Middle School Science Fair Project Ideas

It can be really hard to come up with a middle school science fair project idea. Sometimes it helps to see what others have done or to read project ideas. Have you done a middle school science fair project or do you have a good idea for a good middle school project? Whats your project idea? Here are ideas shared by other readers: white fish When you leave a fish in the dark it will eventually turn white. Try it please. It really works! — kittycat60 Burn those old clothes In the 7th grade I did an experiment on which fabric burns the fastest. I cut up old clothes into equal pieces and let fire do the rest of the work. Got 1st place even while having a partner who did nothing. I thought it was a pretty fun experiment. — Dre bubble gum Test which bubble gum brand pops the biggest bubbles. — guest Rusty Nail I did a science experiment on which types of nails rust the fastest. Try a nail in vinegar, water, or Pepsi. — anonymoud crystal race I recorded how fast it took for crystals to grow using salt and sugar. I got fourth place, but the good thing was after they grew I got to eat the sugar crystals! (Do not eat the salt.) — Doodlebug1111 Ants be gone!!! Last year in 6th grade I did a science fair project with my friends and we did WHICH HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT REPELS ANTS BETTER LEMON JUICE, POWDER, OR CINNAMON? We got second place in the school. — Guest5 truth I did an experiment on what foods are the best to seal cracks. I tried common foods, like peanut butter, pudding, jello, and ice cream. I then let them dry and put water in the cup with the crack measured what food stopped the water best. Got an A somehow... so easy! —Guest 6666666666 caffeine - plants I watered 3 plants with caffeine and 3 with water. Record your results and make a graph to see which one dies faster. Its so easy!! I got an A — bqggrdxvv LED lights I did a science project on L.E.D lights and I got 1st place! Do L.E.D lights affect electricity usage? I took a normal light and measured the amps (you want the least amount of amps) and then I took the L.E.D light and measured the amps. It was pretty cool and I got 1st place and an A! — mustache Crayons Does the color of a crayon affect how long of a line it makes? (Editors note: If you use an entire crayon, this project could take a long time. One way to test this would be to mark equal, short distances on different colored crayons. Draw a line back and forth down a very large/long until you reach the mark on each color. Count the number of lines on the paper and see if they are the same for each crayon.) — Sonic EASY A! In 5th grade i did a project on which candies melt faster. All you have do is put different kind of candies (lollipop, Hershey, etc.) in hot boiling water and see which one melts the fastest. Also got 1st place! — chiii say hello Get an A t make a regular volcano but instead of baking soda use Mentos and pop. Watch your teachers be amazed. — shay Colored Fire I did an experiment on colored fire. I bought chemicals like copper sulfate, and lit it after spraying alcohol on it. (you can also use salt). it was really awsome and I won the science fair. it was an easy A — makhassak rockets We got a toilet paper roll and cut a rubber band on one side then taped the rubber band so it went diagonally across the top then set it aside and got 3 straws and cut one straw 2 inches long taped the ends of the straws toget her with the little one in the middle then u put the rubber band in the middle of the two straws so it is touching the baby straw and some of the big straw will be hanging out the bottom pull it and let go it will shoot a long way this is a good way to test elastic potential energy epa — hunger games sprouting beans I did a experiment where u try to find out if rubbing alcohol, baby oil, salt water, water, sugar water, or vinegar which one do plants grow best in? I got an A — 5052364 pH scale I did a project with my friends and get about 7 differents liquids like cola fanta lemon juice and you put different types of solid objects like chalk and see what dissolves fastest. Got a silver. — 2cool Microwave Power~ You can microwave a marshmallow at different temperatures and see what happens. Make a chart of what happened. Make sure to take pictures. This is not a research project. This is a Scientific Method Project. REMEMBER: DONT SET THE MICROWAVE TIMER HIGHER THAN 1 MIN! DO SECONDS AND ALSO HAVE AN ADULT SUPERVISE!! — 625 Salty water and eggs When I was in 6th grade I did an experiment. We were trying to know how much salt do you need for an egg to float. To be honest, thats the easiest project EVER! you just put 2 cups of water: one with NO salt