Compass The simplest mechanical device - a magnetic compass consists of a magnetic needle, which freely rotates in a horizontal plane and is installed along the magnetic meridian under the influence of earth's magnetism. The compass is used for orientation relative to the sides of the horizon. The history of the compass begins in China. In the III century BC. e. The Chinese philosopher Hen Fei-tzu described the device of the modern compass, which was called synan, which means “knowing the south”, as follows: it looked like a pouring spoon made of magnetite with a thin handle and a spherical, carefully polished convex part. With this convex part, the spoon was mounted on an equally carefully polished copper or wooden plate, so that the handle did not touch the plate, but hung freely above it, and at the same time the spoon could easily rotate around the axis of its convex base. The designations of the countries of the world in the form of cyclic zodiac signs were applied on the plate. By pushing the handle of the spoon, it was brought into rotation. Having calmed down, the compass pointed with a handle (which played the role of a magnetic needle) exactly to the south. The shape of the bucket was not chosen by chance. She copied the shape of the constellation Ursa Major, called in China "Heavenly Dipper" (Tian dou). This was the most ancient device for determining the cardinal points. The disadvantage of such a compass was that magnetite is poorly processed and very fragile. In addition, "in charge of the south" was not accurate enough, due to strong friction between the ladle and the surface of the board. In the 11th century, a floating compass needle made of an artificial magnet appeared in China. The Chinese discovered that the magnetization effect is observed both when iron comes into contact with a magnet, and when an iron piece heated to redness is cooled. A magnetized compass was made in the form of an iron fish. She was heated red-hot and sank into a vessel of water. . Here she swam freely, pointing her head in the direction where the south was. When reheated, the fish lost its magnetic properties. There is a mention of such a compass in the treatise “Fundamentals of Military Affairs” (“Wu Jin Zongyao”), written in 1044. Several varieties of the compass were invented in the same XI century by the Chinese scientist Shen Gua (1030-1094), who worked a lot on the study of the properties magnetic needle. He suggested, for example, to magnetize an ordinary sewing needle on a natural magnet, then attach it with wax in the center of the body to a freely hanging silk thread. This compass indicated the direction more accurately than a floating compass, since it experienced much less resistance when it turned. Another design of the compass, proposed by Shen Gua, was even closer to the modern one: here a magnetized needle was mounted on a hairpin. During his experiments, Shen Gua found that the compass needle does not point exactly to the south, but with some deviation, and correctly explained the reason for this phenomenon by the fact that the magnetic and geographical meridians do not coincide with each other, but form an angle. Scientists who lived after Shen Gua already knew how to calculate this angle (called the magnetic declination) for various regions of China. In Europe, the phenomenon of magnetic declination was first noticed by Columbus during his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, that is, four centuries later than Shen Gua described it. In the 11th century, many Chinese ships were equipped with floating compasses. They were usually installed at the bow and stern of the ships, so that the captains in any weather could keep the correct course, in accordance with their instructions. In this form, the Arabs borrowed the Chinese compass in the 12th century. At the beginning of the XIII century, the "floating needle" became known to Europeans. Italian sailors were the first to adopt it from the Arabs. From them, the compass passed to the Spaniards, the Portuguese and the French, and later to the Germans and the British. At first, the compass consisted of a magnetized needle and a piece of wood (cork), floating in a vessel of water. Soon they guessed to cover this vessel with glass in order to protect the float from the action of the wind. In the middle of the XIV century

19.10.2015

In the history of science there is a term "4 great inventions". We are talking about innovations that were created in China and forever changed the way people understand the world around them. Along with paper, wheel and gunpowder, ancient Chinese scientists were the first to give humanity a compass. The compass became the invention without which geographical discoveries would never have been possible, transnational trade and many other processes that created our civilization could not exist.

The first written mention of the compass dates back to 1044. A Chinese book describes an amazing device with which a traveler could navigate in the desert. The compass was described in detail 40 years later by the Chinese Shen Ko. The author describes the design: a piece of metal was attached to a stick that was immersed in water. Thus, magnetic resonance was achieved, that part of the tree on which the iron was attached indicated the direction towards the north.

