On the History of Gunter's Scale and the Slide Rule During the Seventeenth Century — John Shaqi
On the History of Gunter's Scale and the Slide Rule During the Seventeenth CenturyCajori, Florian
History
On the History of Gunter's Scale and the Slide Rule During the Seventeenth Century
Cajori, Florian
Slide-rule
3. Thirdly, you have in 5 turns the lines of numbers, sines, Tangents, in
three margents in divisions, and the line of versed sines in pricks,
under the line of Tangents, according to Mr. Gunter’s cross-staff: the
sines and Tangents beginning at 5 degrees, and 44 minutes where the other
ended, and proceeding to 90 in the sines, and 45 in the Tangents. And the
line of numbers beginning at 10, and proceeding to 100, being one entire
Radius, and graduated into as many divisions as the largeness of the
instrument will admit, being 10 to 10 50 into 50 parts, and from 50 to
100 into 20 parts in one unit of increase, but the Tangents are divided
into single minutes from the beginning to the end, both in the first,
second and third Radiusses, and the sines into minutes; also from 30
minutes to 40 degrees, and from 40 to 60, into every two minutes, and
from 60 to 80 in every 5th minute, and from 80 to 85 every 10th, and the
rest as many as can be well discovered.
The versed sines are set after the manner of Mr. Gunter’s Cross-staff,
and divided into every 10th minutes beginning at 0, and proceeding to 156
going backwards under the line of Tangents.
4. Fourthly, beyond the Tangent of 45 in one single line, for one Turn is
the secants to 51 degrees, being nothing else but the sines reitterated
beyond 90.
5. Fifthly, you have the line of Tangents beyond 45, in 5 turnes to 85
degrees, whereby all trouble of backward working is avoided.
6. Sixthly, you have in one circle the 180 degrees of a Semicircle, and
also a line of natural sines, for finding of differences in sines, for
finding hour and Azimuth.
7. Seventhly, next the verge or outermost edge is a line of equal parts
to get the Logarithm of any number, or the Logarithm sine and Tangent of
any ark or angle to four figures besides the carracteristick.
8. Eightly and lastly, in the space place between the ending of the
middle five turnes, and one half of the circle are three prickt lines
fitted for reduction. The uppermost being for shillings, pence and
farthings. The next for pounds, and ounces, and quarters of small
Averdupoies weight. The last for pounds, shillings and pence, and to be
used thus: If you would reduce 16s. 3d. 2q. to a decimal fraction, lay
the hair or edge of one of the legs of the index on 16. 3½ in the line of
1. s. d. and the hair shall cut on the equal parts 81 16; and the
contrary, if you have a decimal fraction, and would reduce it to a proper
fraction, the like may you do for shillings, and pence, and pounds, and
ounces.
The uses of the lines follow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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