-
-
The Chinese who first made gunpowder were alchemist, people who practiced a blend of science and magic known as alchemy.Chinese alchemists experimented with a mineral called saltpeter. They may have believed that saltpeter could extend life. Perhaps by accident, they discovered that it could be used to make an explosive powder. In 850 C.E., during the Tang dynasty, alchemists recorded a formula for gunpowder.
-
The Chinese developed the first compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral called lodestone.Pointing toward the north and south pole
-
They put water tight sections in boats so that if they were to get flooding then in would only be in that isolated area and keep the boat from capsizing.
-
The Chinese where the first to master the art of paper making.The most likely used bark but later moved to rags but for more than 500 years they keep it a secret til it started to spread across central Asia.
-
a Chinese engineer completed a new type of arched bridge. The new Chinese bridge used arches that were a smaller part, or segment, of a circle. This made the bridges broader and flatter than semicircular arches could. Called a segment arch bridge, the new type of bridge took less material to build and was stronger, as well.
-
The printer first drew characters (symbols) on paper. He then glued the paper to a wooden block. When the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood.
-
By the 10th century, the Chinese had made the first weapon that used gunpowder: the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a stream of fire.
-
They separated the blocks so that each block had its own character that would be able to reused and rearranged instead of having to carve a new slab of clay every time. This made writing materials easier to make and to get a hold of.
-
In the 13th century, the Chinese used large bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs.
