Some make it simpler by including a time scale on one of the rules which translates from minutes to the familiar hh. Here are a few instruction manuals for aw faber faber castell slide rules that i have acquired, most came with slide rules as indicated. They also have pdfs of slide rules that you can print out. Erics slide rule links and resource centre donation page, make a donation, land surveyors. Unfortunately, having been replaced by the electronic calculator, the slide rule has fallen into disuse, which is a shame because it is an excellent conceptual tool for visualizing how to do computations with logarithmic numbers. Oughtred society slide rule reference manual the oughtred. An easy introduction to the slide rule internet archive. An adding slide rule works just like a multiplication slide rule. A typical teninch student slide rule pickett n902t simplex trig. Slide rule gazette issues 11 and 12 published by the united kingdom slide rule circle uksrc. Reference scales cut and paste to create a slide rule andrew nikitin. This page gives my own templates see below for constructing a circular slide rule, with scales c, ci, d, a, and k. The pdf file for this slide rule has some problems that make it unfit for anything but practice by a beginner.
One of the many original uses of flight computers was to estimate time of arrival. Generally, they are either have a linear form or that of a circle. The shirt and tie evolved into a tshirt sporting some software advertisement. These were used by pilots to do simple arithmetic, conversions and other calculations in an era before gps and calculators. I taught evening classes in solid state circuit design at our local community college from 1967 to 2000, and during the pre calculator days, around 1974, i assumed my students had a firm grasp on slide rule operation. On the body and slide are scales that are parallel to each other. The metal window is inserted over the slide rule to act as a place holder. Slide rule scales build your own sr slide rule museum. For the past 400 years, the calculations performed on slide rules have made possible such feats as designing the first skyscraper and putting a man on the moon.
Bissaker slide rule 1654 circular slide rule king pocket calculator 66 sclales thacher calculator 30 ft. The slide rule, also known colloquially in the united states as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. Some of them relate to standard rules thornton, faber castell 283n and would be useful whatever rule you have but others are for specialised rules. Pdf reader for windows 10 free download and software. The slide rule also does not tell you the sign of your result. All other scales on a slide rule are referenced to the c and d scales. And the slide rule has become an electronic calculator.
The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for scientific functions such as roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but does not generally perform addition or subtraction there are many different styles of slide rules. He explains what a slide rule is and how you can build one of your very own. Any slide rule watch will allow you to do these calculations. An easy introduction to the slide rule, asimov, 1965. Slide rules were used for over 400 years for calculating and estimating. The slide rule, also known as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. Additional slide rule material can be accessed using the links in the left bar under slide rule content pages. In a separate calculation you find the order of magnitude by combining the powers of 10. Mannheim slide rule 1850 faber castell 283n nestler 23r mannheim issac newton put 3 scales in parallel in 1675 to compute cubes. You can enter and read a number typically to two or three decimal digits only. The number of scales on a slide rule vary depending on the number of mathematical functions the slide rule can perform. Its usage is identical to that of a real slide rule, but tim has introduced two major enhancements. If you click on the image a scan of the article is available in pdf format. A cursor is fixed in the center of the window to allow for accurate readings.
We would, with all respect, urge members of the teaching profession to make more effective efforts to introduce the slide rule into schools. Each just needs to be cutout and placed onto a cd case. Convert pdf to txt, bmp, jpg, gif, png, wmf, emf, eps, tiff with this lightweight yet fullfeatured free pdf viewer. Program allows to browse, edit, convert and print images. Scales to make a circular slide rule using a cd case by ying hum va3yh canada there are 2 circular slide rule options shown.
Ron manleys slide rule site take the instructions link. Some highend slide rules have magnifier cursors that make the markings. Slide rule wikipedia, the free encyclopedia slide rule, old computers, calculus. The scales ad are labeled on the lefthand side of the slide rule.
