Concept 4 of 8Foundation
Watch on YouTubeVideoEarth as a giant magnet
Earth itself acts like a huge bar magnet with its magnetic axis slightly tilted from the geographic axis.
A freely suspended magnet (or compass needle) always aligns roughly in the North–South direction — because it's attracted by Earth's magnetic field.
Tricky fact: the "geographic north pole" is actually near Earth's magnetic SOUTH pole (so a compass's north-seeking end is attracted to it).
Example
A compass placed anywhere on Earth's surface (except near poles) will have its red tip point toward geographic North.
💡 Tip:Compass + map still works when your phone's battery dies.
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5 questions to check what you just read.
0 / 5
- Q1.Earth behaves like a huge:
- Q2.A freely suspended bar magnet points:
- Q3.Geographic North is close to Earth's magnetic:
- Q4.Compass won't work well near:
- Q5.A compass needle on a table settles pointing: