Chinese Inventions

The Chinese have created many different kinds of inventions in the

past. They invented the compass, silk, and many other amazing things. The

Chinese led the world in shipbuilding technologies and found iron casting

around the sixth century, when they mixed copper and tin together. In this

report, I will explain what the Chinese Invented and what those inventions

were used for.

Ships and Navigation

The Chinese made modern boats with magnetic compasses to help

sailors know which way to go, sternpost rudders to steer them in any direction

they wanted, watertight compartments to protect cargo from leaks in other

parts of the ship, and they also used rowboats for landing when there were

no docks. Compasses were made by heating pieces of ore to red hot

temperatures and then cooling the pieces in a north/south position, the

magnet was then placed on a piece of reed and floated in a bowl of water

marked with directional bearings. Compasses weren’t just used to find your

way around, they were also used to see if your house was faced in perfect

harmony with nature. This meant they thought if your house faced magnetic

north, you and nature would get along.

Gunpowder

Chinese scientist discovered that an explosive mixture could be

produced. This is known today as gunpowder which was invented

during the 1000‘s. Gunpowder was 10% sulfur, 15% powder charcoal, and

75% potassium nitrate. New weapons were rapidly developed, including

rockets and others that were launched from a bamboo tube. Other uses for

gunpowder were fireworks and signals.

Silk

Silk was first made by the Chinese 4,000 years ago. Silk thread is

made from the cocoon of the silkworm moth, a small moth whose caterpillar

eats the leaves of mulberry trees. According to Chinese legend, the first silk

thread was made when the Chinese empress Si-Ling-Chi was sitting under a

mulberry tree and cocoon fell into her tea. She noticed the strong, silky

threads of the cocoon uncoiling, she then developed the use of silk. Silk soon

became very important to the economy of China. The Chinese traded the

precious silk to the rest of the world via the silk road. Each cocoon yields

about 500 to 1,200 yards of silk.

Paper

The craft of paper making relied upon an abundance of bamboo fiber

or other fibrous material to produce a fine quality paper. Paper is made by

grinding plant material into a pulp, forming it into thin sheets, and drying it

into a form. This process was invented in A.D. 105 by Cai Lun, a Chinese

official and a member of the Chinese imperial court, about 2,000 years

ago. He originally used the waste from silk production. Early Chinese paper

was made from the bark of the mulberry tree and other plants fibers.

Sometime during the Han dynasty, 206 B.C.- A.D. 220 paper and ink were

invented. During 686 A.D. the earliest book ever known was printed.

These inventions are celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical

significance and as sign’s of ancient China’s advanced science and

technology and contribution to the world that had tremendous effects on

human civilization and development by people. These 4 discoveries had an

enormous impact on Chinese civilization and the far-ranged world.