{{Short description|Hand-held device for reference or calculation}} [[Image:Curveasy.jpg|thumb|upright|A "Curveasy" slide chart for spherical geometry calculations]] A '''slide chart''' is a hand-held device, usually of [[paper]], [[cardboard]], or [[plastic]], for conducting simple calculations or looking up information. A circular slide chart is sometimes referred to as a wheel chart or [[volvelle]].
Unlike other hand-held mechanical calculating devices such as [[slide rules]] and [[addiator]]s, which have been replaced by [[electronic calculators]] and [[computer software]], wheel charts and slide charts have survived to the present time. There are a number of companies who design and manufacture these devices.
Unlike the general-purpose [[Mechanical calculator|mechanical calculators]], slide charts are typically devoted to carrying out a particular specialized calculation, or displaying information on a single product or a particular process. For example, the "Curveasy" wheel chart displays information related to spherical geometry calculations, and the Prestolog calculator is used for cost/profit calculations. Another example of a wheel chart is the [[planisphere]], which shows the location of [[Star|stars]] in the [[sky]] for a given location, date, and time.
Slide charts are often associated with particular sports, political campaigns or commercial companies. For example, a pharmaceutical company may create wheel charts printed with their company name and product information for distribution to medical practitioners.
Slide charts are common collectables.
==See also== * The [[E6B]] aviation flight computing device, still in regular use
==References== * ''Reinventing the Wheel'', [[Jessica Helfand]], Princeton Architectural Press, 2002. ({{ISBN|978-1-56898-596-1}})
==External links== * [https://archive.today/20121216154456/http://www.tinajuliecordon.webspace.virginmedia.com/Slide%20Rules/SlideCharts.html Slide Chart Examples]
[[Category:Communication design]]
{{design-stub}}