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Zhang Heng's Seismoscope( 1):Its Emergence 被引量:2

Zhang Heng's Seismoscope( 1):Its Emergence
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摘要 The emergence of Zhang Heng's seismoscope has a profound historical background. This paper intends to explore the formation and material basis of Zhang Heng's scientific thought. It appears that the simple intention of "observing visions and distinguishing good fortune or misfortune"was his motivation to develop the seismoscope. Tracing its historical background,the authors proposed in this paper that the development of this seismoscope started around 128 A. D., and based on perceptual knowledge, two ideas about earthquakes came into being,i. e.,earthquake location could be judged according to the instrument shaking direction, and the earthquake and earth split were essentially different. In the instrument manufacture,Zhang Heng advocated a principle of "making utensils to imitate cosmos". By this principle,the following three problems were readily solved: the seismoscope imitated the response of the suspension system to earthquakes( i. e. natural seismoscope). Technically,the trigger mechanism of the latch was used for reference,and it recorded the physical evidence of earthquake occurrence by an ingenious way of a ball dropping from a dragon's mouth. The solution of these three key problems lead to the emergence of the seismoscope in 132 A. D. and the successful detection of an earthquake in 134 A. D. His invention deepened humanity's knowledge of natural laws, and promoted the development of science and technology in that time and later. The emergence of Zhang Heng's seismoscope has a profound historical background. This paper intends to explore the formation and material basis of Zhang Heng's scientific thought. It appears that the simple intention of "observing visions and distinguishing good fortune or misfortune" was his motivation to develop the seismoscope. Tracing its historical background, the authors proposed in this paper that the development of this seismoscope started around 128 A.D., and based on perceptual knowledge, two ideas about earthquakes came into being, i. e. , earthquake location could be judged according to the instrument shaking direction, and the earthquake and earth split were essentially different. In the instrument manufacture, Zhang Heng advocated a principle of "making utensils to imitate cosmos ". By this principle, the following three problems were readily solved: the seismoscope imitated the response of the suspension system to earthquakes ( i.e. natural seismoscope) . Technically, the trigger mechanism of the latch was used for reference, and it recorded the physical evidence of earthquake occurrence by an ingenious way of a ball dropping from a dragon's mouth. The solution of these three key problems lead to the emergence of the seismoscope in 132 A.D. and the successful detection of an earthquake in 134 A.D. His invention deepened humanity's knowledge of natural laws, and promoted the development of science and technology in that time and later.
出处 《Earthquake Research in China》 2014年第1期1-11,共11页 中国地震研究(英文版)
基金 sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40644019) the Special Found of Scientific Research Program for "The Optimization and Design for Reconstruction Models of Seismoscope",China Earthquake Administration
关键词 Invention of Zhang Heng's seismoscope Ancient concept of earthquake Suspension system Trigger mechanism 候风地动仪 张衡 地震定位 科学思想 仪器制造 物质基础 感性认识 振动方向
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