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Napier’s Bones |
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You might think the calculator is a fairly new device. But calculating machines have a long history. One of the most ingenious inventions came from a Scottish mathematician, John Napier (1550-1617). Napier created a multiplication device which came to be known as “Napier’s Rods” or "Napier’s Bones.” They were very popular in Napier’s time and, like today's pocket calculators, they came in several different models and styles; some were constructed from wooden sticks, while others were expensive ivory rods in ornate cases. The “bones” had lines drawn on the surface which divided the rod into ten equal parts. The squares were nothing more than a set of multiplication tables, one for each numeral; for example, the “6 bone” was etched with 06, 12, 18, and so on. |
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Internet Activity |
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Activity 2.4
Click this link to view your assignment for this activity.
http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_mt/e1/c2/ENAPIER.PDF |
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Adobe Acrobat Reader
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print the activity. To download the reader, click "Adobe Acrobat Reader" above.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html |
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Exploration |
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Napier’s Bones
Napier’s Bones Java demo. This site explains Napier’s method for performing multiplication and has a Java app that demonstrates how to use the bones to set up a multiplication problem.
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/NapiersBones.html |
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Napier’s Bones
This link shows an actual set of Napier’s bones.
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/images/I067/10328828.aspx |
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