Spherometer
date: label: date made
content: ca 1800s
notes: label: Description
content: A spherometer is used primarily to measure the curvature of objects such as lenses and curved mirrors. This rather large example belonged to Bowdoin College. It has no markings but most likely was purchased from an educational instrument maker in the 19th century. It is accompanied by an optical flat used to zero the device. It has both a vertical scale and horizontal scale on the disc. To improve accuracy, a magnifying lever is mounted on the top of the micrometer disc. The two small arms would have pointed to a secondary scale that arched over the top of the device but is now missing.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
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content: Science & Mathematics
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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: 2001.0217.07
label: catalog number
content: 2001.0217.07
label: accession number
content: 2001.0217
objectType: label: Object Name
content: spherometer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 17 cm x 11.5 cm x 10.7 cm; 6 11/16 in x 4 17/32 in x 4 7/32 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 11/16 in x 4 1/2 in x 4 in; 16.98625 cm x 11.43 cm x 10.16 cm