The compass is one of the oldest scientific instruments and the first application of magnetism. It dramatically changed the entire world, allowing ships to navigate the world while getting lost less often, which increased the number of ships that survived. It opened up trade throughout the world and allowed explorers to find continents such as the Americas. Both the Chinese and the Europeans invented compasses, though China invented them sooner, according to Computer Smiths.

Magnetism
The University of Washington website states that the Chinese discovered in the third century B.C. that magnetite could attract metals. The Chinese discovered that magnetic ore placed on a stick in water aligns itself to a point in the direction of the poles. They later discovered that iron and steel needles also align themselves with the poles.

Earliest Compasses
The earliest compasses in China emerged in the first century A.D. and came to Europe in the 12th century A.D. Prior to the invention of the compass, there was no way to determine the direction of anything. The very first compass was a spoon made from magnetite, which was placed on a bronze plate, according to Culture-4-Travel. The handle of the spoon always pointed to the south. The plate had four sections that indicated the different directions.

Early Functions
The original compass was not used for navigation, according to Culture-4-Travel, but was instead used for fortune telling and feng shui. However, the Chinese later used it for navigation, and ships may have reached the east coast of India for the first time in 101 B.C. thanks to the help of the navigational compass.

European Compasses
By the 13th century, the compass was widely known in Europe and was used for navigation. The Europeans did not learn about the compass from the Chinese, but instead discovered the compass on their own. Since the compass needle pointed to the North Star, philosophers in the 13th century believed the loadstone received its virtue from the North Star.

Benefits
Francis Bacon, the inventor of the scientific method, stated that the invention of the compass, printing press and gunpowder changed the world more than any empire ever could. The compasses lead to huge increases in the wealth of European civilization by facilitating trade. The compass also continued to be used by the Chinese in increasingly more innovative ways. In 1736, a missionary to China wrote that the Emperor Hoang-te used a compass-like device that allowed his army to determine direction in the fog and locate the enemy, surprising them.