an one FULL of salt you put the eggs inside and the one with salt floats. and thats all. EASY 100! — Miranda F. Planty Liquids y friends and I watered flowers with milk, lemonade, and coke for two weeks to see which would live the longest and die the fastest. got an A! —Guest Guest ME temperature i did this thing were I got a box of insulation and put a thermometer in there with a jar of cold water to see if it stayed cold (: try it ! — sydneyxguest easy My brother did this and got 2nd out of everybody in our school. He put a banana in a spot in the house that is room temp. A banana in the fridge, and a banana outside to see which decayed faster. —Guest anonomus mento pop explosion I bought 2 pops and shook them up. then I put 5 mentos in and when it started to go out I picked it up and it shot at my targets right on spot. — science beany bag it works really well. Take a rag and put black eyed beans in the rag and fold it up a week or two later they have sprouted and ready to grow beans!!!!!!! — Guest MENTOS! Get mint mentos candy and put in different sodas to see which soda goes the farthest (diet pepsi is the best) —Guest Volcano When I was in 5th grade I did a project and won first place. It was a volcano and I used lots of research, which held it up well and helped me with the winnings. I loved it when I did this because I actually won so hooray! — Kelsey Vandyne moon Which moon phase lasts longer? Look and see Im not gonna tell ya :D — tiara keep the cool I got 3 boxes and in each box i filled it with aluminum foil, cotton, and one without anything and put inside nothing then i put in a juice in each box to seen which one keeps it most cold. I competed with 75 other schools and got 2nd place —Guest Balloon Lung Question: How does ur lung work? Well all u have to do is get an empty bottle and a little cone and a balloon.Turn the cone upside down and put the balloon on the pointy edge.Then stick the cone with the balloon on the end in the bottle.Then ur done squeeze the bottle!!!!!!!! — HungerGames!!!!! Underwater Volcano Last year I did an underwater volcano. I won second place and got an A my teacher really liked the originality — lhern64 More Middle School Science Project Ideas

Problems Faced by Teenagers in Hong Kong - 1179 Words

teenagers worries: 1) Examination -teenagers are mainly secondary students and their ages are mainly 13-17. -their burdens are not only their homework and extra-curricular activities, but also their curriculum. -according to a survey conducted by Hong Kong University , about 80% students think that they need to face a lot of challenges about their examinations . -the survey also reveals that Chinese, English and mathematics are their main problems. They think that these are very difficult to manage. -for form 5 and 7 students, they need to face HKCEE and HKAL examination which can influence their future. 2) Peer pressure - Peers influence your life, even if you don t realize it, just by spending time with you. You†¦show more content†¦Drugs taking i) By Law - The Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) controls over the dealing, possession, import, supply and manufacture of all narcotic drugs and nearly all psychotropic substances listed in the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The maximum penalty for major drug offences such as trafficking and manufacturing of dangerous drugs is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. - The Control of Chemicals Ordinance (Cap. 145) controls all chemicals listed in the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The maximum penalty is 15 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. ii) By Education - Drug Education Programmes: The Narcotics Division provides drug education programmes to primary and secondary school students, as well as students of English School Foundation (ESF)/international schools and the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education. -The drug education programmes, with different versions for students in different levels, mainly covers: 1. common drugs liable to abuse and their harmful effects; 2. reasons for drugs abuse 3. refusal skills 2. Gambling - deploy security guards in uniforms at all entrances of the off-course betting centers (OCBBs) and within such premises to check the age of patrons whenever in doubts; - display warning messages against underage betting at the entrance of and within OCBBs;Show MoreRelatedMy Experience At The University Of California Essay1321 Words   |  6 Pages# Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university. Being the grand-daughter of an officer in Hong Kong Customs and Excise department, listen to my grandmother s anecdotes about her work