Harvard Mark I

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/harvard-mark-i

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Harvard Mark I?Approximately 5 tons
2. What is the machine type?Electromechanical general-purpose computer (ASCC)
3. What is the physical dimensions?51 feet long, 8 feet high, 2 feet deep
4. How big was the Harvard Mark I?It was 51 feet long, 8 feet high, and 2 feet deep, and it weighed about 5 tons. It was as tall as a two‑story building and as long as a school bus.
5. What kinds of calculations could the Harvard Mark I do?The Mark I could add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. It also stored intermediate results so it could solve more complicated problems like ballistics and engineering.

Electromechanical: A system that combines electrical and mechanical components to perform a function.
General-purpose computer: A computer capable of performing a wide range of computational tasks, as opposed to a special-purpose computer.
Manhattan Project: A top-secret World War II research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs.
Bessel functions: A set of solutions to Bessel's differential equation, widely used in physics and engineering for problems involving wave propagation and vibrations.