WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The slide rule cover

The slide rule

Chapter 2: PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH EDITION.
By Charles N. Pickworth
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Engineering & TechnologyHow To ...Mathematics

About This Book

The manual defines the slide rule as an instrument for performing calculations by means of logarithms and provides a concise primer on common logarithms, mantissa and characteristic. It explains the mathematical principle that adding and subtracting logarithms yields products and quotients, and extends this to powers, roots, and trigonometric and algebraic operations. Practical instruction covers the layout and use of scales, slide and cursor, magnifying cursors and special rule types, with examples of routine procedures such as multiplication, division, square and root extraction, and proportional calculations. Descriptions of specialized instruments and applications include engineering tasks like screw-cutting and gear calculations, together with advice on accuracy and practice.

PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH EDITION.

Several new slide rules for special calculations are described in this edition, and the contents further extended to include a section dealing with screw-cutting gear calculations by the slide rule—an application of the instrument to which attention has been given recently.

Mention should be made of the fact that some of the special slide rules described in previous editions are no longer obtainable. As, however, the descriptive notes may be of service to those possessing the instruments, and are, in some measure, of general interest, they have been allowed to remain in the present issue.

The author tenders his thanks to the many who have evinced their appreciation of his efforts to popularise the subject; also for the many kind hints and suggestions which he has received from time to time, and with a continuance of which he trusts to be favoured in the future.

C. N. P.

Withington, Manchester, November 1917.

PREFACE TO THE SEVENTEENTH EDITION.

The sustained demand for this very successful work having resulted in the early call for a new edition, the opportunity has been taken to introduce descriptions of new slide rules and to effect some slight revisions.

C. N. P.

Withington, Manchester, December 1920.