History of Science and Technology in Ancient China : Physics and Chemistry (Understanding China)

The book summarizes the tried-and-true scientific techniques used by early Chinese scientists to understand nature, including observational reasoning, adept mathematics, and dialectical reasoning. It also incorporates the rich traditional philosophical ideas of Chinese civilization, including the unity of knowledge and action and the notion of "to know," which offer fresh perspectives on particular scientific problems. From Mozi during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the physicist Zheng Fuguang at the start of the nineteenth century, the book introduces famous scientific and technological figures and their accomplishments in detail. It also interprets key related canonical writings, such as Brush Talks from Dream Brook and Huainan Wanbi Shu, etc. The doctrines of dynamical causes, diffuse distribution of image multiplication, sound and rhythm, the origin of weights and measures, the twelve-tone equal temperament, the nature of heat, and the theories of vision are finally clarified, along with their domestic and international applications, providing a clear and thorough overview of the overall picture of the field of physics and chemistry in ancient China.