has been a big part of my childhood memories. My interests in sociology developed over the course of interaction with my grand-mother. I observed her successes as an officer in the Customs and ExciseRead MoreSurvey on Teenagers Pocket Money1067 Words   |  5 Pagesjust representing how much money that teenagers’ get; it also represents teenagers’ buying tendency, marketing size of teenagers, their finance method and possible reasons of stress because of financial problem. It’s worth to make a statistic on the topic teenager’s pocket money, for the reference of further studies on social research. In this report, the following data would be collected and analyzed. Firstly, we want to compare the pocket money teenagers how to spend their pocket money in pastRead MoreMarketing Plan for Hong Kong Disneyland9113 Words   |  37 PagesProjection 28 8. Implementation Plan 33 9. Evaluation and Control 34 Executive Summary The main objective of this report is to provide a strategy that will enable Hong Kong Disneyland to enhance its competitiveness in the Hong Kong market. 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When choosing a topic for your project, it is useful to consider the following aspects: ï‚Ÿ ï‚Ÿ ï‚Ÿ ï‚Ÿ significance of the study definition of topic and scope of study background information method of study  © English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 1 ELC3521 Professional Communication in English Unit 1 Planning project proposals Activity 1 1. The following is a list of questions you should consider when you choose your project topic and plan your study. Match theRead MoreDisney: Losing Magic in the Middle Kingdom16116 Words   |  65 PagesDISNEY: LOSING MAGIC IN THE MIDDLE KINGDOM Hong Kong Disneyland will provide guests with an immersive experience to re-ignite â€Å"the magic that is the Disney storytelling tradition†. 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FirstlyRead MoreEssay on Little Sheep Case study5940 Words   |  24 Pagesand why an unlikely yet productive relationship was forged between these two firms, and the result of their collaboration. 3i, a highly respected global private equity firm with a 60‑year track record, first established an Asian presence in Hong Kong in 2001. Three years later, a rapidly growing restaurant chain called â€Å"Little Sheep† came to the firm’s attention. Due to its meteoric growth and national brand name recognition, Little Sheep was very attractive to some prestigious international

Difference Between Cardinal and Ordinal Utility free essay sample

Introduction. QN:A We all know that consumer is the one who uses goods and services to satisfy his/her wants. She /he is assumed to be rational meaning that he/she earns at utility maximization, giving his/her income and commodity prices. There several theories that have been developed to try and explain the behavior of a consumer, however they can be categorized in to two: ? Cardinal utility theory:- it argues that a consumer has the capacity to measure the level of satisfaction that she derives from consumption of a given quantity of a commodity. Ordinal utility theory:- it argues that a consumer cannot measure satisfaction numerically or subjectively instead she can rank the different baskets or bundles so as to choose the best basket. Difference between cardinal and ordinal utility The basic concept in this approach is utility which refers to satisfy power that a good or service consumed possesses in this approach, it is assumed that a consumer assigns a cardinal major which can be counted . This means that a consumer can tell exactly how much satisfaction she can derive from consumption of a certain goods. The theory assumes a cardinal measure in units called utils, using an instrument called utilometer ,however some economics have suggested that utility can be measured in monetary units by the amount of money offered for a commodity. On the other hand the ordinal utility approach which argues that a consumer can’t measure satisfaction numerically or subjectively. The ordinal utility is also commonly known as indifference curve theory because its analysis is based on on indifference curve. Indifference curves are psychological levels of satisfaction hence are more hypothical then real. differences between these two theory are The major:- 1. In ordinal utility theory , the consumer can’t be measured numerically the level of satisfaction derived from consumption of a good but can instead arrange or rank the difference baskets of goods basing on the quantities contained in each and their satisfy power with assumption that goods are homogeneous . The consumer assumed to have the ability to rank the ifferent combinations in such way that he chooses the great satisfy power. While cardinal utility is measured in monetary terms or in utils and it is measurable and quantitative where as ordinal is not measurable and is qualitative. 