Final answer:
The magnetic compass, invented during the Han dynasty, was a pivotal advancement in maritime navigation. It allowed navigators to find magnetic north and facilitated open-ocean travel. Europe adopted the compass in the fifteenth century, revolutionizing exploration and trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnetic compass, an invention attributed to the Han dynasty, significantly improved maritime navigation. This tool, featuring a magnetized needle floating in a pan of water, pointed towards the magnetic north, offering navigators a reliable directional guide. Although it indicated magnetized north rather than true north, the magnetic compass provided a substantial advantage over previous methods, such as sailing along coastlines or relying on stars, allowing for greater exploration and expansion of trade routes.
By around 1000 CE, the Chinese had developed the magnetic compass, which was later adopted by medieval Europeans and Muslims for varied purposes, including navigation and locating the direction of Mecca for daily prayers. Its introduction to Europe in the fifteenth century, part of a suite of navigation-related innovations, marked the beginning of a navigational revolution, crucial for the age of exploration that enabled open-ocean voyages and the subsequent expansion of international trade networks.