[TheForge] Slide rules (was: Excessive scaling?)

[Bruce Freeman]

Yeah, we had to deal with the significant figures issue as well back
then.  It didn't crop up in the slide rule era because you usually can't
get more than three sig. figs. from a slide rule (though a friend had a
circular slide rule with a spiral scale that was much more precise
because the scale was effectively several feet long!).  Fortunately, the
rules for sig. figs. were pretty easy, so even most of the calculator
yahoos could deal with them.

Bruce
NJ

>>> sos at alum.mit.edu 12/13/2006 9:34 PM >>>
After the first problem set was graded in my freshman physics class,
the 
prof leaned on his desk and said "A word about significant digits...".
He was interrupted by a front row nerd, who said "Well, if you spent 
$395 for the thing (i.e. HP35 in 1973), the tendancy is, to write down

all the numbers!".

This was not considered an adequate defense.

Steve

Washington, Aubrey O. wrote:
> Bruce,
> I was a chemistry major for my first couple of years in college.  The
rich kids had Texas Instruments SR10 calculators, which I think cost
about $110 at the time.  About the only thing the SR10 would do that a
slide rule wouldn't (aside from 8 places) was add and subtract.  So I
just stuck with the slide rule.  That was no problem with chemistry, but
it put me at a disadvantage in physics where they got real anal about
large and small numbers.  The physics department had a whole room filled
with Wang calculators that worked off the mainframe computer.  I had to
use the Wangs for calculations I couldn't do on the slide rule.
>  
> When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher had an 8-foot long
slide rule handing on the wall above the blackboard.  He called it his
surfboard and used it daily to demonstrate calculations for the class. 
I wish I had one of those, just for grins.  I've seen a few at antique
stores over the years.
>  
> Aubrey
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net on behalf of Bruce Freeman
> Sent: Tue 12/12/2006 7:42 AM
> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net 
> Subject: [TheForge] Slide rules (was: Excessive scaling?)
> 
> 
> 
> I was a graduate student and  teaching assistant in Chem 101 when
> calculators were just "replacing" slide rules.  (When I was in
college,
> I couldn't AFFORD a calculator!  I used a slide rule throughout.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
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