How did the Zhang Heng seismograph work?

To indicate the direction of a distant earthquake, Zhang's device dropped a bronze ball from one of eight tube projections shaped like dragon heads; the bullet fell into the mouth of a corresponding metal object shaped like a toad, each representing a direction like the points of a compass rose.

What did Zhang Heng do?

Zhang Heng, Wade-Gile's Romanization Chang Heng, (born AD 78-died 139), Chinese mathematician, astronomer and geographer. His seismoscope for recording earthquakes was apparently cylindrical in shape with eight dragon 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 use hydraulic propulsion to rotate an armillary sphere, an astronomical instrument representing the celestial sphere….Zhang Heng.

Why is Zhang Heng famous?

Zhang Heng (78-139 AD) was a Chinese astronomer and inventor. He was the chief astronomer at the Chinese emperor's court and charted stars and planets. He correctly recognized that the moon was not a source of light but reflected the sun's light, a controversial proposition at the time.

Who created the first Seismoscope?

Zhang Heng
Zhang's Seismoscope/Inventors
The earliest seismoscope was invented by the Chinese philosopher Chang Heng in 132 AD. This was a large urn on the outside of which eight dragon heads faced the eight cardinal directions of the compass.

Why did Zhang Shi cut his beautiful weaving?

Why did Zhang Shi cut his beautiful weaving apart? She showed him that if he wasted his education, it's like she was talking her piece of cloth. What happened to Zhang Shi's son when he grew up? He became a scholar.

What did the first Chinese seismoscope look like?

In each dragon's mouth was a small bronze ball. Beneath the dragons sat eight bronze toads, their wide mouths gaping to receive the balls. We don't know exactly what the first seismoscope looked like.

Each dragon head pointed in a different direction (north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest), and each had a copper sphere in its mouth. Under the dragons' mouths were eight copper toads with upright mouths.

How did the ancient Chinese earthquake detector work?

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, their wide mouths gaping to receive the balls.

Why was Heng's seismograph important in second century China?

Of course, in second-century China, the only thing that could be done was to rush aid to a stricken city as quickly as possible. Heng's seismograph helped here because these preparations took time.