water-suspending compass found


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A weird world-class China's antique found in China

Last updated at 19:11 Jan.12, 2004

Surely you guys, including me, all know how a compass works. But heck, this newly found ancient compass works in a weird way that I could not figure it out. So I make this thread, sharing the information with you, and hope there is one of you can explain how this gadget works.

See the pic:

U47P1T1D2612700F21DT20040112191138.jpg

Photograph:water-suspending compass found

The ancient gadget has ever beaten so many antique experts in China, because they didn't know what it was, until a top archaeologist of the nation rescued them. The archaeologist said the gadget is a very valuable world-class water-suspending compass, and is the one and only antique of the kind that he has seen in his life (there is no such antique in any China's museums; and he is 82-year-old, and enjoys the title of national treasure-class archaeologist in China) What, water-suspending compass? Of course I dunno. The gadget works in this way:

Put some clear water into the gadget; find a small needle and a stem of rush; and then penetrate the needle into the rush stem(see the pic, in the middle of gadget, the rush stem, which the needle is inside it, is suspending in the water); finally, put the stem into the gadget, the rush stem would suspend in the water. See what happens? The stem automatically points to the direction of the North like a standard compass!

I doubt the needle has been magnetized by the gadget, but heck again, how? It seems impossible. I've beaten by the weird phenomenon!

And ideas appreciated.

http://news.sina.com.cn/s/2004-01-12/19112612700.shtml

Edited by JohnsonBox
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but i thought traditional compasses pointed north, not south. non the less nice find.

Some scientists in China would like to call a compass "needle of pointing South", and another scientists call it "needle of pointing North". All the same! Use your brain, don't post such... eh...retarded post again. :)

Okay, I've made it cater for your western guys' taste, calling a compass "Needle of Pointing North"!

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Yeah, if it is the same thing I am thinking of, then it is pretty standard knowlege....

If you magnatise some metal, and make it float (through use in the above example of a ''stem of rush'') then the magnatised needle (with no external influences of magnets, or effects from the environment) should point North. As to why JB's points south is anyones guess, but there we go :)

Although the post above may be the only example of an ancient artifact or 'antique' that uses this idea, it is certainly not a new descovery.

Edited by farsightxc2
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Some scientists in China would like to call a compass "needle of pointing South", and another scientists call it "needle of pointing North". All the same! Use your brain, don't post such... eh...retarded post again. :)

what the hell, retrarded? it was a legitimit question. why you got to get all bitchie about it.

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Please note, mates!

The needle is just a common iron needle with no magnetism before it has been put into the gadget!

If the gadget were a magnet, it would drag the needle suspending in the water into its wall! And so the needle could not point to North! (Just a guess)

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Please note, mates!

The needle is just a common iron needle with no magnetism before it has been put into the gadget!

If the gadget were a magnet, it would drag the needle suspending in the water into its wall! And so the needle could not point to North!

No it wouldn't.

The positive and negative forces would polarise so only the '+' ions were one one side and the '-' were on the other. This would mean only one part of the piece of metal would be atteacted to the north (the negatively charged side), whilst the other is repelled, and left to face south.

Maybe the diagram would help.

post-7-1073925470.jpg

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We made compasses in the Year 7, we put them in water too :s

What you said could not answer the question, the compass you've mentioned is a magnet! But here what has been put into water is a common iron needle without magnetism!

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No it wouldn't.

The positive and negative forces would polarise so only the '+' ions were one one side and the '-' were on the other. This would mean only one part of the piece of metal would be atteacted to the north (the negatively charged side), whilst the other is repelled, and left to face south.

Maybe the diagram would help.

Okay, since the needle is affected by the magnetic poles of the gadget, so it could not point to North of the earth exactly.

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What you said could not answer the question, the compass you've mentioned is a magnet! But here what has been put into water is a common iron needle without magnetism!

Are you sure about that? I doubt it isn't magnetized, I mean, there isn't really some sort of magic or anything super natural here. I've seen a similar thing in a movie before with Sean Connery placing a watch needle on a leaf which was floating on water, and effectively made a compass.

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what the hell, retrarded? it was a legitimit question. why you got to get all bitchie about it.

It's irrelevant which direction a compass points (as long as you know which direction it is pointing). It's still performing the job of giving you direction information.

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Are you sure about that? I doubt it isn't magnetized, I mean, there isn't really some sort of magic or anything super natural here. I've seen a similar thing in a movie before with Sean Connery placing a watch needle on a leaf which was floating on water, and effectively made a compass.

I rechecked the original article, the meaning of the translation by me is as exact as the original one. That is why I wanted to discuss with you guys.

But now I believe that the so-called experts, including the top one, have made a mistake!

Heck, that light-headed Chinese reporter!

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But heck, this newly found ancient compass works in a weird way that I could not figure it out.

but heck again, how?
Heck, that light-headed Chinese reporter!

Heck, looks like youve found a new favorite word!

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Okay, since the needle is affected by the magnetic poles of the gadget, so it could not point to North of the earth exactly.

Nah, you have that wrong.

It is effected by the magnetic poles of the earth, not the magnetic poles of the gaget. The gaget has no magnetic poles! Thats the whole point!

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Nah, you have that wrong.

It is effected by the magnetic poles of the earth, not the magnetic poles of the gaget. The gaget has no magnetic poles! Thats the whole point!

It is you who made the mistake.

If it were what you described, you can put the needle in every clear water and make it as a compass.

Remember, the needle mentioned here is a common iron needle with no magnetism. The geomagnetism has not enough force to drive the needle very well as to make it as a standard compass. So in the practice, you have to use magnetic needle but not a common one!

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Alright, alright...why don't we all just calm down for a second. JB and farsight, you're both right.

JB, you believe the needle isn't magnetized. farsight, you're correct in saying that a compass itself is not magnetized, only the needle inside it.

But let's face it people...there's only one possible way for the needle in this compass to point north (or south or whatever...makes no difference)....

THE NEEDLE IS MAGNETIZED.

When dealing with very slender slivers of metal (such as a needle) it's very easy for it to become magnetized. All that's going on is that the needle is already magnetized and doesn't need any work (rubbing along a magnet) to become so.

Was that so hard?

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Yes, Jack, I was just about to reply with something simalar.

The needle is magnatised or the polarisation as I described in the first page of the thread wouldn't happen. :)

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I think kids still make those floating compasses in first grade today, know I did.

'course we used a needle and magnetized it first.

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