祖冲之对计量科学的贡献

ZU Chongzhi's Contributions to Metrology Science

祖冲之是南北朝时期的著名科学家 ,对计量科学做出了很大贡献。他重视测量中的精度问题 ,重视对计量基准的搜集和保存。他对前代度量衡标准器的研究取得了引人注目的成绩。在时间计量方面 ,他对基本计时单位回归年、朔望月和时刻制度都做过探讨 ,他的探讨促进了传统历法的进步。对计量问题的关注是他在科学研究上取得重大成就的重要原因。

ZU Chongzhi is a famous scientist of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589). He had made great contributions to metrology science then. He paid attention to the problem of precision of measurement and made great effort to collect and preserve the metrological standard apparatus. He gained remarkable achievements in the studying of the standard apparatus of weights and measures of former dynasties. In the field of time measurement, he explored basic time units such as tropical year, lunar month and the system of Shi (one of the 12 two-hour periods into which the day was formerly divided before the introduction of western chronology) and Ke (a time unit in ancient China which equals 14.4 minutes). His explorations advanced the development of Chinese traditional calendar. Paying special attention to metrological problems is an important factor for him to obtain fruitful results in his study of science. There were also some mistakes in his study of metrologies.