2. Ordinal utility factions are unique up to positive monotone transformations while cardinal utilities are also unique up to positive linear transformations. 3. Utility functions of both sorts assign a ranking to member of a choice set. For example suppose a cup of orange juice has utility of 120 utils , a cup of tea has a utility of 80 utils , and a cup of water has a utility of 40 utils when speaking of cardinal utility , it could be concluded that the cup of orange juice is better than the cup of tea by exactly the same amount by which the cup of tea is better than the cup of water. One is not entitled to conclude however , that the cup of tea is two third as good as the cup of juice , because this conclusion would be depend on not only on magnitudes of utility differences but also on the zero of utility. It is temping when dealing with cardinal utility to aggregate utilities across persons . the argument against this is that interpersonal comparisons utility are meaningless because there is no good way to interpret how different people value consumption bundles. But when ordinal utility are used difference in utils are treated as ethically or behaviorally meaningless: the utility index encode a full behavioral ordering between members of a choice set, but tells nothing about the related strength of preferences. In the above example ,it would only be possible to say that juice is preferred to tea to water, but no more. QN:B Assumption of Ordinal Utility The ordinal utility approach to consumer behavior is built on the following assumption;- i. Ordinal Utility is meaning that , a consumer can arrange her preferences according to the order of satisfaction that she /he derives from each basket , she /he does not need to know exactly the amount of satisfaction which she he derive from each basket instead what is necessary is to know the satisfying power of each basket. For instance a consumer can say precisely that basket A gives her more satisfaction than B with out requiring her to measure numerically the amount of satisfaction. ii. A consumer is assumed to be rational this means that she aims at maximizing satisfaction given her income and the commodity prices and will always choose the basket that gives her the greatest level of satisfaction. iii. The theory assumes consumption of at least two commodities. iv. That total utility of a consumer depends on the different quantities consumed by her that is U=U(x1. x2†¦xn) where 1,2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦n are the n commodities. v. It assumes diminishing marginal rate of substitution the slope of an indifference curve is known as marginal rate of substitution (MRS) and it shows the rate at which the consumer is willing to substitute commodity say X for other good Y. vi. It assumes consistency and transitivity . y consistency we mean that if the consumer prefers combination A to B in one situation then she /he should not prefer B to A in other situation when A is still available otherwise she would be in consistency in her choice in other word if A B B A on the other hand transitivity means that if the consumer prefers A to B and yet she prefers B to A then it would imply that she A to C i. e. if AB and Bc A. C. QN:C Deriving and illustrating a demand curve using The ordinal utility appr oach . there are points of tangency when price changes within a certain range. These points of tangency give the different amounts of quantity bought on a certain price range. The relation between the price range and the quantity demanded constitutes the derivation of the ordinary demand curve. The demand curve is derived from the logical deduction process based on the concept of the indifference curve and budget line. It is one of the theoretical conclusion of the deduction process. The equilibrium points A, and B in Diagram 1 show the optimum quantities demanded of a consumer faced with different price levels, ceteris paribus. The change in prices are expressed by the rotation of the budget line. The demand curve derived represents the different states of utility maximization of a consumer when price changes. NOTE:- †¢Demand is the quantity of a good that a person will buy at various prices. †¢The point of tangency of the indifference curve and the budget line gives the quantity that a person would buy at a given price. †¢By varying the price of one of the goods while holding the price of other constant, the points of tangency will change. †¢This gives alternative price/quantity combinations.

