About the slide rule.?

Question

what is the slide rule? where is it most commonly used? what is it used for? what jobs/careers would need to use the slide rule?

- please helppp. anything about the slide rule. would do good. thanks<33

Answer 1

Basic use of the slide rule is to multiply.  The numbers from 1 to 10 are laid out in log fashion on the two parts of the slide rule.  Any number can be reduced to a number between 1 and 10 - times 10 to a power.

Putting the number 1 of the slide number scale above (or below) the multiplicand number and moving a hair line over the multiplier number on the slide number scale the product appears below the hair line on the stationary number scale.  What you are doing is adding exponents - the log of the numbers.  It is up to you to keep track of the other exponents.

The slide rule was used in engineering and science.

Answer 2

It is a mechanical analog adding machine.  Add 3 inches to 5 inches and you get 8 inches.  Multiplication is easy by adding the logarithms.  Nowadays, hardly anyone would choose a slide rule over an electronic calculator or computer.

Answer 3

I found one at a garage sale and I bought it, it even have instructions, they arent used anymore, they can do multiplication, division &amp; logarithms, its like a rule with another rule in it which can slide, and they have little numbers and letter on them.

Almost every engineer had one, or that&#039;s what my father said.

Here&#039;s a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLfo__1R6...

Answer 4

A slide rule is a portable calculating device, and is good to 3 digits.  It was used pretty extensively before calculators, but is has fallen out of favor since calculators are faster, more accurate, and can do more.

I had a chemistry teacher in high school (1978) who insisted we learn to use a slide rule and forbid calculators in his class.  In &#039;78 slide rules were already an oddity ... but it was fun learning to use it.