Model of Screw Motion by Richard P. Baker, Baker #233
date: label: date made
content: ca 1906-1935
name: label: maker
content: Baker, Richard P.
notes: label: Description
content: This model was made by Richard P. Baker in the early twentieth century when he was on the faculty in mathematics at the University of Iowa. Baker believed that models were essential for the teaching of many parts of mathematics and physics, and over 100 of his models are in the museum collections.
label: Description
content: The object has a rectangular wooden base, white on top and black on the sides. Red lines are drawn on the base. A wire structure is bolted to it in three spots. Four wires have directional arrows. A mark on the object reads: No. 233 (/) Screw motion. Thompson and (/) Tait.
label: Description
content: The motion of a screw is a combination of a circular motion (suggested by the red circle with an arrow on it) and a linear motion (suggested by the straight black wire with an arrow on it pointing into the base). The British mathematical physicists William Thomson and Peter Guthrie Tait explored the motion of screws in their <I>Treatise on Natural Philosophy</I>, first published in 1867, although no figure that corresponds precisely to this model has been located.
label: Description
content: In his 1931 catalog, Baker listed this model in the section on “Mechanics & Theory of Screws.” The names of those associated who inspired the model are spelled Thomson and Tait.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Baker, R.P., <I>Mathematical Models</I>, Iowa City, 1931, p. 15.
label: Description
content: Thomson, W. and P.G. Tait, <I>Treatise on Natural Philosophy</I>, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1867. This volume was later revised and published as <I>Elements of Natural Philosophy</I>.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Frances E. Baker
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.211257.040
label: accession number
content: 211257
label: catalog number
content: 211257.040
objectType: label: Object Name
content: geometric model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: yellow (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: red (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: green (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: soldered (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 17.5 cm x 27.8 cm x 17.9 cm; 6 7/8 in x 10 15/16 in x 7 1/16 in