Seismograph

=**The Han Seismograph**= =**By Tony**=

Hello everyone! Today I, Tony am very fortunate to be sitting here next to the actual inventor of the seismograph! He came all the way to America from his home country China so give him some respect tonight! So, Mr. Zhang Heng, tell us about your life.

Question- “Who are you Zhang, other than the inventor of the seismograph?”

Answer- “Tony, I am happy to inform you that other than inventing the seismograph, I am a writer, astronomer, mathematician, calendar-maker, and experimenter. I was also born on the first century A.D. (I take some notes) “Oh great that was exactly what I was looking for!”

Question- “Now can you tell us exactly does your seismograph look like?”

Answer- “I would love to! Well, it has a round bronze vessel that is ringed by eight bronze dragons with their tails up and jaws facing outward from the rim. There are also eight toads with their mouths open tilted upward, squatted around the vessel’s base. (Oh brilliant! Just brilliant!)

Question- “So how exactly does this seismograph of yours work?

Answer- “Ah how much I love your excellent questions! My seismograph is built so that when the earth trembles slightly, a rod or pendulum in the vessel presses on the dragon nearest to the direction of the earthquake, causing its jaw to open and drop a ball into the mouth of the toad directly below. Thereby indicating the direction of the earthquake while detecting an earthquake. (Wow! Smart!)

Question- “So how did you make this brilliant invention? How did you come up with the great idea?”

Answer- “well first, I started off with an instrument that was an attractive bronze affair. Then I operated the instrument with pendulums, so it picked up vibrations in the earth and would drop a ball from the bronze dragons mouth into a toads mouth below. The eight dragons and toads are all pointing at eight different directions. (Nice idea!)

Question- “Now what I really want to know is how did people around the world treat or respect the seismograph as it was first invented?

Answer- “Good question, in about 138 A.D one ball dropped out of the bronze vessel into the western bronze toads mouth. At first it was claimed that my device was a fraud, sine there were no signs of an earthquake immediately. But they didn’t know that my seismograph detected earthquakes many miles away. However, in short order news of a serious earthquake many miles away, toward the west.” (I see)

“I am sorry to say Mr. Zhang Heng, but I have ran out of questions.” I said politely. “Oh that’s ok I had a wonderful time explaining my invention of the seismograph and my life.” Said Zhang “Well, thank you very much for coming Mr. Zhang, and have a nice day good bye!”

Questions

1.) How did the seismograph work? 2.) How did the seismograph look? 3.) Did Zhang Heng like or dislike my questions?