Scientific american may 2006 university of vermont. Slide rule is an autobiography, but the part that almost everyone will buy it for is the account of the building of the r100 airship in competition with the r101. Make your own circular slide rule the slide rule is a simple but elegant mechanical calculator. In addition are a few manuals i have written for my own jugglers and radix series slide rules. Old pilots watches feature these slide rules, and any newer pilotstyle watches also have this. Sets of up to 25 slide rules are available free of charge for teachers to use in class. If you download the instructions, two of the basic slide rules are also attached. Issue 12 contains my first published gazette article entitled thacher accuracy with unique expenditure. Their elegant simplicity is still a thing of wonderment. The slide rule, also known colloquially in the united states as a slipstick, is a mechanical. As graphical analog calculators, slide rules are closely related to nomograms, but the former are used for general calculations, whereas the latter are used for applicationspecific computations the slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions. Basic slide rule operation for scientists and engineers 10. To do a calculation with a slide rule you reduce all numbers to scientific notation with 24 digits then use the slide rule to perform the basic operations.
Additionally, the slide rule does not tell you where the decimal point is located in the answer. Sliderule article about sliderule by the free dictionary. To build the slide rule, you will need to download and print the following image at 300 dpi. It is a free, javabased, incredibly precise and configurable scientific slide rule that you can run on your desktop. They were finally abandoned with the advent of handheld calculators, computers and smart phones. It is used in engineering and other calculations requiring an accuracy to within two or three places for an ordinary slide rule 25 cm in length with.
I f youve ever seen a watch with a slide rule bezel and havent known how to use it, we have a little guide for you. The first circular slide rule on this link uses a cd case as the basis for the slide rule. The c and d scales each look like a single stretched out ruler, reading from left to right. The a, d, and k scales are on the body, the b, and c scales on the slide. Here i cover the most basic operations of a slide rule. Ci1st number to multiply, goes over top d2nd number to multiply. This guide will assume your slide rule uses the most common notation. The model world at your fingertips meccano magazine, september 1966 with make a slide rule article. Compared to a calculator, a slide rule is severely limited in its accuracy. An easy introduction to the slide rule asimov, isaac.
A slide rule, one of the last vestiges of geek nerddom in the fifties and sixties, is a remarkable invention. This is why the slide rule is able to do multiplication and division rather than addition and subtraction. Adding slide rules are not practical, but demonstrate how to use a slide rule in a simple. This is probably the best resource for learning to use your new slide rule. These scales represent various functions, and by moving the slide relative to the body, a calculation involving multiple functions can be performed, with the indicator allowing. Nate, the mathematics guy shows you the basics of a slide rule. In this way lateral pressure across the width of the slide. I teach 4th grade math and some of my students are struggling with multipication and division. The proper place to become acquainted with this invaluable timesaver is in the classrooms of the primary schools. While science fiction and popular science were his mainstays, he published in a wide variety of categories, ranging from history, to shakespeare, to the bible, to mystery stories. The cursor travels the full length of the body, and the hairline crosses these scales for direct comparison. As many of you know, watches with slide rule functions have 2 logarithmic scales the outer of which turns. Your dietzgen slide rule instructions for care and adjustment.
Each scale on the slide rule should have a letter or symbol identifying it, printed to the left or right. Instructions for using a slide rule project gutenberg. A practiced user with a good quality slide rule can multiply, divide, exponentiate, take logarithms and perform trigonometric operations to three significant figures more quickly than with an electronic calculator. Mathematical foundations of the slide rule with ack corrected. In contrast, a tachymeter scale is hyperbolic and typically has numbers that run in from infinity down to sixty. A slide rule is a mechanical device that uses the alignment of numeric values marked on sliding scales to perform mathematical calculations. Illustrated selfguided course on how to use the slide rule. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Many pilots watches made make use of a circular slide rule on the bezel of the watch.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. These were the largest of their generation, vastly larger than the a380 and 747 jets of today. An easy introduction to the slide rule, asimov, 1965 isaac asimov is one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books. But, when you look at the 5 on the b scale, it is at least the width of a line off of the 1 or 10 on the a scale. The modern slide rule is a simple and convenient computational tool. Classroom activity before introducing the multiplication logarithmic slide rules, show how 2 rulers can make an adding slide rule. How to build yourself a slide rule math wonderhowto. The site has instruction manuals for a number of slide rules. Able photo slide show is a program designed to display all images as a slide show using many transition effects, each image being shown for some predetermined time before going on to the next. The sterling slide rule has standard a, b, c, c, d, and k scales.