistry
Natural and synthetic polymers
Omar Newell (centre), director of community service at the National Youth Service, congratulates the 4-H Champion
Girl Le-Chona Redwood of the Manning’s School and St May High’s Reynaldo Dallas, at the 4-H National Achievement
Expo held at the Denbigh Showground on April 24.
FRANCINE TAYLOR-CAMPBELL
Contributor
 POLYSACCHARIDES SUCH as starch can be broken down to
simple sugars (monosaccharides) by enzymes (such as amylase) or
during acid hydrolysis.
 Hydrolysis is the breakdown of large molecules to small ones by
reaction with water. This can be done in the presence of an acid.
 Proteins are hydrolysed into the amino acids that make them up
using dilute acid or alkali.
 Synthetic polymers represent all polymers that are man-made,
including plastics.
 The disposal of plastics poses a big environmental problem.
Synthetic polymers include all the polyalkenes made by addition
polymerization and the polyesters and polyamides made from
condensation polymerization. Examples of these are polythene,
polyvinylchloride (PVC), terylene and nylon.
Disadvantages of using these synthetic polymers lie mainly in the
effect on the environment. Plastics are non-biodegradable; they do not
decay or rot. This means that they end up in our rubbish and landfill
sites where they can remain for hundreds of years. Burning plastics
tend to release toxic substances into the atmosphere. Poisonous gases
such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen cyanide can be formed if
plastics contain chlorine and nitrogen, respectively.
Recycling is a way to reuse plastics so we will produce less new
ones. Thermoplastics are special in that they can be remoulded into
new shapes and then reused. Scientists are now making
‘biodegradable’ plastics, allowing them to break down quicker. This
involves using groups of atoms that can absorb light, to allow it to
break down. New plastics made by bacteria are able to be degraded in
months, but are more expensive. Water-soluble plastics are also being
made, which will allow them to decay faster.
Natural polymers include protein and starch. Starch is a
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015
polysaccharide made up of monomer units of glucose formed from
condensation polymerization. Water molecule is lost when two
glucose units come together.
nC6H12O6 (C5H10O5)6 + nH2O
Acid hydrolysis of starch by heating with hydrochloric acid breaks
it down into glucose.
The reverse of the above reaction takes place.
(C6H10O5)n + nH2O nC6H12O6
Starch + water (in acid) = glucose
During digestion, starch is broken down to glucose by enzymes in
the mouth, pancreas and intestines.
Proteins are formed from monomer units of amino acids joined by
condensation polymerization. Amino acids have an amino group (-
NH2) at one end and an acid group (-COOH) at the other end of the
molecule. Different amino acids can then join and lose a molecule of
water in the process.
monomer units then join to form the
protein (below)
The -H-N-C=O link is called the amide or peptide linkage. R-
represents groups of carbon and hydrogen atoms, e.g. C2H5-
Proteins can be broken back down into amino acids by reacting
with strong acids and alkalis. This hydrolysis can be done by heating
the protein with aqueous hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. A
similar process occurs in the stomach when enzymes break down the
protein in the stomach and in the intestines.
Francine Taylor-Campbell is an independent contributor. send questions and
comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
13

