astronomy

Richard Scott Perkin

Richard Scott Perkin is a astronomy 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 Richard Scott Perkin rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Scott Perkin (1906–1969) was an American entrepreneur and one of the cofounders of Perkin-Elmer. Life At an early age he developed an interest in astronomy, and began making telescopes and grinding lenses and mirrors.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Richard Scott Perkin (1906–1969) was an American entrepreneur and one of the cofounders of Perkin-Elmer.

Life At an early age he developed an interest in astronomy, and began making telescopes and grinding lenses and mirrors. He only spent a year in college studying chemical engineering before he began working at a brokerage firm on Wall Street. During the 1930s, he met Charles Elmer when the latter was presenting a lecture. The two had a mutual interest in astronomy and decided to go into business together. In 1937, they founded Perkin-Elmer as an optical design and consulting company. Richard served as president of the company until 1960, then became chairman of the board. The crater Perkin on the Moon was named after him, while Elmer was named after his business partner. Perkin was married to Gladys Frelinghuysen Talmage who became CEO after he died. A decade later, Gladys commissioned a commemorative history to be written. One hundred copies were printed and distributed to friends.

Further reading Fahy, Thomas P., Richard Scott Perkin and the Perkin-Elmer Corporation, 1987, Perkin-Elmer Print Shop, ISBN 0-9618075-0-4.

See also List of astronomical instrument makers

References

External links "Richard S. Perkin". Pittcon Hall of Fame. Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on September 27, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2005.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Scott Perkin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Scott Perkin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Richard Scott Perkin 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 Richard Scott Perkin 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 Richard Scott Perkin

In research: Richard Scott Perkin appears in astronomy 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 Richard Scott Perkin 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: Richard Scott Perkin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1906 births, 1969 deaths, 20th-century American businesspeople, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Scott Perkin 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Richard Scott Perkin” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Richard Scott Perkin in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Scott Perkin in simple terms?

Richard Scott Perkin (1906–1969) was an American entrepreneur and one of the cofounders of Perkin-Elmer. Life At an early age he developed an interest in astronomy, and began making telescopes and grinding lenses and mirrors.

Why does Richard Scott Perkin matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Richard Scott Perkin?

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 Richard Scott Perkin.