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Of True North and Magnetic North and Compass North which is really up?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
True North is the real North, following along the lines of longitude which converge at the North Pole, the farthest geographically North point on the planet, and the rotational axis of the planet. Magnetic North and Compass North are both the same thing, with the compass pointing along Magnetic North. Magnetic North however, is not the real North. If you were to follow your compass as far North as it could point, you would end up on the Prince of Wales Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada, over 1,500 miles away from the North Pole. Magnetic North can be adjusted to True North on your compass by knowing the local magnetic variation of your area and adding/subtracting accordingly. A third North is Grid North, which follows the Grid Lines on a standard map. At the South Pole, every direction is True North, so Grid North is used instead and can be found by following the Prime Meridian northwards. Hope that helps.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
True North is the direction to the Earth's geographic North Pole, while Magnetic North is the direction to the magnetic north pole where compasses point. Compass North is simply the direction a compass needle points towards, which is Magnetic North. None of them are "up" as they are all horizontal directions on the Earth's surface.
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The arrowhead of a compass always point north?
True north is the direction indicated by the Earth's axis of rotation, while magnetic north is the direction indicated by the compass needle. The arrowhead of a compass points towards magnetic north, not true north.
What is the name of the difference of true north and magnetic north?
The difference is referred to as magnetic, or compass, declination.
Does the magnetic compass always point in a northern direction when placed on the earth?
No, a magnetic compass points towards the magnetic north pole, which is not always geographically north. The angle between true north and magnetic north is called magnetic declination, and it varies depending on a location on the Earth's surface.
A way to find the variation from true north?
To find the variation from true north, you can use a magnetic compass to determine the magnetic north and then calculate the angle between the magnetic north and the true north. This angle is known as the magnetic declination or variation. Many maps and GPS devices provide information about the current magnetic declination in a specific location.
Why does the north end of a compass point north?
It doesn't.But let's start with a little background. 'True North' and 'True South' are fixed locations that coincide with the earth's axis of rotation. The earth's magnetic field exists between 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South', so-called to distinguish these locations from 'True North' and 'True South'. The locations of 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South' are always moving relative to the positions of 'True North' and 'True South'.It's important to understand that 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South' are locations, and not the magnetic polarities of these locations!The ends of a compass needle are named after the directions in which they point. Originally, they were called the 'north-seeking pole' and the 'south-seeking pole' respectively, because those are the directions in which they roughly pointed. Actually, they point to Magnetic North and Magnetic South, not True North or True South. By convention, these names (these days, shortened to 'north' and 'south') also define the magnetic polarities of the compass needle.Because 'opposite poles attract', the magnetic polarity of Magnetic North must be a south pole in order to attract the north pole of a compass needle. And, of course, the magnetic polarity of Magnetic South must be a north pole in order to attract the south pole of a compass needle.
What do you mean by true course in navigation?
you can travel Magnetic or true courses ie magnetic north and true north. Magnetic north is by way of compass
Does a compass point true north magnetic north or at the north pole?
North Star points at True North, you can use a compass and north star to see how far off magnetic north is from your location. .
How does magnetic field affect a compass?
The earth's magnetic field acts upon the magnetic material of the compass needle, causing it to align to the field. Thus, the compass appears to point North, which is "magnetic north". Magnetic north and "true north" are about 300 miles apart.
The arrowhead of a compass always point north?
True north is the direction indicated by the Earth's axis of rotation, while magnetic north is the direction indicated by the compass needle. The arrowhead of a compass points towards magnetic north, not true north.
What is the name of the difference of true north and magnetic north?
The difference is referred to as magnetic, or compass, declination.
How does earth magnetic field affect a compass?
The earth's magnetic field acts upon the magnetic material of the compass needle, causing it to align to the field. Thus, the compass appears to point North, which is "magnetic north". Magnetic north and "true north" are about 300 miles apart.
A way to find the variation from true north?
To find the variation from true north, you can use a magnetic compass to determine the magnetic north and then calculate the angle between the magnetic north and the true north. This angle is known as the magnetic declination or variation. Many maps and GPS devices provide information about the current magnetic declination in a specific location.
Does a compass point to north?
no It points to magnetic north, which is not exactly the same as true north.
Where is the magnetic north in a compass?
The magnetic north on a compass is the direction that aligns with the Earth's magnetic field. This direction may not be the same as true north, which is the direction towards the North Pole. Magnetic north can vary slightly depending on your location on the Earth's surface.
What is magnetic variation?
Magnetic variation is the angle between true north (the direction pointing to the North Pole) and magnetic north (the direction a compass needle points). It varies depending on location and changes over time due to shifts in the Earth's magnetic field. Pilots and navigators use magnetic variation to accurately navigate using a compass.
Why does the north end of a compass point north?
It doesn't.But let's start with a little background. 'True North' and 'True South' are fixed locations that coincide with the earth's axis of rotation. The earth's magnetic field exists between 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South', so-called to distinguish these locations from 'True North' and 'True South'. The locations of 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South' are always moving relative to the positions of 'True North' and 'True South'.It's important to understand that 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South' are locations, and not the magnetic polarities of these locations!The ends of a compass needle are named after the directions in which they point. Originally, they were called the 'north-seeking pole' and the 'south-seeking pole' respectively, because those are the directions in which they roughly pointed. Actually, they point to Magnetic North and Magnetic South, not True North or True South. By convention, these names (these days, shortened to 'north' and 'south') also define the magnetic polarities of the compass needle.Because 'opposite poles attract', the magnetic polarity of Magnetic North must be a south pole in order to attract the north pole of a compass needle. And, of course, the magnetic polarity of Magnetic South must be a north pole in order to attract the south pole of a compass needle.
A needle on a compass always point to what pole?
The North Pole.Another AnswerA compass needle points to the location called 'Magnetic North', named to distinguish it from 'True North'. Magnetic North is several hundred miles away from True North.