Our part in the integration process
MAUREEN CAMPBELL
Contributor
OBJECTIVE
EXAMINE THE role of individual citizens,
business organisations and government in the
integration process, the role of individual
citizens in the integration process. Every
country needs individuals who will establish
and run business ventures. As individual
citizens, when we get involved in the regional
integration process it will help us to:
 Reduce the inequality of wealth
distribution as we ensure that we are as
productive as possible, lead a fulfilled life and,
more so, develop skills and experiences that
will help us to make a contribution to the
region as part of the labour force.
 Increase market size in the region as we
choose to purchase from regional producers
and service providers instead of buying the
same products and using the same services
offered by other countries around the world.
 Carry out the rules regarding the free
movement of labour, capital and the right to
establish regional businesses, which is
intended to encourage the expansion of trade
within the region.
 Enhance solidarity in the region as
individual with capital, skills and expertise take
these to another country in the region where it
is needed and, therefore, enhance the economy
of that country and, in the end, the region.
NOTE
As citizens we must, however, make sure
that we are informed about the aims, objectives
and processes of the integration process.
THE ROLE BUSINESS
ORGANISATIONS IN THE
INTEGRATION PROCESS
These are very vital in the integration
process. There must always be healthy
competition in the region; this will encourage
others to be a part of the drive to increase
productivity. The goods and services that we
provide should be of a high standard; we must
be able to compete on the international
14
yl:social studies
 The adopting of common policies such
as functional and economic cooperation. Such
policies are needed to stimulate and encourage
private-sector activities.
 The ensuring that adequate and suitable
information is made available to citizens.
In the Caribbean, the government must play
the following roles for the integration process
to realise that there is strength in unity.
 The granting of work permits and
qualification recognition will help to promote a
feeling of oneness and cooperation. Enacting
Finalists from left: Olivia Clarke, 13 years old of Frome Technical High School,‘MISS C-
policies that will make it possible to encourage
JAY’S WATERSPORTS & MARINE SERVICES’, (Montego Bay); Jada Shalane, 15 years
old of Clan Carty High School,‘MISS REGGAE CITY SPORTS BAR’; Davia Dennis, 14 work and travel in the region.
years old of Jose Marti Technical High School, ‘MISS WELLINGTON DENTAL’,  Policies that are made in the region
(Spanish Town); Debbisha Reid, 14 years old of Norma Manley High School, ‘MISS should avoid any form of discrimination.
J’SIN PROMOTIONS’; Rosan Samuels, 17 years old of St George’s College,‘MISS GK  Regional governments must honour all
MOTORS’; Jade Edwards, 14 years old of The Queen’s School, ‘MISS JOHNSON’S protocols by ensuring that the treaties signed
MAINTENANCE’; Ashley Clarke, 13 years old of Jose Marti Technical High School, be observed and also make great effort to
‘MISS EYELAND EYEWEAR’; Racquel Hall, 17 years old of Excelsior Community avoid insularity and, thereby, think about the
College,‘MISS FAY’S ON WHEELS RESTAURANT’;Vashashie Johnson, 17 years old of region despite of territorial obligations.
St James High School, ‘MISS LAWSON’S BLOCK FACTORY & HARDWARE’,  The most effective way to ‘sell’ the
(Anchovy); Christian Codner, 13 years old of Ocho Rios High School, ‘MISS integrative process is through education.
DELAPENHA’S FUNERAL SERVICES’, (Brown’s Town); Khadeen Johnson, 17 years Individual citizens have the right to be
old of Glenmuir High School, ‘MISS DANREG FASHIONS & ACCESSORIES’, informed about the aims and objectives of this
(Portmore); Rene Curtis, 17 years old of Merle Grove High School, ‘MISS SINGER’; process and it is the duty of the governments
Princess Lattibiediere, 16 years old of The Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’,‘MISS
to make this information available.
BIG STONE RECORDS’ and Leighashley Dunbar, 16 years old of Oberlin High
School,‘MISS CHARLES CHOCOLATE’.
ACTIVITIES
1. After reading the information above,
explain why integration is necessary for the
markets. Along with quality goods there must  Improved levels of international
prosperity of the Caribbean.
be wider choices and aggressive advertising competitiveness.
2. Suggest two new areas of functional
campaigns so that CARICOM markets can be  Expansion of trade.
cooperation in which Caribbean countries may
visible on the international market. As  Better response to economic
become involved: Explain your suggestion as
business operators and those wanting to start implications of globalisation and trade
to how it will be beneficial to the region.
their own business, we must grasp at every liberalization.
3. Research the following: the Regional
opportunity to invest in the region. Citizen
Development Fund, noting when it was
investment in the region creates loyalty and
THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE established, its aims and objectives.
enhances support.
INTEGRATION PROCESS
Heads of governments have a vital role to
There are also major benefits to be gained SOURCE
play in the integration process. The integration
from our business operation: Buckle-Scott, L., Davis-Morrison, V.,
movement is intended to achieve certain
 Reduction in unemployment and objectives:
Jaimungaising, A. and Lunt, P. (2013) Social
underemployment. This is so as employment Studies for CSEC. Nelson Thornes LTD
 The improvement in the quality of life for
plays a central role in the integration proces. It all citizens in the region.
allows citizens to make visible their contribution Maureen Campbell teaches at St Hugh’s High School.
 The setting up of a framework to enable Send questions and comments to
in providing goods and services in the region.
the setting of strategic goals. kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015
 yl:principles of accounts

Errors, suspense account

ROXANNE WRIGHT [>2] This would cause a difference of $840 - 480 = $360
Contributor
ET US hope by now you are bubbling with the ‘I-can-pass’ attitude. If not, it is not too [>3] This should be debited to fixtures and fittings account and capital expenditure.

