Optical Flat for a Spherometer
date: label: date made
content: ca 1800s
notes: label: Description
content: An optical flat is a disc of heavy glass made perfectly flat that is used to zero out a spherometer before use in order to assure the device produces an accurate reading. A spherometer is a small device used primarily for measuring the curvature of objects such as lenses and curved mirrors. For further information about spherometers, see object MA.315739. This flat accompanies spherometer 2001.0217.07.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Spherometers
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bowdoin College
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2001.0217.08
label: catalog number
content: 2001.0217.08
label: accession number
content: 2001.0217
objectType: label: Object Name
content: optical flat
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1.3 cm x 10.8 cm x 10.8 cm; 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in x 4 1/4 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in; 1.27 cm x 10.795 cm