How the Pascaline Works
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- Опубликовано: 2 янв 2025
- A visual explanation of how the Pascaline works. The Pascaline was the first successful mechanical calculator. It was developed in the 1640's by the mathematician Blaise Pascal. This video includes detailed animations explaining how the mechanisms inside the Pascaline work and shows how the Pascaline can be used to add or subtract a series of numbers.
Fascinating. I'm usually baffled by technical explanations, but that was clear and simple. And for the record, there is no way I'd ever have figured out how to make that by myself.
This is cool. It's weird to thing somebody invented a calculator well before the Industrial Revolution.
I agree; many great inventions and discoveries seem obvious in hindsight. The real genius of the Pascaline was designing the carry mechanism in such a way that the number columns move independently during the carry operation.
Yes. All fully functioning calculators have to include some way to handle the carry operation. One of the things I find most interesting about mechanical computers is the wide variety of mechanisms invented to accomplish carrying.
Perfectly explained, clearly illustrated in 3D. Thank you very much.
The method of subtraction on the Pascaline uses "nine's complement arithmetic". If you search on this term, you will find many good explanations of how it works.
Great, GREAT work, thank you so much!
The marked spokes are calibrated during manufacturing by sliding the display bar up to uncover the normal digit display, rotating the output drum to display the 9 digit, and marking the spoke that is under the stopping lever and the spoke immediately to the right of the stopping lever.
muy buen video, gracias por compartir sus conocimientos. Saludos desde Venezuela
Amazing work ... please upload more vids
Great video! Thanks. Helped a lot
Hi Fine !! Very interesting !!
Hope one time you will make a good virtual demonstration of the Thomas arithmometer !!
Bests regards
Valéry Monnier
It's so simple when you see it. I knew that Pascalene was a simple mechanical calculator, but when you see the mechanism, it's so simple anyone could have invented it. That shows that it's probably the greatest invention ever. If it's a simple as anyone could have invented it, it means, nobody did.
just Awesome.................. vote up to agree
So... Since the output mechanism is always engaged, it is reduntant? You are just as able to read the result already at the input wheels, by looking at the 9-complement of the digit between the two black lines, right? Isn't this a strange sub-optimization by a brilliant inventor?
Thank you for this. Isn't this design limited in number of digits because of force needed for the ripple of carries? More precisely when adding one to 99999999.. turning one wheel (the lower digit one) needs to transmit turns to all the wheels on its left.
The digit wheels in the Pascaline are not directly connected to each other, so the Pascaline can have an unlimited number of digits. That is the most ingenious aspect of its design. During a carry operation, the power of gravity is used to turn the higher order digit -- not a physically connected gear.
how are the marked spokes calibrated to the output drum?
How exactly is the Mathod for subtraction named ? I didn't understood that so well in the Video. But great Video !! :D
Eureka! I found the answer to my reesearch..no..seriously
in binary rather than decimal... isn't this "carry one over" the principal of operation of microprocessors?
awesome
Wicked cool
I am gonna fail my maths even if i have this contraption :(