L late to jump on board. Just remind yourself that candidates pass examination as a result
of preparation and use of knowledge in the examination. As you enter your examination
room, be confident that your preparation will not be in vain, since the examiner cannot set a
[>4] This would cause a difference of double the amount. The first amount is to bring
the balance to its original amount. The second adjustment is to debit the actual payment.
question outside of the syllabus and you have been exposed the syllabus by now. As we
continue with the presentations, this week’s is a worked example; go through it in a timely WORKING
manner. Ψ
dŽƚĂů ŽĨĞďŝƚƐŝĚĞ ϮϭϯϵϴϬ
΀tϭ΁ >ĞƐƐdŽƚĂůŽĨƌĞĚŝƚƐŝĚĞ ϮϭϰϴϲϬ
WORKED EXAMPLE: ^ƵƐƉĞŶƐĞĚĞďŝƚďĂůĂŶĐĞ ;ϴϴϬϬ
K. Leslie prepared the following trial balance from the ledger balances on October 31, 2014.
ƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐ͗
Since the debit and credit totals disagree, a suspense account was opened for the difference. ΀tϮ΁ ĂůĂŶĐĞ ďͬĨ ϲϮϴϬ
>ĞƐƐ WĂLJŵĞŶƚǁƌŽŶŐůLJ ƉŽƐƚĞĚ ;ϯϰϬͿ
Trial balance as at October 31, 2014 ĚĚĂŵŽƵŶƚ ǁƌŽŶŐůLJ ǁƌŝƚƚĞŶ ϯϲϬ
ĚũƵƐƚĞĚ ďĂůĂŶĐĞ ϲϯϬϬ

ƌ ƌ͘
Ψ Ψ SOLUTION:
ĞďƚŽƌƐ ϭϴϰϬϬ
ĂƐŚĂƚĂŶŬ ϵϮϯϬ
a. K. Leslie
^ƚŽĐŬ ĂƚEŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϭ͕ϮϬϭϯ ϭϰϱϮϬ Ɖ Suspense account
ƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐ ϲϮϴϬ Ψ Ψ
^ĂůĞƐ ϭϳϴϯϬϬ
dƌŝĂůĂůĂŶĐĞ ΀tϭ΁ ϴϴϬ ĞďƚŽƌƐ ϭϱϬϬ
WƵƌĐŚĂƐĞƐ ϭϯϯϴϮϬ
^ĂůĞƐ ϲϲϬ ƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐ͗
ĂƉŝƚĂůEŽǀĞŵďĞƌϭ͕ϮϬϭϯ ϯϬϮϴϬ
<͘tĂŶ ϯϲϬ W͘&ƌĂnjĞƌ ϭϳϬ
ƌĂǁŝŶŐƐ ϭϲϮϬϬ
ͺͺͺͺ W͘&ƌĂnjĞƌ ϭϳϬ
^ƵŶĚƌLJ džƉĞŶƐĞƐ ϭϮϰϭϬ
&ŝdžƚƵƌĞƐ ŶĚ&ŝƚƚŝŶŐƐ ϵϰϬϬ ϭϴϰϬ ϭϴϰϬ
^ƵƐƉĞŶƐĞ ĐĐŽƵŶƚ ;ƚŽ ďĞ ĨŽƵŶĚďLJ LJŽƵ ĂƐƉĞƌ ;ĂͿďĞůŽǁ͘ ΀хϭ΁

