Table of Contents
When was first slide rule invented?
The slide rule was invented by William Oughtred in the 1600’s, but only began to be widely used in the mid 1800’s after a French artillery officer named Amedee Mannheim developed a version that became popular among engineers. By the early 1900’s engineering students in the US were commonly taught to use slide rules.
Who invented the slide rule in 1621?
William Oughtred
William Oughtred, (born March 5, 1574, Eton, Buckinghamshire, England—died June 30, 1660, Albury, Surrey), English mathematician and Anglican minister who invented the earliest form of the slide rule, two identical linear or circular logarithmic scales held together and adjusted by hand.
Where did the inventor of slide rule hail from?
Amédée Mannheim, an officer of the French artillery, invented in 1859 what may be considered the first of the modern slide rules. This rule had scales on one face only.
Who invented the circular slide rule?
John William Nystrom
The Swedish-born Philadelphia engineer, John William Nystrom (1824–1885), contributed to this movement by inventing a circular slide rule in 1848 and writing a pocket book of mathematical tables that was reprinted at least 21 times between 1854 and 1895. This is the patent model for Nystrom’s calculator.
What slide rules did NASA use?
NASA chose a 5-inch, metal rule, model “N600-ES,” manufactured by the Pickett Company for their use. It was a model that was popular among engineers, scientists and students at the time. No modifications were needed for use in space.
When was the last slide rule made?
July 11, 1976
Slide rules became increasingly popular in the 1950s and 1960s, before beginning to fall out of favor to pocket calculators, which, by the mid 1970s, had become affordable and were considered significantly easier to use by the masses. The last slide rule manufactured in the United States was produced on July 11, 1976.
Did Roget invent the slide rule?
The logarithmic slide rule is a compact device for rapidly performing calculations with limited accuracy. In 1814 the English physician Peter Roget (of Roget’s Thesaurus) invented his “log-log” slide rule for calculating powers and roots of numbers.
What slide rule did Apollo astronauts use?
NASA chose a 5-inch, metal rule, model “N600-ES,” manufactured by the Pickett Company for their use. It was a model that was popular among engineers, scientists and students at the time. No modifications were needed for use in space. This rule was used by the crew of Apollo 13, in April 1970.
When did Oughtred invent the slide rule?
1622 . Slide Rule invented by William Oughtred. William Oughtred (5 March 1574 – 30 June 1660) was an English mathematician born in Eton. After John Napier invented logarithms, and Edmund Gunter created the logarithmic scales (lines, or rules) upon which slide rules are based, it was Oughtred who first used two such scales sliding by one another to perform direct multiplication and division; and he is credited as the inventor of the slide rule in 1622.
What can you do with a slide rule?
The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions such as exponents, roots, logarithms , and trigonometry, but typically not for addition or subtraction. Though similar in name and appearance to a standard ruler, the slide rule is not meant to be used for measuring length or drawing straight lines.
Are slide rules still used?
The slide rule is an amazingly versatile tool that helps the user to calculate a number of different mathematical problems. While it is effective, the slide rule isn’t used much anymore because of the widespread use of calculators. But if you’re able to locate one it can still help you with math problems today.
When slide rules ruled?
The slide rule was used by scientists and engineers from 1640 through the 1960s and 1970s. The most familiar modern slide rule is basically a ruler with a sliding piece.