Amazing Chinese Inventions: The Compass
The compass was invented during the Qin dynasty (221 B.C-206 B.C). Inside the compass is a magnetic element that is suspended freely, which then points to the four basic cardinal directions (north, south, east, west). Fortunetellers in the ancient times used the compass to help build their fortunetelling boards. Fortunetellers were one of the first people to use the compass. The magnetic needles that point to the directions are made out of Lodestone, which is composed of iron oxide. Many years later people started to realize that the compass could help them point to directions while doing other activities not just fortunetelling.
The first model of the compass changed soon changed. The new model was carved out of rock into the shape of a square. They marked the rock with the four cardinal directions. The new model still contained lodestone, as the needle that would point horizontally towards the directions. Many years after the Qin dynasty fell, a man named Zheng He, was the first person to document and record his personal use of the compass. He took many voyages off of the Yunnan Providence in China. In his documents he talk about how the compass helped him sail the seas.
The compass has been a very important invention, in the past and the present. Today, many people who endure in activities like hiking, fishing or hunting use the compass to help them get around while doing these activities. The compass is also a tools that can really save your life. If you know how to use the compass properly it can help you find your way if you are lost. This is one invention that really has changed the world in many ways.
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| Picture is from: http://www.historyforkids.org/crafts/china/compass.gif |
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| Picture is from: http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/317038/317038,1294937115,2/stock-photo-chinese-antique-spoon-compass-68904469.jpg |
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