After examination of the books and vouchers, the below-mentioned errors were discovered. b.
The necessary amendments were then made and the suspense account closed. Corrected trial balance as at October 31, 2014
i. The sales day book was undercast by $600.  ƌ ƌ͘
ii. A purchase of goods costing $840 from K. Wan was entered correctly in the purchases Ψ Ψ
day book but was wrongly posted to K. Wan A/c as $480. [>2] ĞďƚŽƌƐ ϭϵϵϬϬ
iii. The purchase of new fixtures and fittings cost $780 for business use had been debited to ĂƐŚĂƚĂŶŬ ϵϮϯϬ
^ƚŽĐŬ ĂƚEŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϭ͕ϮϬϭϯ ϭϰϱϮϬ
the purchases account. [>3]
ƌĞĚŝƚŽƌƐ΀tϮ΁ ϲϯϬϬ
iv. A sales ledger balance of $1,500 for L. Angel had been omitted from the trial balance ^ĂůĞƐ ϭϳϴϵϬϬ
figure. WƵƌĐŚĂƐĞƐ ϭϯϯϬϰϬ
v. A payment by cheque of $170 to a creditor, P. Frazer, had been posted to the wrong side ĂƉŝƚĂůEŽǀĞŵďĞƌϭ͕ϮϬϭϯ ϯϬϮϴϬ
of his account, although it was correct in the bank account. [>3] ƌĂǁŝŶŐƐ ϭϲϭϬϬ
^ƵŶĚƌLJdžƉĞŶƐĞƐ ϭϮϰϭϬ
&ŝdžƚƵƌĞƐ ŶĚ&ŝƚƚŝŶŐƐ ϭϬϭϴϬ ͺͺͺͺͺͺ
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO: ϮϭϱϰϴϬ ϮϭϱϰϴϬ
a. Prepare the suspense account, starting with the balance which you are required to
calculate from the trial balance.
b. Prepare the trial balance as it would appear after the correction of all errors. This is an appropriate point at which to end this week’s presentation. Always remember,
“You have to learn the rules of the game, and when you have, to play better than anyone else”.
Look out next week for a presentation on Sole Trader and Adjustments. See you then.
REASONING:
[>1] The amount can be had by adding the debit side and less the credit side of the trial Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy. Send questions and comments to
balance. See [W1] kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015 15


