Computing devices, mathematics education and mathematics: Sexton's omnimetre in its time (Q1045849)

The learned author describes the historical background Sexton's Omnemetre. It has a paper base and inset rotating disc, with a celluloid rotating indicator. It is designed to carry out numerous operation of arithmetic and trigonometry. It has scales for multiplication, division and common logarithms as well as squares, cubes and fifth power of numbers. Trigonometric scales are for sines, tangents, secant and versed sines. The anecdote of Sexton's Omnimetic offers a window into the interaction between people, instruments and ideas that transformed the slide rule into common technical tool. This was that of slide rule which was less expensive than its competitors and this was widely used by every students of all categories and teachers.