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Charles Babbage Facts & Worksheets

Charles Babbage was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.

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Charles Babbage was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Considered by some to be the “father of the computer,” his varied work in other fields has led him to be described as “pre-eminent” among the many polymaths of his century.

See the fact file below for more information on the Charles Babbage or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Charles Babbage worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Charles Babbage’s birthplace is disputed, but according to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography he was most likely born at 44 Crosby Row, Walworth Road, London, England.
  • Babbage was born on December 26, 1791 and was baptised on January 6, 1792. Babbage was one of four children of Benjamin Babbage and Betsy Plumleigh Teape.
  • In 1808, the Babbage family moved into the old Rowdens house in East Teignmouth. For a short time he attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Totnes, South Devon, but his health forced him back to private tutors for a time.
  • Babbage then joined the 30-student Holmwood Academy, in Baker Street, Enfield, Middlesex, under the Reverend Stephen Freeman. The academy had a library that prompted Babbage’s love of mathematics.
  • He studied with two more private tutors after leaving the academy.
  • Babbage began his studies at Trinity College in Cambridge in October 1810 and he moved to Peterhouse College, Cambridge in 1812 where he was the top mathematician. He graduated two years later in 1814.
  • Babbage became a lecturer at the Royal Institution where he lectured about astronomy. In 1816, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
  • In 1820 Babbage helped found the Astronomical Society and in 1824 he won its Gold Medal, “for his invention of an engine for calculating mathematical and astronomical tables.” From 1828 to 1839 Babbage was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

BABBAGE’S WORKS

  • Mathematical tables were important in Babbage’s era for use in navigation, science and engineering. They were calculated by hand and then compiled into tables.
  • Babbage decided to design a mechanical device that could perform calculations. Such a machine would always be accurate and would save time and money. He began building his first small model of the calculating engine in 1819 and it was completed in 1822 (Difference Engine 0).
  • The machine (Difference Engine 0) calculated and printed mathematical tables and was powered by cranking a handle.
  • The British government was interested in his machine and Babbage was given £1,700 to begin on a full scale machine (Difference Engine No. 1).
  • Difference Engine No. 1 was designed to calculate and tabulate polynomial functions.
  • Babbage published “On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures” in 1832 about industrial production, which was well received. In the book, it described what is now known as the “Babbage Principle” that noted the advantages of using division of labor in factories.
  • In 1837, Babbage became interested in building a more ambitious analytical engine. This would be more powerful than the original difference engine and when built would be the first working computer for general-purpose computation.
  • In 1838, Babbage invented the pilot (also called a cow-catcher).
  • Babbage also invented an ophthalmoscope, which is used in eye examinations.
  • Between 1846 and 1849 Babbage designed a new improved difference engine (Difference Engine No. 2). His machines were considered as one of the very first mechanical computers ever to be invented.
  • On July 25, 1814, Babbage married Georgiana Whitmore at St. Michael’s Church in Teignmouth, Devon. They lived at Dudmaston Hall, Shropshire before moving to 5 Devonshire Street, London in 1815.
  • Charles and Georgiana had eight children. Charles’ wife, Georgiana died September 1, 1827, the same year as their second son and their newborn son Alexander.

DEATH

  • Babbage lived and worked for over 40 years at 1 Dorset Street, Marylebone, where he died, at the age of 79, on October 18, 1871; he was buried in London’s Kensal Green Cemetery.
  • According to Horsley, Babbage died “of renal inadequacy, secondary to cystitis.” He had declined both a knighthood and baronetcy. He also argued against hereditary peerages, favouring life peerages instead.
  • In 1983 the autopsy report for Charles Babbage was discovered and later published by his great-great-grandson. A copy of the original is also available. Half of Babbage’s brain is preserved at the Hunterian Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The other half of Babbage’s brain is on display in the Science Museum, London.

Charles Babbage Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Charles Babbage across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Charles Babbage worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Charles Babbage who was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Considered by some to be the “father of the computer,” his varied work in other fields has led him to be described as “pre-eminent” among the many polymaths of his century.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Charles Babbage Facts
  • Biographical Profile
  • History Timeline
  • Inventions of CB
  • Five Traits
  • Jumbled Letters
  • CB Page
  • Difference Engine
  • Cambridge Scientist
  • Balloon Pop
  • My Innovation

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Link will appear as Charles Babbage Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 28, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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