MONACIA WILLIAMS
Contributor
ELLO, STUDENTS. Here we are, fast approaching the
H end of the time that we will be able to spend with
each other this year. This is our penultimate lesson
and I hope that as we studied each week you were able to
gain something from the lessons.
This week, we will continue by looking at some general
concepts that you will need to grasp in order to answer
questions on diseases, which often appear in the exams.
Remember, we started the topic last week when we looked at
vectors.
Despite all our best efforts, we often get sick. I am sure
you will remember how many individuals try to avoid getting
influenza but still end up getting it anyway. Remember the
chikungunya outbreak? Individuals tried all they could to
avoid the illness, without success! However, not all diseases
are carried by vectors, so they are not as easily avoided.
Perhaps, then, if these individuals knew how pathogens
entered the body, they would have been more successful in
their quest. Some diseases like influenza are caused by
pathogens which enter the body by the following means:
 By direct contact with the person’s skin.
 Through the air when individuals sneeze or are caught
in the dust, e.g. influenza.
 By contaminated food or water: typhoid and cholera in
water and salmonella in poultry products.
The individual can carry out good hygiene to avoid coming
into contact with the pathogen. In addition to these measures,
the human body has developed mechanisms to avoid
becoming infected.
 The skin acts as a barrier to the entry of bacteria and
viruses (NB: the major point of entry is from the hands.
Wash your hands often!).
 Hairs and mucus in the respiratory tract trap
pathogens, preventing them from entering the lungs.
 The eyes produce tears which keep them clean from
pathogen-laden dust.
 Hydrochloric acid present in the stomach kills bacteria
which may have entered with food.
 Blood clots seal wounds and prevent the entry of
pathogens; phagocytes present in the blood will remove
harmful organisms by phagocytosis.
16
Diseases
The list above contains some of the ways in which the
human body prevents pathogens from entering to cause
diseases. If the body becomes infected, then there are
mechanisms that it can use to defend itself against the
disease that the pathogen may bring. These include:
 The white blood cells, which produce antibodies to
destroy the pathogen.
 The destruction and the removal of antigens.
 The formation of memory cells to produce antibodies to
respond to any subsequent exposure to the pathogen.
There are, however, some diseases against which the body
cannot defend itself. These include:
 Hereditary diseases like sickle cell anaemia, cystic
fibrosis.
 Physiological diseases like coronary heart diseases,
hypertension, diabetes.
 Some viral diseases like sexually transmitted diseases
such as AIDS.
An individual is said to be immune from a disease when
exposure to the pathogen no longer causes an infection. This
immunity can be through vaccinations, through previous
exposure to the pathogen or from the mother.
Vaccinations work to build immunity against viruses when:
 Weakened or dead forms of the pathogen are injected
or taken orally.
 White blood cells, in particular, the lymphocytes, detect
the antigen and produce antibodies which destroy the
antigen.
 Memory cells are formed and these cells respond
quickly to form antibodies when the body is exposed to
that particular pathogen.
There are some viruses for which vaccines cannot be
developed because these mutate at a very rapid rate.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015
yl:biology
IMMUNITY
There are two types of immunity:
 Passive
 Active
PASSIVE IMMUNITY
This does not involve the body’s immune system. The
vaccine contains ready-made antibodies which are able to
attack the pathogen immediately. In this case, the body will
not be able to protect itself from another attack.
ACTIVE IMMUNITY
This is more complex than passive immunity and involves
the following steps:
 A weakened form of the virus is introduced into the
body of the individual.
 The body reacts to the presence of the virus by the
white blood cells (lymphocytes) producing antibodies.
 The antibodies destroy the pathogen and reproduces to
produce more antibodies; these are known as memory
cells and are stored in readiness for future attacks.
 If this happens, the body now has the ability to respond
to the entry of the pathogen.
Another point that tends to be forgotten is the fact that
antibiotics are specific to bacterial infections and cannot cure
viral infections. This misconception has led to the abuse of
antibiotics, resulting in some strains of bacteria developing
resistance to the antibiotic, rending further use ineffective
and causing new strains of bacteria to develop. This abuse
results in an increase in the cost of treating diseases because
new research has to be conducted to develop new antibiotics.
Abuse can also increase the incidence of diseases and can
cause epidemics to occur.
I hope all of the above can help you in answering those
questions that you will see on the question paper.
Monacia Williams is an independent contributor. Send questions and
comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
 yl:history

Movements towards independence

and regional integration up to 1985
DEBBION HYMAN
Conributor
OBJECTIVES
BY THE end of the lesson, you should be
able to:
1. Describe the attempts at unification up
to 1962 and reasons for its failure.
2. Describe the constitutional steps
towards independence in the British-
colonised territories.
3. Discuss the constitutional arrangements
in the French and Dutch Antilles and
Puerto Rico.
Hi guys, this week’s lesson has been done
in a multiple-choice format to assist with
your exam preparations.
1. Which of the following individuals was
the prime minister of the West Indies
Federation?
a) Uriah Butler
b) Robert Bradshaw
c) Grantley Adams
d) Cheddi Jagan
2. Which of the following Caribbean
countries experienced assimilation?
a) Haiti, Martinique, St Croix
b) Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Eustausius
c) Dominica, Haiti, St John
d) Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana
3. The term ‘tripartite kingdom’ is best
associated with the:
a) French Caribbean
b) Dutch Caribbean
c) Portuguese Caribbean
d) Spanish Caribbean
4. Which Caribbean territory is an
associated state of the United States of
America (USA)?
Director of community service at the National Youth Service, Omar Newell,
(left) takes a breather from the activities at the 75th annual 4-H National
Achievement Expo to share in a photo op with Minister of Health Fenton
Ferguson (right) and the executive secretary at the 4-H Central Region,
Paulette Ferguson.
a) Puerto Rico
b) Cuba
c) Mexico
d) Venezuela
5. In response to Jamaica’s withdrawal
from the West Indian Federation, Eric
Williams uttered the following statement.
a) One minus ten equals nine
b) One minus ten equals zero
c) One plus ten equals eleven
d) One country cannot carry the federation
a) i only
b) ii only
c) ii and iii only
d) i, ii and iii
7. In what year did Jamaica hold a
referendum on the question of its continued
involvement in the West Indian Federation?
a) 1961
b) 1963
c) 1962
d) 1951
8. What factors accounted for the collapse
of the Federation of the West Indies?
i. The federal government had too weak
powers and lacked sufficient impact on the
everyday life of the people.
ii. Contact among the constituent units of
the federation was hampered by inadequate
and expensive means of transportation and
communication.
iii. Jamaica and Trinidad believed that their
continued participation meant slower
economic development.
iv. The federal structure was an expensive
model of government.
a) i, ii and iii only
b) i and iii only
c) ii and iii only
d) i, ii, iii and iv
6. Which of the following factors BEST RESOURCE MATERIALS
explain why a West Indian Federation was 1. A Post-Emancipation History of the
promoted? West Indies - Isaac Dookhan
i. Federation could allow for greater
progress in regional economic development. Debbion Hyman is an independent contributor. Send
questions and comments to
ii. The federations of Canada and Australia kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
provided clear examples of political unions
within the British Empire.
iii. Federation was seen as a necessary 8. A 7. A 6. D 5. B
first step in the direction of an advanced 4. A 3. B 2. D 1. C
political status for British Caribbean ANSWERS
territories.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015 17


