The compass uses magnetic properties to show direction. It has a magnetic needle that points north because the Earth acts as a large magnet. The compass shows the four cardinal directions - north, south, east, and west - through initials on a compass rose diagram. It works because all magnets have two poles, and the north pole of the compass needle is attracted to the Earth's magnetic south pole. However, true north and magnetic north can differ slightly due to magnetic declination.

1. COMPASS

2. • is an instrument used for navigation and
orientation that shows direction relative to the
geographic of
Cardinal directions, or "points"
• shows the directions north, south, east,
and west as abbreviated initials marked on the
compass. When the compass is used
• a diagram called a compass rose,

4. Magnetic Compass
• The magnetic compass is
the most familiar compass
type.
• The magnetic compass was
first invented as a device
for divination as early as
the Chinese Han
Dynasty (since about 206
BC), and later adopted for
navigation by the Song
Dynasty Chinese during the
11th century. The use of a
compass is recorded in
Western Europe and in
Persia around the early 13th
century.

6. How Compass works
A compass points north because all magnets have two
poles , a north pole and a south pole, and the north pole of
one magnet is attracted to the south pole of another
magnet.
The Earth is a magnet that can interact with other
magnets in this way, so the north end of
a compass magnet is drawn to align with the Earth's
magnetic field. Because the Earth's magnetic North Pole
attracts the "north" ends of other magnets, it is technically
the "South Pole" of our planet's magnetic field.

7. Magnetic Declination
Magnetic declination or variation is the angle on
the horizontal plane between magnetic north (the
direction the north end of a compass needle points,
corresponding to the direction of the
Earth's magnetic field lines) and true north (the
direction along a meridian towards the geographic
North Pole)

11. Locating Places

13. Finding Location