Background A compass is a device used to determine direction on the surface of the earth. The most familiar type of compass is the magnetic compass, which relies on the fact that a magnetic object tends to align itself with Earth's magnetic field.
When people think of instruments that help with direction finding, the first one that springs to mind is probably the magnetic compass. It is the oldest instrument for navigation and has been a vital tool for navigators at sea for centuries. The compass allows ships to steer a selected course.
Magnetic Compass A compass is an instrument containing a freely suspended magnetic element which displays the direction of the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field at the point of observation. The magnetic compass is an old Chinese invention, probaly first made in China during the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.).
Printing, paper money, porcelain, tea, restaurants, gunpowder, the compass-the number of things that Chinese of the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) gave to the world is mind-boggling. This vibrant period in Chinese history was marked by economic prosperity and remarkable technological innovation. In this interview, China expert Robin D. S.
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Early in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), while mining ores and melting copper and iron, Chinese people chanced upon a natural magnetite that attracted iron and pointed fixedly north. In the Warring States Period (206BC-23AD), after constant improvement the round compass came into being.
China has been a source of many inventions, including the Four Great Inventions : papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and printing (both woodblock and movable type). The list below contains these and other inventions. The Chinese invented technologies involving mechanics, hydraulics, and mathematics applied to horology, metallurgy, astronomy, agriculture, engineering, music theory, craftsmanship, nautics, and warfare.
Papermaking, gunpowder, printing and the compass are four ancient inventions by Chinese people that have had a huge impact on the entire world. Paper Making The invention of paper greatly contributed to the spread and development of civilization.
Dr. Keith Ray surveys the four great Chinese inventions that have changed the World. It is an article reprinted from SACU's China Eye magazine (2004). Over thousands of years China has produced a great stream of inventions, ranging from the mundane chopstick and wheelbarrow, to sophisticated earthquake detectors and the advanced concept of bank notes.