The compass is a magnetometer used for navigation and orientation that shows direction in regards to the geographic cardinal points.The structure of a compass consists of the compass rose, which displays the four main directions on it: East , South , West and North . The angle increases in the clockwise position. North corresponds to 0°, so east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°.
The compass was invented more than 2000 years ago. The first compasses were made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized stone of iron, in Han dynasty China . It was originally called the "South Pointing Fish" The compass was later used for navigation during the Chinese Song Dynasty , as described by Shen Kuo. Later compasses were made of iron needles, magnetized by striking them with a lodestone. Magnetized needles and compasses were first described in medieval Europe by the English theologian Alexander Neckam . The first usage of a compass in Western Europe and the Islamic world was recorded in around 1190. Dry compasses begin appearing around 1300 in Medieval Europe and the Medieval Islamic world. This was replaced in the early 20th century by the liquid-filled magnetic compass.
20 фев 2022
