astronomy

Whipple Museum of the History of Science

Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science rather than just read about it. In short: The Whipple Museum of the History of Science is a museum attached to the University of Cambridge, England, which houses an extensive collection of scientific instruments, apparatus, models, pictures, prints, photographs, books and other material related to the history of science. It is located in the former Perse School on Free School Lane, Cambridge.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The Whipple Museum of the History of Science is a museum attached to the University of Cambridge, England, which houses an extensive collection of scientific instruments, apparatus, models, pictures, prints, photographs, books and other material related to the history of science. It is located in the former Perse School on Free School Lane, Cambridge. The museum was founded in 1944, when Robert Whipple presented his collection of scientific instruments to the University of Cambridge. The museum's collection was 'designated' by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) as being of "national and international importance". The museum is one of eight museums in the University of Cambridge Museums consortium.

Department of History and Philosophy of Science The museum forms part of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge. The department includes a working library with a large collection of early scientific books, some of which were given by Robert Whipple, chairman of the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company. The museum plays an important part in the department's teaching and research.

Collections The museum's holdings are particularly strong in material dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, especially objects produced by English instrument makers, although the collection contains objects dating from the medieval period to the present day. Instruments of astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculating are well represented, as are sundials, mathematical instruments and early electrical apparatus. Since Robert Whipple's initial gift of the collection, the museum has come to house many instruments formerly used in the Colleges and Departments of the University of Cambridge.

Opening hours The Whipple Museum is open from Monday to Friday, 12.30 - 4.30pm, and Saturday 10am - 5pm.

Gallery

See also Jim Bennett, a previous curator, moved to the History of Science Museum, Oxford. History of science

References

External links The Whipple Museum's website Department of History and Philosophy of Science information University of Cambridge libraries and museums information

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Whipple Museum of the History of Science

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science

In research: Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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: Whipple Museum of the History of Science is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1944 establishments in England, Biographical museums in Cambridgeshire, History of science museums, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Whipple Museum of the History of Science in simple terms?

Why does Whipple Museum of the History of Science 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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science?

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 Whipple Museum of the History of Science.