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Name: Chris Airey
Status: Student
Age: 12
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Question - Why does the north seeking end of a bar magnet always point north, if it's allowed to pivot freely ?.
Why does a compass point to magnetic north which is not quite the same as true north why is this ?.


Replies:
Chris, a bar magnet's magnetic force lines want to "line up with" the earth's magnetic force lines. Imagine it as wind pushing a wind vane in line with the direction of the wind. Unfortunately, for people who need very accurate directions (artillery officers for example), magnetic north is somewhere in Hudson Bay Canada, while "True North" is at the North Pole of the earth.

D. Felix


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