Compass-maker

Missy-moo has a project to do for school. One of the bits is to do a report on a significant Chinese invention (also "bizarre Japanese inventions", which leads me to think that the teacher doesn't really know about the art of Chindogu...) I had her read about the 'Four Great Inventions', and she chose to do the compass. After a bit of reading, we set about making a compass: we magnetised a needle using her bar magnet, grabbed a bit of bark, and floated it in a little bowl of water. She was rather delighted to see it come around to a North-South orientation, wherever she pushed it. Rather cool, actually; I don't recall ever being successful in compass-making attempts as a kid.

Bettr; Flickr.

DA35/2.4;K30.