The
significance
of collateral
YVONNE HARVEY
Contributor
I, EVERYONE. This lesson considers the significance of
H collateral in accessing capital to establish a
business and then moves on to explaining the
purposes of a feasibility study.
There are a number of ways in which to raise venture
capital. Included among these ways is the borrowing of
money from financial institutions. In many cases, a
financial institution will not grant a loan to an applicant
unless the applicant is able to supply adequate collateral.
Collateral is anything of value that can be sold quickly
and the money used to cover amounts that the recipient
has defaulted on a loan taken from a financial institution.
A number of items can be used as collateral:
 House titles.
 Land titles.
 Motor vehicle titles.
 Title for the business.
 Investment documents (such as share certificates and
debenture certificates).
 Antique furniture.
 The cash value of insurance policies.
 Gold, silver and other valuable jewellery.
 Rare and valuable works of art.
THE VALUE OF COLLATERAL
The value of collateral lies in the fact that:
1. It is something that can be sold so that the financial
institution can recover the outstanding money on the loan.
The collateral is signed over to the financial institution.
18
This is done when the loan applicant signs a letter of
hypothecation.
2. Collateral or guaranteed loans are cheaper, in terms of
rates of interest, since there is less risk for the financial
institution.
3. A collateral loan is also easier to obtain than a non-
collateral loan.
Some loans may not require collateral. A guarantor may
be required to sign on behalf of the borrower. He/She signs
with the intention that if the borrower defaults on the loan,
he/she will have to repay what is owing. This is another
form of secured loan.
A few institutions may grant unsecured loans. In these
instances, neither collateral nor a guarantee is required.
Unsecured loans are more expensive than secured loans.
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
A feasibility study is a detailed investigation to
determine whether a business idea or project is technically,
financially and economically viable, and if it will be
successful, before committing large sums of money to it. It
is a screening exercise and is often described as a
‘likelihood study’.
To some, the feasibility study is a way of determining if a
business idea is capable of being achieved. The question
is asked: can it work and produce the level of profit
necessary?
FACTORS RELATING TO A FEASIBILITY STUDY
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015
yl:principles of business
 It is done before the business plan and usually after a
series of business ideas have been discussed.
 It includes cost-benefit analysis.
 It results in the development of a feasibility report.
 Small teams of experts from marketing, production,
finance and development produce this estimate.
 Past information is used to produce trends.
PURPOSE OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
The purpose of the feasibility study is to determine if a
business opportunity is possible, practical and viable.
 It enables one to take a realistic look at both the
positive and negative aspects of the business
opportunity.
 It identifies the reasons not to proceed; therefore, it
saves time, money and heartache later on.
 It ensures that the business venture chosen will
generate adequate cash flow and profits, withstand risks,
remain viable in the long run and meet the objectives of
the founders.
 It helps to ‘frame’ and ‘flesh-out’ or shape specific
business alternatives so they can be studied in depth.
 It outlines and narrows down the business
alternatives.
 It provides quality information for decision-making.
 It helps to increase investment in the business.
 It provides documentation that the business venture
was thoroughly investigated.
 It helps in securing funding from lending institutions
and other sources.
PRACTICE QUESTION
a) What is collateral? (2 marks)
b) List three items that can be used as collateral.
(3 marks)
c) Your friend has decided to apply for a loan to start a
small business. Advise him/her of two advantages of
seeking a collateral loan. (4 marks)
d) Define ‘feasibility study’. (2 marks)
e) List three factors relating to feasibility study.
(3 marks)
f) Discuss three reasons a firm may produce a feasibility
study. (6 marks)
Total marks: 20
I hope you are doing your revision for the section of the
syllabus business finance as a test is coming up shortly.
Bye for now.
Yvonne Harvey is an independent contributor. Send questions and
comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
 yl:office administration
HYACINTH TUGMAN 14. a. Identify three processes in electronic record management.

