2007-01-26 00:59:21 · 8 answers · asked by aran 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Let's say I am in the magnetic North Pole, will the compass tell me where the North/South?
2007-01-26 01:19:36 · update #1
If you are exactly in the north magnetic pole, the magnetic lines point vertical. That's how you know can tell you are in the north magnetic pole. So it will not tell you north or south (because all direction will be south). If you move away a few kilometers, then you have a strong vertical component and a small but measurable horizontal component and you can tell the direction where the magnetic north is.
Many people do not this, magnetic field lines are completely vertical in the north magnetic pole and completely horizontal at the magnetic equator. We usually measure the horizontal component with a compass, but there are two components, the vertical and the horizontal.
Thanks for bringing this up.
2007-01-26 04:47:10 · answer #1 · answered by Scientist13905 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The magnetic North pole moves 14 kilometres a year and is distant from the actual pole. The compass needle would therefore point to that and not the north pole. Therefore if you were exactly at the North Pole the needle would point away from it!
You therefore need to know the up to date magnetic deviation to work out in what direction the needle is pointing. In theory if you are right at the pole whatever direction the needle points would be South. In truth it would point directly South at only one very precise point. You would not have to move more than a small distance for the needle to move away from due South. Although the movement would be small if you followed the pointer towards the south this slight deviation would be large indeed by the time you arrived at the other side of the Earth and you would miss the pole by hundreds of miles.
2007-01-26 01:46:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A compass points to magenetic north - somewhere in Northern Canada. So if you are at the North Pole, magentic north is actually South of you and the compass will indicate North is South...
Confused yet? - compass work gets even more complicated, but generally, for travelling around in the woods, one does not need to make any local corrections to their compass headings.
2007-01-26 03:04:59 · answer #3 · answered by awayforabit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, according to "How stuff works":
http://science.howstuffworks.com/compass.htm
no matter where you are, the business end of a compasswill point to magnetic North, consequently, depending upon where you are, you have to calibrate the declination to find true North. So, if the compass is calibrated and pointing towards true North, the other end is pointing to the South Pole!
2007-01-26 01:12:53 · answer #4 · answered by lynn y 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, because the magnetic north pole is in canada and not at the geographic north pole.
2007-01-26 01:05:32 · answer #5 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No! It can't because you're right on the magnet that the compass uses to give you what is North and South!
2007-01-26 01:09:02 · answer #6 · answered by malibusportblue 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
A compass will tell you where magnetic north is no matter where you are.
2007-01-26 01:06:59 · answer #7 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. Every direction is South.
2007-01-26 01:05:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