> It's been so long sine I have HAD to use
one, I cannot, for the life of me
> remember how to use my slide rule :(
On Tue, 21 Jun 2011, Tony Duell wrote:
Eh? If you undersnad what a slide rule really
does (it add lengths
essentially) and know what a logarithm is, you don;t need to remember
hgow to sue one.
In addition to using scales C & D to add logarithms (multiply!),
scales A & D (or B & C) give you squares and square roots.
True, but you can spot that by inspection :-)
A decent slide rule usually had half a dozen other useful scales.
I've always wanted a slide rule with the C and D scaled marked with the
E48 (or at least E24 resisotr values). Then if I want a particular ratio
in potential divider, I can sert the slide and see which values line up
(or at least are close to lining up).
In 1966?, for the SATs?, slide rules were not
permitted, and, for obvious
FWIW, I've always felt that uou shpuld be able to birng anything you like
into an exam, apart from another person or a communicatin device to
another person. It's a more realistic test of your abilities (If I am
asked to desing or make soemthing, I use whatever books, calculators,
tools, tc I can that will help me do so) and if the exam was properly
written it would not mean idiots would pass.
historical reasons, they didn't need to write
calculators in the rules. I
couldn't afford to test their reaction to a Curta.
But they encouraged us to bring scratch paper! Even log paper! It did
not require any serious origami skill to make a quite usable slide rule.
Hmm. I think that anybosy who makes their own slide rule in this way
deserves to pass. With flying colours.
-tony