slide rule

US /ˈslaɪd ruːl/
UK /ˈslaɪd ruːl/
"slide rule" picture
1.

suwak logarytmiczny

a mechanical analog computer, now largely obsolete, used primarily for multiplication and division, and for functions such as roots, logarithms, and trigonometry. It is constructed with a fixed rule and a sliding central piece, both marked with logarithmic scales.

:
Before electronic calculators, engineers relied on a slide rule for complex calculations.
Przed kalkulatorami elektronicznymi inżynierowie polegali na suwaku logarytmicznym do skomplikowanych obliczeń.
Learning to use a slide rule required understanding logarithms.
Nauka obsługi suwaka logarytmicznego wymagała zrozumienia logarytmów.