Chinese Inventions and Discoveries

1. Chinese Inventions and Discoveries History Alive Chapter 18

2. Chinese inventions and discoveries • The Chinese invented many things, especially in the years between 200 and 1400 C.E. • The Chinese excelled in engineering, mathematics, science and medicine often discovering and inventing things far beyond Europe and other parts of the world. • These advances were in exploration and travel, industry, military technology, everyday objects, and disease prevention. • These discoveries will help people across the world as cultural diffusion and trade bring them out of China.

3. Exploration and Travel • Several Chinese inventions made exploration and travel safer and faster. • The Chinese were the first to invent the compass, around 3 B.C.E. • Allowed for long sea voyagers, because you knew what direction you were going in. • Made water tight ship compartments. • Other innovations benefited traders or improved travel on rivers, lakes, canals, and bridges inside of China. • Invented the paddle wheel boat, which was much faster than paddling a boat. • Created canal locks to raise and lower water levels. • Invented segmental arch bridge which was stronger and cheaper to build.

4. Industry • Europe did not learn how to make paper until approximately 1100 C.E., the Chinese invented paper in 2 C.E. • In the 7th century C.E. the Chinese started doing woodblock printing. • This is when you carve wood to have raised text, images, or characters dip them in ink and press it to a piece of paper. • This was improved in 1100 C.E. by creating movable type. Before whole words were carved into wood as opposed to letters. • Europe develops this in the 1400s C.E. it is the standard for printing for nearly 600 years. • The Chinese invented Porcelain, which is a fine pottery that Europe did not learn how to make until the 1800s. Fine dinnerware is still known as “china” today. • The Chinese also were the first to start creating steel, there discoveries made the mass production of steel much easier and cheaper.

5. Military Technology • Developed the crossbow. • In 850 C.E., the Chinese invented gunpowder, which would revolutionize warfare. • First weapon was created in the 10th century, the flamethrower. • Between the 11th and 14th centuries, exploding shells, grenades, rifles, and cannons. • Also developed rocket launchers. • These would fire several arrows at a time, often exploding on impact with the enemy.

6. Every Day Objects • Playing cards • Invented around the 9th century. • Made of thick paper; famous artists would draw designs for the back. • Paper money • A combination of a lack of copper and the need for an easier way to carry money created paper money in the late 8th or early 9th centuries C.E. • Worthless, unless backed by something worth money. • Mechanical clock • First mechanical clock was a wheel that would rotate fully in 24 hours. • Was powered by tripping water. • Every 15 minutes drums would beat, and every hour a bell would chime.

7. Disease Prevention • Before 1 C.E. the Chinese were thinking of ways to fight infectious diseases. • If someone died of an infectious disease, the Chinese burned a chemical that gave off a poisonous smoke. They believed this would destroy what was causing the disease. • This smoke was a disinfectant. • During the Song dynasty, the Chinese began steaming the clothes of sick people. • Hot temperatures kill many germs. • Around the 10th Century C.E., the Chinese started inoculating people against smallpox. • This is when you expose a person to a small amount of the disease to build up their immune system to it. • This is the same idea as vaccines or flu shots today.

8. Work Cited • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/67/202860283_1ee6c2b4a2.jpg • http://web.fccj.org/~achiang/calligraphy/zhi.jpg • http://knows.jongo.com/UserFiles/Image/technologyjasmine/bow1.jpg • http://www.radio86.co.uk/system/files/images/kiinalainenvarjo.img_assist_custom.main+image.jpg • http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/G/7/y/compass.jpg • http://www.bnb.be/NR/rdonlyres/832ED7DB-BE45-4392-9ACD-1677CD384391/0/china2.jpg • http://images.replacements.com/images/images5/china/W/wedgwood_chinese_tigers_green_5pc_place_set_csft_dp_sp_bb_P0000113388S0052T2.jpg • http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/721496817_2e68524570.jpg • http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/images/water.gif • http://zedomax.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/paddleboatbmp.jpg • http://z.about.com/d/space/1/0/V/0/1/fire_arrow.gif • http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Sonicscape/Thundercrashbombs.jpg • http://gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/Archives/Wilkinson/fig14.jpg • http://www.scalife.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/chinese_flying_money.jpg • http://images.inmagine.com/img/healthhead/unm104/u10954725.jpg • http://journals.prous.com/journals/dnp/20031610/html/dn160698/images/Borchardt_f1.jpg • History Alive! Medieval World and Beyond.