Final answer:
The long-term effect of technological and ideological advancements across Chinese dynasties was the creation of a unified empire, which was achieved through shared cultural development and innovations like paper money, gunpowder, and the compass. Despite periods of division, a common thread of development helped shape the empire's social and political landscape.
Step-by-step explanation:
The advancements in technology and ideas during each Chinese dynasty had a long-term effect of creating a unified empire. This development can be observed from the Shang, Zhou, and Qin dynasties, which provided a blueprint for centralizing control and establishing a cohesive culture, through their contributions to politics, philosophy, and art. Such developments included new forms of currency, sophisticated forms of art, and the emergence of schools of thought such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism.
Significant technological innovations during the Song dynasty included gunpowder and the compass. The economy was also revolutionized by the advent of paper money. The long-term effects were a societal structure that persisted with variations across subsequent dynasties, as well as an empire that was receptive to foreign influences and trade, as demonstrated during the Tang and Qing dynasties.
Despite the ideal of political unity, real political power in China often swung between periods of unity and division. Notwithstanding, the unification of China under successive dynasties and their shared cultural and technological achievements contributed to the long-standing development of the Chinese empire. Periods of division, such as the Warring States, also indirectly contributed to the development and refinement of Chinese philosophy and governance systems.