Iain Petrie | Multiplication with a late 1700s Gunter's Rule: an analogue computer, precursor of the slide rule @IKP1000 | Uploaded May 2022 | Updated October 2024, 12 hours ago.
I'm learning to use my latest acquisition, a super rare Gunter's Rule, also called the Gunter's Navigational Scale, the Gunter's Scale and the Gunter's Line.
It was invented by Edmund Gunter (1581–1628) in 1623. From the style of the engraving, I believe this example dates from the late 1700s, but if anyone knows better, please let me know in the comments!
Here I show how multiplication is done with a Gunter's rule, using large dividers. In the next few videos I'll explore some of other scales and their uses.
"After Briggs popularised Napier's idea of logarithms, Gunter had the brilliant idea of mapping logarithms onto a line in which the linear distance is represented by the logarithm. A simple piece of wood engraved with expertly positioned lines took the sting out of laborious calculations. Initially multiplication and division were completed with the aid of dividers. Gunter's navigational scale was used by the Royal Navy up to the 1840s. Eventually,(1630c)two Günter's scales were juxtaposed to make an even more powerful calculator-the slide rule. " (British Museum. History of the World BBC)
I'm learning to use my latest acquisition, a super rare Gunter's Rule, also called the Gunter's Navigational Scale, the Gunter's Scale and the Gunter's Line.
It was invented by Edmund Gunter (1581–1628) in 1623. From the style of the engraving, I believe this example dates from the late 1700s, but if anyone knows better, please let me know in the comments!
Here I show how multiplication is done with a Gunter's rule, using large dividers. In the next few videos I'll explore some of other scales and their uses.
"After Briggs popularised Napier's idea of logarithms, Gunter had the brilliant idea of mapping logarithms onto a line in which the linear distance is represented by the logarithm. A simple piece of wood engraved with expertly positioned lines took the sting out of laborious calculations. Initially multiplication and division were completed with the aid of dividers. Gunter's navigational scale was used by the Royal Navy up to the 1840s. Eventually,(1630c)two Günter's scales were juxtaposed to make an even more powerful calculator-the slide rule. " (British Museum. History of the World BBC)
