On what principle was the compass invented?
The compass was invented based on the principle of magnets:
The earth is a big magnet, and the two poles of the earth are close to the geographical south pole and the geographical north pole respectively. When the magnets on the earth's surface are free to rotate, they will indicate north and south due to the nature of like magnets repelling each other and opposite magnets attracting.
The compass was called Sinan in ancient times. Its main component is a magnetic needle mounted on a shaft. The magnetic needle can rotate freely under the action of the natural geomagnetic field and remains in the tangent direction of the magnetic meridian. The north pole of the magnetic needle points to The geographical North Pole, you can use this function to identify the direction.
The compass is the result of ancient Chinese working people’s understanding of the magnetism of magnets through long-term practice. As one of the four great inventions in ancient China, its invention played an immeasurable role in the development of human science, technology and civilization. In ancient China, the compass was first used to determine directions in sacrifices, etiquette, military affairs, divination and Feng Shui.
Extended information:
The influence of the compass:
The application of the compass in navigation has greatly promoted geographical discoveries and maritime trade. The invention of the compass originated from the ancient Chinese people's research on how to orient. It also shows that the ancients attached great importance to the problem of how to orient. For this reason, the compass is known as one of the four great inventions of ancient China.
The ancient Chinese used the compass in military and navigation activities, as well as in compass art. Later, it was also introduced to Europe, where it played an irreplaceable role in European navigation activities and geographical discoveries. important role. Among the inventions of navigation technology, the compass is also the most important single invention.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Compass