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Trigonometric Calculating Instrument

American History Museum

Trigonometer by A. H. Wheeler
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  • Trigonometer by A. H. Wheeler
  • Trigonometer by A. H. Wheeler

    Object Details

    maker

    Wheeler, Albert Harry

    Description

    This square card has a rotating pointer attached at the center. A movable mechanism shows the length of the sine in various sectors of a circle.
    Marks indicate the sign of various other trigonometric functions. Thus the tangent, cotangent, and cosine are positive in the first quadrant; the cosine, cotangent, and tangent are negative in the second quadrant; the cosine is negative and the tangent and cotangent are positive in the third quadrant; and the cosine is positive, and the tangent and cotangent are negative in the fourth quadrant.

    Location

    Currently not on view

    Credit Line

    Gift of Louise D. Campbell

    date made

    1919
    1919-02-15

    ID Number

    1979.3002.113

    catalog number

    1979.3002.113

    nonaccession number

    1979.3002

    Object Name

    Trigonometer
    calculating instrument, trigonometric
    mathematical table
    trigonometer

    Physical Description

    paper (overall material)
    tan (overall color)
    black (overall color)
    cut from paper (overall production method/technique)

    Measurements

    average spatial: 21 cm x 17.5 cm x .5 cm; 8 9/32 in x 6 7/8 in x 3/16 in

    place made

    United States: Massachusetts, Worcester

    associated place

    United States: Massachusetts, Worcester

    See more items in

    Medicine and Science: Mathematics
    Trigonometry
    Science & Mathematics

    Data Source

    National Museum of American History

    Subject

    Mathematics

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-f951-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

    Record ID

    nmah_1156996

    Discover More

    Triangulator, A Chart for Plane Trigonometry

    Trigonometers

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