Slide rule
A slide rule, also known as a slide ruler or a slipstick, is an extremely complex ruler that functions as an analog computer. By sliding various components of the ruler to align with one another, a slide rule can compute products, roots, logarithms, and the result of trigonometric functions.
In the mid-1600s, the linear slide rule was invented by Reverend William Oughtred, and the inner slide rule was invented by Robert Bissaker. Until the invention of the pocket calculator in the 1960s, the slide rule was used by virtually every scientist and mathematician in the world.
Do slide rules run on electricity?
Slide rules are manually operated and do not require electricity by power cord or batteries. The electronic pocket calculator replaced the slide rule in the mid-1970s, but some people, especially those working in small plane aviation, still use them today.
Who invented the slide rule?
The slide rule was originally invented in the 1600s by William Oughtred. Then, in the 1800s, Amedee Mannheim invented a more modern slide rule, used primarily for engineering purposes.