Vladmir Putin free essay sample

The collapse of the United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) led to the formation of a new democratic state. The Russian federation has had three different presidents since its formation and the ratification of its constitution in 1993. The Russian president’s role in the creation of foreign and domestic policies lies within the Russian constitution (Federation, 2013). However, not all presidents have addressed issues in the same manner. The first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, was unsuccessful at fixing the broken Russian economy and uniting its government to establish a strong foreign policy. Yeltsin’s failure to lead the biggest country on the planet led to his resignation in 1999. His resignation allowed the Russian prime minister of the time to take power of the Russian Federation. His name is Vladimir Putin. This article will discuss some of Vladimir Putin’s approaches on international security issues that concern the international community (Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008). Many domestic and foreign issues have tested Putin’s control of Russia and its people. We will write a custom essay sample on Vladmir Putin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Yet, he has been able to boost the Russian economy and improve the Russian way of life in the last decade. He has shown a realist perspective on his foreign and domestic policy. Also, Putin has created a new style of government, an authoritarian government that hides behind a democratic infrastructure. Vladimir Putin has taken control over the media and used it to his advantage to ensure his position of power (Shevtsova, 2008; Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008). He has remained popular with the Russian people and is currently serving his third non-consecutive presidential term. In addition this article will describe Vladimir Putin’s approach to terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on US soil by Islamic Radicals affiliated with Al Qaeda. Putin used the United States â€Å"war on terror† to his own advantage in order to use full force on Chechen rebels within Russian Federation borders (Cornell, 2003). This issue raised international concerns about human right violations by the Russian government. Another issue that is of priority to Vladimir Putin is the Iranian nuclear program and the international communities concern about Iran pursuing nuclear weapons. Russia has a historic alliance with Iran, and the West’s pressure on the issue may cause changes in the relations between Russia and Iran (Freedman R. 0. , 2001; Freedman R. O. , 2006). The President of the Russian Federation The Russian president is the head of the Russian state and is in charge of creating or approving domestic and foreign policies. The policies must focus on the protection of the Russian homeland and citizens from potential threats which can originate from within or outside the Russian borders. It is also the President’s responsibility to ensure protection of Russian interests abroad. The Russian president must choose allies wisely and develop strategic alliances in areas of interest to maintain security (Federation, 2013). The president has the power to sign treaties with other nations to strengthen alliances and improve Russian influence abroad. As the supreme commander in chief of the Russian military the president has complete control of the military and can utilize it to ensure protection of the Russian state and Russian interest. Russia has had several revolutions and changes in governments. The current role of the Russian president in domestic and international affairs has been enforced since the ratification of the Russian Federation’s constitution in 1993 (Federation, 2013). Russia has had a total of three democratically elected presidents since the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The first elected Russian president was Boris Yeltsin. He served from 1991 to 1999. Yeltsin was the first president after the collapse of the USSR and was left with a number of issues regarding foreign policy and the former soviet republics that border Russia. In addition he had to deal with economic  turmoil due to the fall of the USSR. Yeltsin pushed for a private market in order to restore Russia’s economy. However, Yeltsin was unsuccessful at dealing with domestic and foreign affairs which led to his resignation in 1999 (Shevtsova, 2008; Freedman R. 0. , 2001). Boris Yeltsin’s resignation allowed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to step to power and to take control of the struggling Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin became the president of the Russian federation after the resignation of Yeltsin. Putin was successful at boosting the Russian economy and making Russia one of the top ten economies in the world. His push for energy security and state control of natural resources such as oil and natural gas made Russia a superpower in energy creation in the area. Putin’s success led to his popularity sky rocketing throughout Russia therefore, winning the presidential elections in 2001 and again in 2004. Vladimir Putin was president of Russia from 2000 to 2008. Since he couldn’t run for office for three consecutive terms due to restrictions in the Russian constitution he selected Dmitri Medvedev as his successor. Medvedev won the 2008 presidential elections by a landslide and became the president of Russia. He appointed Vladimir Putin as the Prime Minister of Russia (Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008; Shevtsova, 2008). Medvedev’s political agenda was almost identical to what former President Putin had pursued. Putin still had strong control in policy dealing with foreign affairs and domestic disputes. Medvedev