Beakley George C., Leach H.W. The Slide Rule and Its Use in Problem Solving

2nd edition. — The Macmillan Company, 1970. — 194 p. (OCR)Material in this book has been prepared for students who wish to obtain facility in using the slide rule and solving technical problems. The subject matter is arranged so that it is suitable both for classroom use and for individual study. In presenting the text material, the authors have stressed the practical application of mathematical tools to help the student grasp the role of mathematical skills in problem solving situations.
The section on the slide rule has been arranged so that the student can follow the examples shown for each operation using the rule and then can practice and check his progress with a set of problems for which answers are given. This material will also be an excellent manual on use of the slide rule in future years.
The section on problem solving is designed to present situations involving the application of basic physical principles. The student is encouraged not only to use step-by-step reasoning in analyzing each problem but also to present the solution in a neat and orderly manner.
Answers for selected problems are given in the Appendix. The Appendix also includes frequently used constants, tables, and formulas.The Slide Rule
Description of the slide rule
Care of the slide rule
Manipulation of the rule
Accuracy of the rule
Construction of the scales
Methods of determining decimal point location
Division
Combined Multiplication and Division
Proportions and Ratios
Squares and Square Roots
Cubes and Cube Roots
Trigonometric Functions
Right Triangle Solution (Log-Log Rule)
The Log-log (Lon) Scales
Hyperbolic Functions on the Slide Rule
Slide Rule Solution of Complex NumbersThe Engineering Method of Problem Solving
Types of thought processes
Reasoning and problem solving
Simplifying assumptions and preparation of a model
Types of idealized models
General suggestions for drawing free-body diagrams
Problems in static mechanics
Equilibrium
Electricity and electronicsAppendix I Logarithms-The Mathematical Basis for the Slide Rule
Appendix II Trigonometry
Appendix III Geometric Figures
Appendix IV Tables
Appendix V Answers to Selected ProblemsIndex