History of the compass

The history of the compass started in China. The Chinese recorded the history of hte compass in a book called Loven Heng. However, the first gyrocompass in the history of the compass was in the United States by Elmer Ambrose Sperry.

The magnetic compass in the history of hte compass

What is a magnetic compass?

The magnetic compass is a device used to locate a northerly direction as an aid to navigation.

How does a magnetic compass work?

A magnetic compass is essentially a magnetized needle suspended in a box so that it can pivot freely. The needle of the magnetic compass aligns itself with the north- south axis of the magnetic field of the Earth.

Who invented the compass?

The discovery of the principle of a magnetic compass or that a magnetic needle always aligns itself north south occurred in China. This discovery of the basic principle of a magnetic compass is described in the Chinese book called Loven Heng. By the ninth century, the Chinese had developed both the floating needle compass and pivoting needle compass that we know today. So, in effect, the Chinese invented the compass and they were who made the first compass. After the Chinese invented the compass, Persian sailors acquired compasses from the Chinese and in turn traded some of them to the Venetians soon after.

Compass history

In 1187, the English writer Alexander Neckam (1157-1217) described a pointer carried on board a ship which enables a course to be followed even when the Polar star is hidden by clouds.

The gyrocompass

The gyrocompass was invented in 1905 in the United States by Elmer Ambrose Sperry (1860-1930) and is now common equipment in aircraft and ships at sea. This remarkable instrument uses the angular momentum of a gyroscope with the force produced by the Earth's rotation to maintain a north south orientation of the spin axis, thus providing a stable directional reference.