中国古代的比重与流体知识

The Knowledge of Specific Gravity and Fluid in Ancient China

中国古代对物质比重与流体的认识经历了从定性到定量的过程.《九章算术》等古代数学典籍记载了一些物质的比重值及收录了一些与比重有关的算题.古人以“势”来描述那些能浮于水面的物体的本性,并利用水能使“有势”的物体负载重物的性质设计了各种水上运输和交通工具等.古人还利用水的流量与时间的正比关系,设计了重要的计时仪器———漏刻.

In ancient China, the understanding of specific gravity and fluid went through a process from the qualitative to the quantitative. Jiu Zhang Suan Shu and otheer ancient mathematical works recorded the specific gravity value of some materials and collected some related computational prohlems. The ,ancients described the inherent quality of those objects able to float on water by Shi, and designed different kinds of means of transport on water by the property of water that can make the object with Shi load the heavy weight. They alto designed an important timing device-water clock.