The last
Contributor b. Outline two advantages and two disadvantages of an electronic
I, STUDENTS! Next week will be the last publication of the office filing system

H administration study guide. At that time, I will give tips on

preparing for your examination. Here are some short-question
exercises I want you to work on during your study leave.
15. Briefly define the following terms:
a. Bar code

lap
b. Level of access
1. In some offices personnel are allowed to ‘dress down’ on Fridays. c. Password protection
However, some workers are choosing to dress inappropriately.
a. What attribute is not being displayed by these workers? 16. Discuss three duties that a records management clerk must
b. How can inappropriate dressing have a negative impact on the perform in doing each of the following tasks:
business? a. Processing records
c. State three standards that should be observed when choosing b. Managing records
clothes to wear to the office. operator.
a. What are two advantages of this change? 17. a. Identify two types of information that are protected by
2. a. Explain the term ‘memorandum’ and say when it is used. b. What are two disadvantages? copyright law.
b. Explain the difference between a letter and a memorandum. c. Write out the greeting that may be recorded for Brackett &
Tugman answering system. 18. a. Discuss how copyright provides protection for the secrecy of
3 a. What is a report? information.
b. Give two instances when it is necessary to write a report. 8 You have been asked to assist in the orientation of Shanelle, the b. What is meant by the term ‘defamation’?
new mailroom clerk. Explain how she should handle the following c. Discuss the two main forms of defamation.
4. Describe three forms of written communication that a business tasks:
can use to communicate with external clients. a. Sorting mail 19. Define the term ‘employment turnover’.
b. Preparing a mailing list
5. You have been asked to present a discussion on effective 20. Explain the difference between employee turnover and
communication to a group of business students. Outline the points 9. What is the difference between a postage book and a mail retrenchment.
that you would present. register?
21. List three types of financial records.
6. Within an organisation there are both formal and informal 10. State two items of accounting data that must be recorded by the
organisational structures. Identify two office situations in which mailroom clerk. You need to attack these questions with some degree of purpose as
there are: your examination draws near.
a. Formal organisational structures 11. Identify four sources of information about job opportunities.
b. Informal organisational structures 12. Explain the term ‘unsolicited application’. Have a productive week.

7 The managers of Brackett &Tugman law firm are considering Hyacinth Tugman is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to
13. Describe how an employment agency operates.
using an automated answering service to replace their telephone kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

yl:mathematics
(iii) The modal mark  Semi-Interquartile range

Analysis (iii) The median mark

(iii) The mean mark

SOLUTION
Rearrange the data in order of size: 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7
The measure of dispersion gives an indication of how good the
average is as a representative value of the given data. The smaller the
dispersion, the better the average is as an approximation of the data.

The above methods may be illustrated using the scores of 10

of data
students in a test: 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 7, 11, 12.
(i) The mode, the most frequently occurring score, is 5.
(ii) The median, the middle value is 5
(average of the 3rd and 4th values) INTERQUARTILE RANGE
(iii) The mean = Sum of scores = 30 = 5 The median score of the above is the average of 4 and 6, that is 5.
Number of scores 6 (Average of the 5th and 6th scores.)
CLEMENT RADCLIFFE The median, 5, divides the scores into two sets from which the
Contributor upper and lower quartiles are found:
NOTE
THIS WEEK’S lesson will continue the review of analysis of data. We
The data, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, has two scores occurring most times and Q1 (lower quartile) is the median of 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, that is 4.
will begin with the homework on.
is said to be bimodal. Q2 (upper quartile) is the median of 6, 6, 7, 11, 12, that is 7
HOMEWORK Let us now consider measures of dispersion. The Interquartile range is Q2 - Q1 = 7 - 4, = 3.
Six students earned the following marks in a test: 5, 3, 4, 6, 5, 7 This is represented by the following:
Calculate  Interquartile range
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015 19

