List of Chinese inventions
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China has been the source of some of the world's most significant inventions, including the Four Great Inventions of ancient China; paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.
Contents |
[edit] Four Great Inventions
[edit] Other
Inventions which made their first appearance in China.
- Bristle toothbrush[1]
- Cannon[citation needed]
- Chinese calendar
- Chopsticks
- Crossbow[citation needed]
- Flamethrower (Pen Huo Qi; prototype of the modern version, with continuous stream of flame)[2]
- Flash lock[citation needed]
- hot air balloon, unmanned (Kongming lantern)[citation needed]
- Parachute[citation needed]
- Pontoon bridge[citation needed]
- Porcelain[citation needed]
- Gougu theorem, Chinese name for Pythagorean theorem. It was found earlier in China.[citation needed]
- Segmental Arch Bridge[citation needed]
- Seismometer[citation needed]
- Suspension bridge[citation needed]
- Star catalogue[citation needed]
- Toilet paper[3]
- Collapsable Umbrella[citation needed]
- Water clock[citation needed]
- Wheelbarrow[citation needed]
- Yanghui Triangle, Chinese name for Pascal's Triangle, 500 years earlier.[citation needed]
[edit] Non-Chinese inventions
Things often misunderstood or rumoured to be invented by the Chinese:
- Abacus (first appearance: Mesopotamia, 2400 BC. First certain appearance in China: 12th century AD)
- Armillary sphere (invented by the Greek Eratosthenes), with the world's first water-powered armillary sphere by Zhang Heng.
- Various automata (refer to article on King Mu of Zhou, Mozi, Lu Ban, etc.)
- Bellows
- Canal Lock
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented?. The Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Gunpowder and Firearms. University of Washington. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ Joseph Needham (1974). Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521086906.
[edit] References
- Robert K. G. Temple, The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention, Publisher: Prion (October 1, 1998), ISBN 978-1853752926
- Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd. (Table 56, pgs. 176-180 in Needham's Volume 4 Part 2, Science and Civilization in China).
