Dave's slide rules
I just made it into the last generation of slide rule users: studying chemical engineering in 1973 we used
slide rules routinely for calculating. Four-function electronic calculators
were around but expensive. By the end of the year the TI30, HP35
and a few other scientific calculators were available and
affordable, and slide rules disappeared overnight.
My modest collection includes a few examples of the different types of
slide rules that were once so useful to science
and engineering. I've grouped them into three major types - linear, circular and
cylindrical, and a few other odds and ends. I'm
interested in comparing the accuracy and usability for multiplying with
different types and sizes of slide rule. Have a look at my world record
slide rule lower down. Dave Hoyer, 2012.
Some thoughts on the meaning of the terms
accuracy and precision, and how to determine the number of
significant digits of a slide rule... Here |