Peter Barlow (October 13, 1776 - March 1, 1862) was an English mathematician and physicist. In 1814 he published New Mathematical Tables which became known as Barlow's Tables and gives squares, cubes, square roots, cube roots, and reciprocals of all integer numbers from 1 to 10,000. These tables were regularly reprinted until 1965, when computers rendered them obsolete. He made several contributions to the theory of strength of materials, including Essay on the strength and stress of timber (1817). In 1825 he received the Copley Medal for his work on correcting the deviation in ship compasses caused by the presence of iron in the hull. Barlow's wheel is an early electric motor he invented, while Barlow's law is an (incorrect) law describing electrical conductance. In 1827 he began a collaboration with optician George Dollond he worked on achromatic lenses for telescopes. A derivative of this work is still known today as the Barlow lens and is a widely used piece of astronomical equipment. He was also interested in steam locomotion and sat on the railway commissions of 1836, 1839, 1842 and 1845. He died in 1862 at the age of 85