How to know which direction is South, North, East, and West?

Question

I allways have problem to explian somone a direction.

Answer 1

Use a watch and point the 12 o'clock position at the sun; halfway between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock position is south.

Answer 2

You only need to know one compass direction for where you live. Once you know one, you know them all. The easiest way to tell is to look at the sky either early in the morning or late in the day. The sun always rises in the East, and sets in the West. If you know where East is, you take a quarter turn to the left and you are facing North. Another quarter turn to the left makes you face West, and yet another makes you face South.

It's very easy where I live, since I live in a valley in the Rocky Mountains in the Western US. Our valley runs in a North-South direction, and there are mountain ranges to both the West and East--the Western ones are big, and the Eastern ones are massive. It's impossible to get lost here. I also have a good sense of direction when I travel to other places. I just watch one evening, and find out where West is, and use that as my compass.

Try getting a map of your area, and studying it. Find familiar landmarks such as important buildings or natural features, and memorize where they are. Then take a good look at a drawn compass. That should help you out.

Best of luck.

By the way, just for easy reference, here's how most maps are oriented: look at the face of a clock. North is located where the 12 is, East is at the 3, South is at the 6, and West is at the 9.

Answer 3

Stand with your right arm pointing away from the side of your body at the sun in the morning. You are facing north.

Stand with your left arm pointing away from the side of your body at the sun in the evening. You are facing north. South is behind you. The sun sets in the west. It rises in the east.

Anthony Spears' method about the hands of the watch is similar to the above method, and is also useable, but you must know which angle to bisect. Is it the acute angle between the hands or the obtuse angle?

Answer 4

there is a special trick you can do with a analog watch whithout breaking it but i can't put my finger on it