 yl:mathematics
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 (iii) Since there are 50 seedlings, the median height is represented by the 25th and 26th seedlings. On
inspecting the table, we see that both middle values represent an average (median) height of 8 cm.
SEMI-INTERQUARTILE RANGE
From the above, the interquartile range is 3. (iv) From the table, the number of number of seedlings less than 9 cm is 4 + 14 + 20 = 38
The semi-interquartile range is 3 = 1.5
2 Since there are 50 seedlings overall
The probability = 38 or 19
We will now complete statistical analysis with a brief evaluation of probability. 50 25

This is a measure of the chance that a given event will occur. You were advised that in the analysis of data you need to determine the value of the mean, median, mode,
The probability = Number of favourable events upper and lower quartiles, interquartile range and semi-interquartile range.
Total numbers of events
The following will illustrate the computation of the above.
From the above scores of 10 sudents, what is the probability of scoring greater than 6? Given the following marks (out of 20) gained by 15 students:
The number of scores greater than 6 is 3 (7, 11, 12). 0, 1, 1, 3, 7, 8, 8, 10, 12, 14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17
The Probability = 3
10 (a) I am sure that you have no difficulty in determining that:
NOTE (i) The median mark (the middle value or the 8th place) is 10
(ii) The model mark (most frequently occurring score) is 14
Probability is always a positive value and is less than one. (iii) The mean mark = Sum of the marks
The above example relates to discrete values with a small number of scores. Number of marks
= 140 = 9.33
Lets us attempt the following example: 15
The height of orange seedlings on a farm is given as follows: The mean mark = 9.33
Height (cm) 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15
(b) To determine the upper and lower quartiles, the simple explanation is as follows:
Frequency 4 14 20 9 3 If the median is assumed to divide the score into two distributions, then the quartiles are the median of
each.
Calculate The lower quartile (The median of the lower distribution or the 4th score) is 3.
(i) The number of seedlings in the sample. The upper quartile (The median of the upper distribution or the 12th score) is 14.
(ii) The mean height of the seedlings in the sample.
(iii) The median height. Do you notice the pattern in the distribution of the 15 scores?
(iv) The probability that a plant selected at random is less than 9 cm.
1st 4th 8th 12th 15th
Lower Median Upper
SOLUTION Quartile Quartile
(i) The number of seedlings in the sample is the sum of the frequencies:
= 4 + 14 + 20 + 9 + 3 = 50 (c) The interquartile range is the difference between the 4th and 12th values; this is 14 - 3 = 9.
Answer: 50
(d) The semi-interquartile Range is 1/2 (Upper Quartile - Lower Quartile) = 1/2 (14 - 3) = 4.5
(ii) Rewrite the 5th table with the average height of each class:
NB: This is the value which represents the class. I do recommend that you attempt similar examples from your textbooks.

Height (cm) 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 As this is the final lesson, I do wish you all the best in the CXC CSEC examinations. You are also
Ave. Height (H) 2 5 8 11 14 encouraged to:
 Continue to review effectively the work presented during the year.
Frequency (f) 4 14 20 9 3  Have vital, available copies of all the lessons which were presented.
 Include these as a critical part of your review package.
Given a table of grouped values, then the mean = ™ f x H  Also include past-paper questions, model answers and a suitable calculator.
N  Have a current CXC syllabus to ensure adequate coverage. This will ensure that you review those
The mean is 2 x 4 + 5 x 14 + 8 x 20 + 11 x 9 + 14 x 3 topics which I omitted.
50
= 8 + 70 + 160 + 99 + 42 All the best.
50
= 379 = 7.58 Clement Radcliffe is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
50

The mean height of the seedlings is approximately 7.58 cm.

NOTE
This value is an approximation as the average height of each class is used to represent the value of the
class.

20 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 12-18, 2015