Observational GeometryExcerpt from Observational Geometry In the works of nature and of man Geometry plays a most important role. The rays of light from the sun suggest the straight line; the surface of still water, the plane; the faces of crystals, a variety of elementary plane figures bounded by straight lines; while the crystals themselves suggest the most common figures bounded by planes. Moreover, the myriad other forms in the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral kingdoms furnish unending variety of symmetrical and complex geometric forms, while the creations of the artist and the architect, and the problems of the engineer and the astronomer, all have their basis in Geometry. The practice of training pupils early in observing the simple geometric forms and relations of the objects which come under their every-day notice, of teaching them the use of the simplest tools of geometric construction, and of making them familiar with a variety of means of finding lengths, areas, and volumes, is a most natural and potent means of training their powers of observation, and at the same time of cultivating habits of concentrated and continuous attention. The old arithmetics with their puzzling problems furnished a powerful means for the cultivation of the powers of analysis, but they did not furnish in any adequate sense the careful training of the child's faculties of observation. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. |