How the compass got to Europe is not known for certain. Apparently, the invention was brought with them by the Arabs, who finally conquered the territory of modern Spain by the 12th century. From there, the compass goes first to the Italians, and then to the British. By the way, it is worth noting that the modern name of the device etymologically refers to the English compass, which means “circle”.

There is another point of view, according to which the compass in Europe was first invented by the Vikings in the X-XI centuries, during the campaigns to the west. In an effort to discover sea routes to uncharted countries, the northern wars used a certain invention that allowed them to determine the direction of the cardinal points using water and the sun. Not without reason, it is believed that the Icelandic warriors were the first to reach the shores of America. It is difficult to imagine that they could go such a long way, focusing solely on the stars.

The first of the European scientists who improved the design of the compass was the Italian Flavio Joya. He proposed to mount the arrow on a hairpin, which significantly reduced the error in indicating the direction, and also divided the circle into 16 points (later into 32). Thus, sea rolling now practically did not affect the instrument readings, and ship captains were able to correctly describe and calculate the direction.

In the 20th century, with the development of engineering, geography and geodesy, new models of the device were created: an electromagnetic compass, a gyrocompass, a compass and other devices. So, in 1927, an electric compass was first tested. The need for such a development appeared in connection with the development of aviation. The first pilot to travel across the Atlantic Ocean with such a compass was the American Charles Lindbergh.

With the development of science came an understanding of some subtleties. So, the magnetic and real (geographical) poles of the earth do not coincide, which leads to errors in the calculations. This is fraught, for example, with a deviation from the course of ships sailing. That is why at the end of the XIX century the so-called gyrocompass was developed. Today it is used on almost all marine vessels, it has a more complex design and high accuracy.

The history of the compass is the history of human observation. If, one day, one Chinese sage would not have noticed the connection between the cardinal points, the stars and the reaction of the metal, perhaps humanity would have been forced to slow down in its development for many years.

History of the compass [VIDEO]

The most ancient device that facilitates orientation on the ground is the compass. Its arrows point to the Earth's magnetic poles. Every student is familiar with this simple device. Surprisingly, it was invented long before our era.

History of the compass

Presumably, the history of the compass begins from the 3rd century BC. The ancient Chinese were the first to guess about the amazing property of magnetite to show the poles of the Earth.

To move through the desert, they invented a device that bears little resemblance to the modern compass, but its principle of operation was the same. The ancient compass looked like a spoon lying on a polished plate. The handle of this magnetite spoon rotated freely, and, stopping, pointed to the south.

Much later, in the 11th century AD, the Chinese invented a compass with a floating arrow in the form of a fish. The Arabs really liked this device, and they began to use it to find the right direction in distant sea voyages.

In the XIII century. Europeans began to use a similar device. And in the XIV century. the compass took on a look similar to the modern one. The magnetic needle was fixed with a pin on the bottom of the vessel or on a paper base.

The Italian Flavio Joio improved the device by equipping it with a round card with 16 rhombuses (4 for each cardinal direction). Even later, the circle was divided into 32 parts. By the 18th century the compass was already a complex device that showed not only the direction of movement, but also the time.

What now

Now there are many varieties of compass:

• electromagnetic,
• electronic,
• gyro-compass.

They are more advanced and are used on ships and aircraft. However, the good old magnetic compass continues to live, being the most convenient and reliable device for geologists, climbers and simple travel enthusiasts.

The history of the creation of the first magnetic compass goes back centuries and still remains a mystery in many respects. Basically, only fragments of those stories reach us, with which the appearance of the first magnetic compass could be associated. The title of the country in which the first compass appeared is claimed by Greece, China and India, but even here everything is not so simple.

I propose to consider together the information that has come down to us thanks to the scrupulous work of historians, on the basis of which it will be possible to get an idea of ​​where and when one of the first navigational instruments appeared, which to this day is very popular and is used by both sailors and lovers of traveling dry.

