Geometric Model by A. Harry Wheeler, Model for the Pythagorean Theorem
date: label: date made
content: 1915-1945
name: label: maker
content: Wheeler, Albert Harry
notes: label: Description
content: This is A. Harry Wheeler’s visual representation of the Pythagorean Theorem. The wooden base has a right triangle at the center with square holes cut out along each side of the triangle. The two vertices of the triangle next to the long side are cut out so that metal filings can run from the smaller squares into the larger one. A clear plastic top and bottom hold the filings within the model. In theory, one can fill either the large square or the two smaller squares with filings—according to the Pythagorean Theorem, the area of the large square is the sum of the area of the small ones.
label: Description
content: The model is unsigned and undated.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Worcester
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Mathematical Association of America Objects
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Helen M. Wheeler
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.304723.480
label: catalog number
content: 304723.480
label: accession number
content: 304723
objectType: label: Object Name
content: geometric model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: tan (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: black (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: cut and screwed (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: .8 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm; 5/16 in x 5 29/32 in x 5 29/32 in