pushed Putin’s agenda and the country had little change in politics during his presidency. Dmitri Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012. Vladimir Putin won the presidential elections in 2012 and once again became the president of the Russian Federation. He appointed Dmitri Medvedev as his prime minister (Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008). Vladimir Putin Vladimir Putin was born October 7, 1952 in Leningrad after the collapse of the USSR the city regained its former name of St. Petersburg. Putin attended Leningrad State University and graduated with a PhD from the Law department. After graduation he joined a security agency called the KGB (Taffa, 2012). He was part of the KGB until 1991 and later obtained a political position in his hometown of St. Petersburg. It was not until 1996 that he moved to Moscow and obtained a political position there (Shevtsova, 2008). In 1999 he was appointed prime minister by President Boris Yeltsin and later became the president of the Russian Federation due to Yeltsin’s resignation (Taffa, 2012). Putin’s approach to domestic and foreign issues and his ability to handle situations promptly raised his popularity among the Russian people. He was able to use his popularity and power to take over private energy companies as well as the media. Controlling the media has allowed him to remain in control by facilitating the election of those who pursue similar goals. He has been able to keep his influence through Dmitri Medvedev by making him his successor in the 2008 elections (Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008; Shevtsova, 2008). Putin has a strong influence in Russian policy and has maintained power since he first came to office in 2000. He has been able to establish an almost single party system which he able to hide as a democracy. He has increased Russian economic power with the export of overpriced oil and natural gas exports to his neighbors. As the economy grew and the Russian living improved Putin became more popular and was able to strip citizens from their freedoms in order to keep control of Russia. Vladimir Putin has focused Russian government on security, stability and power (Shevtsova, 2008; Galeotti, 2012). Putin has an authoritarian approach in decision making and policy making. This authoritarian approach sways his policy decisions in the direction of realism (Cornell, 2003). He has created a government with zero tolerance to anyone or any state that directly interferes with Russian state interest. He has worked on regaining the control of the former soviet republics along its borders. He has also proved that he is not afraid to use force in order to maintain control within boundaries of the federation. His reaction in the conflict in Chechnya was one of the first actions that showed his realist approach to anyone who opposed Russian state interest. Putin has also shown his strive for dominance in the region by trying to keep strong military presence and intimidation in former soviet republics (Cornell, 2003; Galeotti, 2012). He has also tried to form alliances with nations who oppose Western influence in order to fight off the west from Russian borders and areas of economic interest. He has opposed the United States and the West’s influence in those areas and will try to strengthen Russian influence abroad. However, he has been struggling with keeping a strong alliance with Iran and Syria due to international pressure (Trenin, 2006). Despite the fact of US influence and UN actions Russia has been able to keep the United States from intervening in the Iranian nuclear program. Putin has also tried to strengthen ties with Turkey in order to maintain influence in the area and to keep the West from completely taking over the Middle East. Putin’s realistic approaches in international issues have made him a key actor in international security (John O’Loughlin, 2004). Putin and the War on Terror The terror attacks on the world trade centers and the pentagon on September 11, 2001 reformed security policy around the globe. The attack on United States’ civilians on American soil created a new international security issue. The problem of terrorist insurgencies and their terrorist tactics targeting civilians had clearly become an issue to any sovereign state. A new international enemy had been discovered and many states agreed to cooperate in the â€Å"war on terror† initiated by United States’ President George W. Bush. However, Russia had been dealing with terrorism from Chechnya rebels ever since the mid1990’s and once again in the early 2000’s during Putin’s presidency. President Vladimir Putin aided the United States’ war on terror in Afghanistan by allowing American planes to fly over Russian airspace to deliver supplies to the troops in Afghanistan (John O’Loughlin, 2004; Kramer, 2005). President Putin responded to the Chechen rebels by using heavy military action. He sent in the military and began a counterinsurgency campaign. Some of Putin’s political rivals called for negotiation with the Chechen rebels but he made it clear by implying that he would exterminate the terrorist bandits (Cornell, 2003; Kramer, 2005). This proposition was supported by most of the Russian people and Putin engaged the Chechen rebels with full force. The rebels who terrorize Russia are Islamic extremist that fight for independence from the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin’s response has been harsh and steady. However, the Russian military has suffered many casualties due to the rebel’s guerrilla and terrorist tactics which have been successful in attacking and killing Russian soldiers. Also Chechen rebels have targeted Russian civilians deep within the Russian territory. Suicide bombings of the Moscow subway showed the aggression of the