Slide rule
device · 1622 · Early modern era
An analogue instrument for multiplying with logarithms.
What it is made of
- Slide rule stock — has part. The fixed part with the scales.
- Sliding middle scale — has part. A movable scale.
- Slide rule cursor — has part. A transparent sight with a hairline.
Principles and materials it uses
- Logarithm — uses. The scales are logarithmic: multiplication becomes adding lengths.
- Wood — is made of. Slide rules were wooden, later plastic.
What it is a kind of
- Computing device — is a kind of. An analogue calculator.