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The Chinese were the first to create steel which turned into a very useful metal. The earliest examples of steel were made form cast iron. Then, they learned how to make steel by melting and molding iron core, then blowing air into the molten iron which creates a chemical reaction called steel.
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The first compasses were made by the Chinese as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. These first compasses were pieces of magnetic mineral called lodestone so that the needle would point in a north-south direction because of Earth's magnetic poles.
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The Chinese invented the art of paper making. The earliest paper was probably made from hemp and then later from the bark of mulberry of tree.
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The paddlewheel was created by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel. Then, people walked on a treadmill to turn the wheel, which in turn made the boat move forward.
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A Chinese engineer invented a bridge similar to the European arch bridges but stronger and less expensive to construct. This newer design used segments of a circle instead of complete semicircles which made the bridge flatter and broader. Also, this bridge took less material to build and was sturdier than the previous built arch bridges.
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Once paper was made, printing was made possible for the Chinese. In the 7th century, the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock printing. Then, in the 8th century, there was a whole woodblock printing industry.
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The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in the 8th century. The clock was more accurate than sundials and hourglasses. They devised a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours. At every quarter hour drums beat and every hour a bell would chime.Dripping water would make the wheel turn.
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Before paper money came to be, coins were the only form of currency. Woodblock printing was used to create the paper money. The bills were very colorful in the early 11th century and today these paper bills are used worldwide.
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Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Artists then drew the designs on the back of the card. Nowadays, people all over the world play card games.
