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Martha Wadsworth

Martha Wadsworth is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Martha Wadsworth rather than just read about it. In short: Martha (Mattie) Wadsworth (1862-1943) was an amateur entomologist and one of the first women to publish in Entomological News. She had long-term correspondence with Philip P.

Martha Wadsworth — main illustration
Martha Wadsworth — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Martha Wadsworth belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Martha Wadsworth to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Martha Wadsworth from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Martha (Mattie) Wadsworth (1862-1943) was an amateur entomologist and one of the first women to publish in Entomological News. She had long-term correspondence with Philip P. Calvert, and the species Celithemis martha was named in her honor by Edward Bruce Williamson. She lived in Rural Maine, and published a short paper in volume 1 of Entomological News in 1890 about the dragonflies of Manchester, Maine, subsequently publishing there 5 more times. She discovered a dragonfly, ‘’Celithemis martha’’, near her home, which was then named after her.

Work She worked mostly in Manchester, Maine, and as of 1955 her collection was housed partly in the L.C. Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley. All of her specimens, except those she traded for, were collected within 2 miles of her home. Most of her collection is housed to this day at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. and Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. She had frequent mail correspondence with Philip P. Calvert, and her letters to him are preserved in the Ewell Sale Stewart Library archives of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Her specimens of Regal Fritillary butterflies were used in the book "Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces", which included specimens from the L. C. Bates Museum. The regal fritillary is no longer present in Maine, which makes these specimens very important.

Personal life Martha (Mattie) Wadsworth was born in Manchester, Maine, in 1862. She was a quaker. Though most of her publications were on Odonata, she was initially interested in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera.

childhood Mattie and her sister rose joined chapter 535 of the Agassiz Association in Hallowell, Maine, giving her an early introduction to natural history. As a child, she was very interested in stamp collecting, and later became president of the Augusta, Maine stamp club.

Entomology She corresponded and traded specimens with entomologists all over the world, though due to poor health and family issues she stayed close to home. She met Philip P. Calvert through ads in Swiss Cross, the journal of the Agassiz Association, of which both were members. Her first letter to him read: "Mr. Calvert, Dear Sir, In the June number of Swiss Cross I saw your offer to send blanks for notes on the Odonata to those who wish them. If you will send me one of these blanks, I will do my best to fill it out and, as I know but few of the names of the dragonflies, may send some to you for identification, if you are willing. I have collected more than eight hundred species of insect here, about fifty of them belonging to the Neuroptera, and though I am familiar with the butterflies and many moths and beetles, have never seen any work on dragonflies. I shall try to learn a great deal about them this season. Respectfully, Miss Mattie Wadsworth, Hallowell, Maine"

References

Illustrations

Martha Wadsworth: Celithemis martha, the species of dragonfly named after her
Celithemis martha, the species of dragonfly named after her

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Martha Wadsworth

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Martha Wadsworth claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Martha Wadsworth before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Martha Wadsworth ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Martha Wadsworth

In research
Martha Wadsworth appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Martha Wadsworth in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Martha Wadsworth is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1862 births, 1943 deaths, American entomologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Martha Wadsworth outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Martha Wadsworth in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Martha Wadsworth means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Martha Wadsworth out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Martha Wadsworth in simple terms?

Martha (Mattie) Wadsworth (1862-1943) was an amateur entomologist and one of the first women to publish in Entomological News. She had long-term correspondence with Philip P.

Why does Martha Wadsworth matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Martha Wadsworth?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Martha Wadsworth.

Tags

  • 1862 births
  • 1943 deaths
  • American entomologists
  • Women entomologists

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