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To indicate the direction of a distant earthquake, Zhang’s device dropped a bronze ball from one of eight tubed projections shaped as dragon heads; the ball fell into the mouth of a corresponding metal object shaped as a toad, each representing a direction like the points on a compass rose.
Zhang Heng, Wade-Giles romanization Chang Heng, (born 78 ce—died 139), Chinese mathematician, astronomer, and geographer. His seismoscope for registering earthquakes was apparently cylindrical in shape, with eight dragons’ heads arranged around its upper circumference, each with a ball in its mouth.
His device was able to determine the cardinal direction of earthquakes. Zhang Heng is also the first person to have applied hydraulic motive power to rotate an armillary sphere, an astronomical instrument representing the celestial sphere….Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng (張衡) | |
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Died | 139 Luoyang, China |
Residence | Nanyang, Luoyang |
Zhang Heng (78–139 CE) was a Chinese astronomer and inventor. He was the chief astronomer in the court of the Chinese Emperor and mapped the stars and planets. He correctly recognized that the moon was not a light source, but reflected the light of the Sun, a controversial suggestion at the time.
Zhang Heng
Zhang’s seismoscope/Inventors
The earliest seismoscope was invented by the Chinese philosopher Chang Heng in A.D. 132. This was a large urn on the outside of which were eight dragon heads facing the eight principal directions of the compass.
Why did Zhang Shi cut apart her beautiful weaving? She showed him that if he wasted his education it is like her waisting her piece of cloth. What happened to Zhang Shi’s son when he grew up? He became a scholar.
In each dragon’s mouth was a small bronze ball. Beneath the dragons sat eight bronze toads, with their broad mouths gaping to receive the balls. We don’t know exactly what the first seismoscope looked like.
Each dragon’s head pointed in a different direction (north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest), and each had a copper ball in its mouth. Below the dragons’ mouths were eight copper toads with their mouths upraised.
Eight dragons snaked face-down along the outside of the barrel, marking the primary compass directions. In each dragon’s mouth was a small bronze ball. Beneath the dragons sat eight bronze toads, with their broad mouths gaping to receive the balls.
In second-century China, of course, the only thing that could be done was to rush aid to a stricken city as quickly as possible. Toward this, Heng’s seismograph helped because these preparations took time.