111k views
4 votes
Why does a compass point north?

2 Answers

11 votes

Answer:

A compass a small magnet inside it with its north pole towards the tip of the needle.

This magnet aligns itself with earth's magnetic field thus points towards magnetic south and geographical north.

Step-by-step explanation:

User Mike Buckbee
by
5.8k points
3 votes

Answer:

A magnetic compass points to the earth's magnetic poles, which are not the same as earth's geographic poles. ... When it comes to magnets, opposites attract. This fact means that the north end of a magnet in a compass is attracted to the south magnetic pole, which lies close to the geographic north pole

User Jcarpio
by
6.0k points