THE COMPASS An Important Chinese Invention

 It is a device for determining direction.  The simplest form of the compass is a magnetized needle mounted on a pivot so that it can turn freely.  The needle aligns itself with Earth's magnetic field.  The four cardinal points of the compass are north, east, south, and west. Midway between these points are northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. These directions are called the intercardinal points. ALL ABOUT THE COMPASS  It was invented as a portable device for people to use to tell direction, usually on ships, and also used to align the earth’s forces.  Compasses were invented in the Qin Dynasty ( b.c.)  They were invented in China.  The first compasses were made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized ore of iron.

HOW IT WORKS  The magnetic needles line up with the earth’s magnetic field.  The magnetic field exerts a force on the needle, pulling one end of the needle towards earth’s north magnetic pole, and the other towards the earth’s south magnetic pole.  The needle is mounted on a low-friction pivot point so it can turn easily.  The north end (or pole) of the compass’s needle is defined as the end that’s attracted to the earth’s north magnetic pole. The south end (or pole) of the compass’s needle is the one that attracts to the earth’s south magnetic pole.  Compasses were first made out of lodestone, or naturally magnetized iron. (pictured below) Lodestone Lodestone Lodestone

HOW IT WAS AND IS USED AND MADE  A compass first was used on ships to navigate direction and to align the earth’s forces.  The very first compasses were made of simple pieces of metal attached to straw or floating in a bowl of water.  Magnetic forces of the earth allow compasses to be used just about everywhere for navigation.  Today compasses are used in planes, ships, and more!  Modern compasses can be made of metal, lodestone, or even on phones or other electronic devices.

WHO INVENTED THE COMPASS?  William Sturgeon invented the modern compass that is still used today.  Zehng He first used it on his voyages.  Zhu Yu’s book, Pingzhou Table Talks, was the first book that mentioned the compass as a device used for navigation, since it was first used to align the forces of earth.  The magnetic compass was invented in China for use by people who practiced Feng Shui, to align the forces of the earth to help them maintain balance in their lives, it later became an important navigational tool.

THANK YOU I hope you learned a lot about compasses. By: Maddy Anderson