One of the "models" of ancient compasses, which still works quite well today.

Since the invention of the magnetic compass is closely connected with the discovery and study of magnetism, our further story will also consider this phenomenon in parallel.

The first Chinese compass

According to some researchers, the ancient Greeks discovered the phenomenon of magnetism for the first time. However, there is another point of view, giving the authorship of the discovery to the Chinese.

Scientists who prefer the "Chinese discovery" refer to a chronicle made in the third millennium BC, although it is assumed that the magnetic iron ore itself (aka magnetite) was discovered by the Chinese a millennium earlier.

In the annals cited by scientists, it is assumed that already the Chinese emperor Huang-di used a compass for navigation during his battle. However, according to another version, instead of a compass on his wagons, a device in the form of a chariot was used, on which a miniature figure of a man showed the direction to the south.

The reconstruction of such a chariot is shown in the photo below:

This chariot was mounted on a vehicle and connected to its wheels in such a way that, thanks to the adjusted gear mechanism, when the cart turned, the chariot began to rotate in the opposite direction. Thus, the miniature figurine of a man on a chariot always invariably points to the south, regardless of the turn of the transport. In general, of course, this figurine would show in any other direction: it all depended on where it was initially directed. The chariot itself was not able to navigate to the cardinal points, as the needle of a magnetic compass does.

Interestingly, one of the first Chinese compasses, which was a spoon made of magnetic material and rotating on a smooth board, was not used for its intended purpose, but in magical rituals for predictions. Such a use of a magnet took place in the third millennium BC, although according to another version, the magnetic properties of a ferromagnet were used in ancient China already in the fourth millennium BC in Feng Shui rites, explaining magnetism as a manifestation of higher powers.

By the end of the second millennium BC, Chinese sailors already made full use of magnetic compasses for their intended purpose - for orientation in the open sea.

First compass in India

Independently of China, magnetism was also discovered in India. This discovery was due to a mountain located near the Indus River. Local residents drew attention to the fact that this mountain was able to attract iron to itself.

The magnetic properties of the rock have found application in Indian medicine. So, Sushruta - an Indian doctor - used a magnet for surgical manipulations.

As in China, sailors in India learned to use the magnet. Their compass looked like a homemade fish with a head made of a material with magnetic properties.

Thus, the Indian fish and the Chinese spoon became the progenitors of the modern compass.

Compass and Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece, like the previous two countries, did not lag behind in the scientific field. The Greeks, independently of other scientists, independently discovered and investigated the phenomenon of magnetism, and after that they created their first compass.

In the 7th-6th centuries BC, the ancient Greeks, namely Thales of Miletus, discovered that magnetite, known for several centuries, was able to attract iron.

This phenomenon was explained in different ways: someone believed that magnetite has a soul that reaches out to iron, someone - that iron has moisture, which in turn absorbs the magnet. But, as we understand, such explanations were still very far from the truth.

Later, Socrates discovered the phenomenon of magnetization of iron attracted to a magnet. And some time later, it was discovered that magnets can not only attract, but also repel.

It is thanks to the discovery of Socrates that not only compasses work today, but also a huge number of other devices.

Thus, all the facets of magnetism were gradually revealed, which later made it possible to reveal its nature. But at this stage it was still too early to talk about something like a compass.

Further history

In the Middle Ages, nothing particularly new was discovered in terms of discovering new properties of magnetism and working with magnets. There were only new explanations for this phenomenon, mainly related to the same supernatural forces. So, for example, the monks explained the manifestation of magnetism, based on the doctrine of theology.

If we talk about Europe, then here the first mention of the compass is found in the writings of Alexander Neckam and dates back to 1187. Although, perhaps, the use of the compass here and in the Mediterranean began much earlier - as early as the second millennium BC, as evidenced by the indirect indications of ancient historians. It is assumed that the references to the compass have not been preserved, since the compass simply did not have its own name to fit it into a historical document.

Three centuries later, during his voyages, the famous sailor Christopher Columbus noticed that during a sea voyage, the magnetic needle deviates from the north-south direction. This was how magnetic declination was discovered, the values ​​of which are still used by sailors and are indicated on some maps.