Chechen rebels towards the Russian â€Å"infidels† (Kramer, 2005). There have been other incidents that Putin wasn’t able to resolve. For example the Dubroka theatre hostage situation and the Beslan school siege by Chechen Rebels, both incidents ended in a huge loss for the Russians and many innocent citizens were killed by the rebels (Kramer, 2005). Vladimir Putin did not agree to any diplomatic solution to the crisis instead he pushed for harsher retaliation by Russian forces. He also stated that he will destroy any terrorist bases around the world. Some humanitarian concerns have been brought to attention to the UN about Vladimir Putin’s policy towards the Chechnya people and his counterinsurgency campaigns in the region (Kramer, 2005). Western Intelligence had shown ties between the Chechen rebels and Al Qaeda. Making it a serious issue for Vladimir Putin since the rebels where obtaining aid from outside Russian control. One of Moscow’s concerns is the Chechnya rebels fleeing into Georgian territory and operating within Georgian borders (Kramer, 2005; Cornell, 2003). The relationship between Russia and Georgia has been shaky after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armed conflict took place between the two in 2008 during Dmitri Medvedev’s presidency. It all began with the invasion of South Ossetia by the Georgian military. The South Ossetia region belongs to Georgia but they claim citizenship to Russia since the majority of people residing in the area are Russian (Shevtsova, 2008; Stoner-WeissReviewed, 2008). When the invasion of South Ossetia took place Prime Minister of the time Vladimir Putin was in Beijing. He flew back to Moscow to discuss the issue with President Medvedev. The Russians responded with military force on Georgian forces and were able to push the Georgian troops out of South Ossetia. Russia then began shelling the Georgian mainland which drew negative attention from the international community. Even though the military action took place under Dmitri Medvedev’s presidency it was obvious that Prime Minister Putin still had strong influence in Russia’s decisions and actions against Georgian forces. Medvedev addressed retaliation on Georgia as a humanitarian crisis in which the Russian government was obligated to intervene to protect Russian citizens residing in South Ossetia (Galeotti, 2012). Putin and Iran Relations The Iranians and Russians have a long history of partnership and alliance. Russia’s alliance with Iran has mostly been for economic gain through the sale of Russian military weapons to Iran and also a strategic alliance to keep Russian presence in the Middle East. Lately the main issue has been the Iranian nuclear program. It has been condemned by the United States and others in the international community (Freedman R. 0. , 2001; NIZAMEDDIN, 2008). Some believe that Iran is planning to use nuclear reactors for dual purpose in order to manufacture nuclear weapons. Russia has always benefited from selling Iran weapons and military vehicles. However, Russia also benefits economically from the sale of nuclear reactors abroad. The Bushehr Nuclear reactor was being built by the Russians in Iran. However, the Iranian leaders and Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that it was being built for peaceful energy creation purposes only. Putin’s policy towards Iran and its nuclear program were frowned upon by the UN and Western Powers (Freedman R. O. , 2006). However, Putin does not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. A nuclear armed Iran could be dangerous in the area especially if Russo-Iran relations turn hostile. Russia has agreed to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and watch over and persuade Iran to cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency policies (IAEA). Russia Also signed a treaty agreeing to dispose of Iranian nuclear waste so that it cannot be turned to weapon material (CUMMINGS, 2001; NIZAMEDDIN, 2008). However, the Iranian regime has not cooperated forcing Putin to deal with international pressure regarding their aid in the Iranian nuclear program. Putin must keep strong ties with his strongest ally in the Middle East but at the same time he must deal with pressure from the UN and NATO. Conclusion Vladimir Putin’s responses to international issues have clearly showed his political agenda doesn’t match up with Washington’s and that he does not want the West’s influence near Russian borders. NATO’s influence in former soviet republics has pushed Putin to strengthen alliances with states that oppose western influence in the area in order to weaken US and the West’s control (Trenin, 2006). He has boosted the Russian economy and is leading Russia to regain its former super power status. Vladimir Putin has opposed the United States on many issues regarding the Middle East, especially regarding the Iranian nuclear program and the West’s sanctions on Iran. The Middle East has once again become a conflict for US-Russian relations. Both seek the resources that lie in the Middle Eastern states and Russia is in no position to back down (Shevtsova, 2008). Russia has shown its aggression and military strength on his neighbor ,Georgia, in 2008. The invasion of the South Ossetia region by Georgian troops sparked the mobilization of Russian forces into Georgia. Expelling Georgian troops out of the South Ossetia region showed to be a priority in President Dmitry Medvedev‘s agenda. The justification for the Russian intervention was humanitarian issues in the South Ossetia region of Georgia regarding Russian citizens who resided in the disputed area. Russia’s actions towards the Georgians were frowned upon by the international community. However, Putin has made it clear that he is seeking power and control with or without approval from the west