Is The South Pole Magnetic?

Question

If you are in Australia and have a direction compass does it point to the South instead of the North?

Answer 1

A compass is nothing more than a free floating magnet. As such it will in the absence of other forces it will align with the earths own magnetic field. So magnetic north is always in the same place regardless of where you and your compass is.

Now for some trivia, the magnetic pole and true north are not the same location. True north is the point on the surface of the earth that the axis of rotation passes through. North on maps is based on true north rather than magnetic north so you need to adjust you compass reading to find true north. this variance is called declination and differs depending on where you are in relation to the poles.

Answer 2

There is a magnetic south pole, just as there is a magnetic north pole, but a compass needle will always point north no matter where you are on Earth. As others have already said, the needle of a compass just aligns itself along Earth's magnetic field lines - since those lines go from south to north (or north to south, whichever) basically along Earth's lines of longitude, the compass will always point north (weird things might happen, though, if you are at the magnetic north or magnetic south pole).

Answer 3

Your compass will align itself along a North/South line wherever you are.

It is the earth core that produces the magnetic field I think.

Over millions of years the field flips at regular intervals and North becomes south and vice versa.

Answer 4

yes it is magnetic, but as a negative pole.

A magnet requires a north and south pole.