At the suggestion of Lomonosov, observatories were created to systematically study the Earth's magnetic field and its changes. However, this did not happen during the life of the great Russian scientist, but, as they say, "better late than never."

Later, Descartes and a number of other scientists developed a detailed scientific theory of magnetism, and also discovered the magnetic properties of other materials not related to ferromagnets - para- and diamagnets.

Some time later, the points of the Earth's magnetic poles were found, where the magnetic needle has an inclination equal to 90 °, that is, it is located perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

At the poles, the compass will only show if it is placed vertically.

In parallel with the study of magnets and the features of the manifestation of their magnetic field under different conditions, the design of magnetic compasses was improved. In addition, other types of compasses have been invented that operate on principles other than magnetism. We talked about them in

Modern models of magnetic compasses are very different from their predecessors. They are more compact, lighter, allow you to work faster and give more accurate measurement results. In addition, such models are often equipped with auxiliary elements that expand the capabilities of the device when working with a map and on the ground.

Do not forget about compasses, whose work is not based on the magnetic properties of the needle. To date, there are many such compasses, which allows the user to choose the most convenient option for operating conditions.

As you can see, history at the moment cannot give a clear and unambiguous answer to the question of where it appeared and who invented the very first compass in the world. Let's hope that soon historians will be able to brush off the veil of antiquity hiding the facts and they will have more data in order to find out the country of the discoverers. And we can only wait, learn and use the knowledge that came from the past and is fully used by humanity at the present stage of development.

"Compass" report for children will briefly tell you the story of the discovery of this subject. You can also use the compass report while preparing for the lesson.

compass message

Compass is a device for finding the sides of the horizon using a magnetic needle that indicates the direction of south and north. It was invented many centuries ago, and it immediately began to be used by travelers. The compass was the first navigational instrument that allowed sailors to navigate the open sea.

Where and when did the first compass appear?

In the III century BC. e. In China, they invented a device that pointed to the cardinal directions. Outwardly, it resembled a spoon with a thin handle and a convex spherical part. It was made from magnetite. The polished convex part of the spoon was placed on a wooden or copper plate, also polished. The handle hung freely over the plate, but the spoon rotated around the axis of the convex base. The countries of the world were marked on the plate. The compass needle, at rest, always pointed due south. This ancient compass was called synan, that is, "in charge of the south."

In the 11th century, the Chinese invented a floating compass needle made of an artificial magnet. The iron compass then had the shape of a fish. First, it was heated to redness, and then lowered into a vessel with water. The "fish" began to swim, and its head pointed to the south. Shen Gua, a scientist from the same China, proposed a couple of compass varieties: with a magnetized needle and silk thread, with a magnetized needle and hairpin. In the 12th century, the compass with a magnetic needle was used by the Arabs, and a century later by the Italians, French, Spaniards and Portuguese.

In the XIV century, a magnetic needle began to be placed on the tip in the middle of a circle of paper - cards. The next person to improve the compass was the Italian Flavio Giulio. He divided the paper circle into 16 parts. In the 17th century, it was improved with a rotating ruler with sights, which made it possible to more accurately calculate the direction.

What is a compass made of?

The device device depends on the type of compass. There are the following varieties of it: gyrocompass, magnetic compass, electronic compass. The main part of a conventional magnetic compass is a compass with a spire in the center. At the end of the spire there is a magnetic needle, and the body itself is covered with glass from above.

Compass: interesting facts

• Before the invention and distribution of the compass, sailors on their ships did not go out to the open sea so as not to get lost.
• Venetian merchants brought the compass to Europe.
• Before the Chinese, something like a compass was used by the Indians. In San Lorenzo Tenochtilan, scientists found a hematite product dating back to 1000 BC. But magnetic iron ore was discovered by the Chinese.
• You can make your own compass from a saucer of water and a magnetized needle.

We hope that the report about the compass helped to learn a lot of useful information about it. And you can leave a short story about the compass through the comment form below.