Question

In what two ways did technological innovations lead to the age of exploration?

Answer 1

Technological innovations such as the astrolabe and compass for navigation, along with advanced ship designs like the caravel, enabled the Age of Exploration by making long-distance sea voyages safer and more feasible.

Step-by-step explanation:

Technological innovations played a critical role in enabling the Age of Exploration, most notably through the improvement of navigational devices and the construction of advanced ships. Innovations from the Renaissance, which encouraged scientific thought, and technologies adopted from other cultures were key. Notable improvements included the astrolabe and compass, which were essential for long-distance navigation, and the caravel, a new ship design that could sail against the wind.

Firstly, devices like the astrolabe, which allowed sailors to determine their latitude by measuring the angle of the sun or stars above the horizon, and the compass, which gave sailors a reliable sense of direction when out of sight of land, were refined during this period. These navigational technologies greatly increased the safety and precision of maritime voyages.

Secondly, the European shipbuilders developed the caravel, which combined robust construction with maneuverability, enabling sailors to sail closer to the wind. This made the previously impossible transatlantic voyages feasible, thereby allowing Spain and Portugal to lead in the Age of Exploration. These ships were vital to establish new trade routes and contact with the Americas, ultimately facilitating the large-scale colonization that followed.

Answer 2

The correct answers are B) they allowed sailors to go on longer voyages and C) they help navigators map the coastlines.

The two ways that technological innovations led to the Age of Exploration were: They allowed sailors to go on longer voyages and they help navigators map the coastlines.

The Age of Exploration was the period in the 15th century to the early 17th century where European nations such as Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain sent their ships to navigate the oceans around the world in order to find new trade routes to increase the power of their monarchies. Technology played a huge factor during this Age of Exploration. The two ways that technological innovations led to the Age of Exploration were that they allowed sailors to go on longer voyages and they help navigators map the coastlines.

The other options of the question were a) they helped sailors to avoid difficult waters, d) they gave sailors confidence that they would return more easily, and e) they help sailors locate large amounts of gold in Africa.