In the long history of China, there are many remarkable scientific and technological inventions. Among them, the compass, as one of the four major ancient inventions, has always attracted worldwide attention. The record of the compass in the ancient book "Mengxi Bitan" provides us with precious information to understand this great invention.

"Mengxi Bitan" is a note-based work written by Shen Kuo, a scientist of the Northern Song Dynasty. The book consists of 20 volumes, covering various topics such as astronomy, geography, calendar, and utility. In this work, Shen Kuo gives a detailed description of the manufacturing method and usage of the compass.

According to the record in "Mengxi Bitan", there were mainly two forms of compasses at that time: one was the "water floating method", which involved inserting a hollow small bamboo tube through the magnetic needle and placing it on the water surface. Under the action of the geomagnetic field, the magnetic needle would automatically point south; the other was the "ganzhi method", which placed the magnetic needle on a copper plate engraved with the directions of the ganzhi system, and determined the direction by observing the direction of the magnetic needle.

In addition to describing the basic structure of the compass, "Mengxi Bitan" also mentions some techniques for using the compass. For example, when using the water floating method, some talcum powder could be sprinkled on the water surface to reduce the influence of water fluctuations on the magnetic needle; when using the ganzhi method, multiple magnetic needles could be placed on the copper plate simultaneously to improve the accuracy of the direction.

The record of the compass in "Mengxi Bitan" not only demonstrates the high level of science and technology in ancient China, but also reflects the keen observation and deep thinking of the ancients towards natural phenomena. It is this spirit of exploration and continuous innovation that has driven the vigorous development of ancient Chinese science and technology.

Today, although our lives have undergone tremendous changes, the record of the compass in "Mengxi Bitan" still has important historical value. It is not only a window for us to understand the development of ancient science and technology, but also a source of motivation to encourage us to continue exploring and scaling the heights of science and technology.

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