NAV 3 ACTIVITY#4

The Principle of the Compass

A Magnetic compass is a very critical piece of marine navigational equipment. It has a magnetized
needle which suspends freely. It points North because of the forces caused by the Earth’s magnetic field.
After knowing North, the other directions are easily found.

A magnetic compass works because the Earth is like a very big magnet and surrounded by a huge
magnetic field. The Earth has two magnetic poles near the North and South poles. This magnetic field of
the Earth causes a magnetized ‘needle’ of iron or steel to swing freely into a north-south position.

A compass works easily by utilizing the Earth’s magnetism in order to find directions. After its invention,
people become unable to perform navigation over long distances across the sea. A compass points
towards the north because all magnets have two poles, a north pole, and a south pole.

The north pole of one magnet is attracted towards the south pole of another magnet. As we know that
the Earth is a magnet which can interact with other magnets in this way. Thus, the north end of a
compass magnet is drawn to align with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Since the Earth’s magnetic North pole attracts the “north” ends of other magnets, so it is technically the
“South Pole” of our planet’s magnetic field.

Terrestrial magnetism
The accepted theory of terrestrial magnetism considers the earth as a huge permanent magnet
surrounded by lines of magnetic force that connect its two magnetic poles. These magnetic poles are
near, but not coincidental, with the geographic poles of the earth. Since the north-seeking end of a
compass needle is conventionally called a red pole, north pole, or positive pole, it must, therefore, be
attracted to a pole of opposite polarity, or to a blue pole, south pole, or negative pole. The magnetic
pole near the north geographic pole is, therefore, a blue pole, south pole, or negative pole; and the
magnetic pole near the south geographic pole is a red pole, north pole, or positive pole.

Below figure illustrates the earth and its surrounding magnetic field. The flux lines enter the surface of
the earth at different angles to the horizontal, at different magnetic latitudes. This angle is called the
angle of magnetic dip, θ, and increases from zero, at the magnetic equator, to 90° at the magnetic poles.
The total magnetic field is generally considered as having two components, namely H, the horizontal
component, and Z, the vertical component. These components change as the angle θ changes such that
H is maximum at the magnetic equator and decreases in the direction of either pole; Z is zero at the
magnetic equator and increases in the direction of either pole.
A compass needle in line with the earth’s magnetic field will not indicate true north, but magnetic north.
The angular difference between the true meridian (connecting the geographic poles) and the magnetic
meridian (direction of earth’s magnetic lines of forces) is called variation. This variation has different
values at different locations on the earth. These values of magnetic variation may be found on the
compass rose of navigational charts. The variation for most given areas undergoes an annual change, the
amount of which is also noted on all charts.