UCSB Science Line
Sponge Spicules Nerve Cells Galaxy Abalone Shell Nickel Succinate X-ray Lens Lupine
UCSB Science Line
Home
How it Works
Ask a Question
Search Topics
Webcasts
Our Scientists
Science Links
Contact Information
What does a compass do at the North Pole?
Question Date: 2007-04-27
Answer 1:

If you had a 3-d compass (it could point in any direction), it would point downwards at the North Pole, into the ground. But since most compasses are 2-d (they only spin around in a circle and not in any direction) it would actually not point in any direction in particular right at the North Pole. But if you were a tiny bit off, it would still point in the right direction. An interesting tidbit is that the magnetic North Pole of the Earth (towards the North) is actually the physical South Pole of the iron earth core (remember a North end is always attracted to a South end). Also another interesting tidbit is that magnetic North is not exactly at the geographic North Pole. Its actually a little bit off. If you are in Chicago, you don't need to adjust your compass measurement at all, but we out here in California actually are about a degree or two off from geographic North when we use a compass to find magnetic North.


Click Here to return to the search form.

University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory National Science Foundation
This program is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and UCSB School-University Partnerships
Copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California,
All Rights Reserved.
UCSB Terms of Use