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The direction of a magnetic field is defined by the direction in which a compass needle will point when placed within that field -that is, from north to south.

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the magnetic field travels north to south

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Q: Does the magnetic field go from north to south or south to north?
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Is magnetic field lines continuous?

Magnetic field lines are continuous. The lines outside the magnet go from north to south, while inside goes from south to north creating a closed loop. This is because there are no magnetic monopoles.


Why magnetic lines go from north to south?

north pole is negatively charged and the south is positively charged.


What redistributes energy from the equator to the north and south poles?

Simple! The earth is like a huge magnet?? Electrons are always in mouvement and that create a magnetic field!!!! Same thing happend in a magnet! By stimulating the core with electricity,you put electrons in perpetual mouvement and that create a magnetic field!! A magnetic field is obtain when you can put the electrons to go in circle !! So the earth is like that! The surface of the earth is in perpetual mouvement with,the wind,the water,the rotation,the tempature.. To have a magnetic field , you have to initiate this by mouvement..


Where on the earth do you stand to be in the center of the earth's rotation?

Stand at the South Pole, and look down at the ground beneath your feet.


Why is the earth's magnetic north pole really a magnetic south pole?

The north pole of a magnet is defined as that pole which is attracted to the Earth's magnetic pole. Since opposite poles attract that would, indeed, make the Earth's Northern hemisphere pole a magnetic south pole.Another AnswerLet's start by sorting out the terminology. 'Magnetic North' is a location, so-called, to distinguish it from 'True North'. It is not the magnetic polarity of that location. Magnetic North is not a fixed location, but is always moving relative to Magnetic North which is located at the earth's axis.A freely-suspended magnet, when it comes to rest, essentially points towards Magnetic North (it actually lies along the lines of magnetic flux that join Magnetic North and Magnetic South). For this reason, that end of a magnet (and that of a compass needle) was originally called its 'North-seeking' pole. Over time, we have dropped the word, 'seeking', and it's now simply called its 'north pole' and, by common agreement, this is also considered to be its magnetic polarity.So, if the 'north' pole of a magnet points towards the location we call 'Magnetic North', then the magnetic polarity of that location is a south pole. This is because unlike poles attract.So, to answer the question, the south magnetic pole of the earth is located (deep within the earth) below the located we call 'Magnetic North' in Canada.Why people find this so confusing can only be put down to poor teachers!Read more: Where_is_the_south_magnetic_pole_of_the_earth

Related questions

The south pole a compass magnet points toward?

magnetic north north pole =magnetic south


Is magnetic field lines continuous?

Magnetic field lines are continuous. The lines outside the magnet go from north to south, while inside goes from south to north creating a closed loop. This is because there are no magnetic monopoles.


Why are magnetic field lines conventionally taken to emanate from north pole to south pole?

magnetic lines of forces tavel from north pole to south pole because they are defined in that way. i mean to say as we know that the lines of forces are not real they are just been assumed for our calculations . now as lines of force has been defined as the path traced by a unit north pole when placed in a magnetic field then the lines of force will always start from a north pole and travel towards south pole as north pole repel unit north pole and south pole attract it.


Why magnetic lines go from north to south?

north pole is negatively charged and the south is positively charged.


What happens when a compass is near a magnet?

Then the compass would react according to the magnetic field of the magnet.Then the compass would react according to the magnetic field of the magnet.Then the compass would react according to the magnetic field of the magnet.Then the compass would react according to the magnetic field of the magnet.


Is the north pole of a magnet positive?

Magnetic north is negative and magnetic south is positive. The resulting magnetic field lines go from north to south. Mnemonic: north = negative.AnswerThe terms, 'positive' and 'negative', are generally applied to electric charges, not to magnetic poles. Having said that, 'magnetic therapists' use the terms 'positive' and 'negative' when referring to magnetic poles -however, their knowledge of magnetism appears very shaky!Magnetic poles are normally identified as 'north' and 'south'. The 'direction' of a magnetic field, by convention, is the direction in which a compass needle would point when placed within that field -that is, from north to south.


Who named the north and south poles of earth and why?

The north pole of a simple magnet was discovered first, for the ancients lacked the technology to go there. The north pole of a magnet is considered to point towards the Earth's North Pole. It is an arbitrary convention.[Actually your local magnet will point in the northerly direction of the Earth's magnetic field at your location. This will vary from the true north by several degrees. The Earth's magnetic field is the net effect of several electric currents circulating within the Earth's magma.]Since opposite poles attract, it is obvious that the actual magnetic north pole must in fact be a magnetic south pole, but by convention, it is known as the Magnetic North Pole. The north pole of your magnet points to the North Pole.AnswerNo-one knows who named the earth's poles, 'North' and 'South' -and, remember, these are English terms; other languages use different terms. The likelihood is that the names originated with mariners. It's a mistake to believe that the earth's poles were named after the polarities of a magnet; in fact, a magnet's poles were named according to the direction in which they pointed (when suspended) -i.e. the 'North-seeking' and 'South-seeking' poles. Over time, we have dropped the 'seeking', and the magnetic polarities are now known as 'north' and 'south' poles.In fact, the magnetic poles point, not to 'True North' and 'True South', but to 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South'. 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South' are names given to LOCATIONS, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the magnetic polarity of those locations. They were so-named simply in order to distinguish these locations from those of 'True North' and 'Magnetic North'.Because 'unlike poles attract', the reason that the north pole of a magnet is attracted towards 'Magnetic North' is because the magnetic polarity of that location is a south pole.


If you held the south pole of a megnet next to a compass what would happen?

It would still point magnetic north. Magnetic north and geographic north are different. If you had it precisely at magnetic north, it would have trouble pointing, but doing so would be almost impossible because the magnetic field is constantly fluctuating.


What redistributes energy from the equator to the north and south poles?

Simple! The earth is like a huge magnet?? Electrons are always in mouvement and that create a magnetic field!!!! Same thing happend in a magnet! By stimulating the core with electricity,you put electrons in perpetual mouvement and that create a magnetic field!! A magnetic field is obtain when you can put the electrons to go in circle !! So the earth is like that! The surface of the earth is in perpetual mouvement with,the wind,the water,the rotation,the tempature.. To have a magnetic field , you have to initiate this by mouvement..


Where on the earth do you stand to be in the center of the earth's rotation?

Stand at the South Pole, and look down at the ground beneath your feet.


Choose the best description of a magnetic field line AMagnetic field lines always point north BA magnetic field line shows the direction a compass needle would point CMagnetic field lines?

From that list, I'll have to go with 'B'.


If the north and south pole change direction or rotate would that effect the earth?

The magnetic field of the Earth serves a useful purpose in deflecting Solar radiation. Without the magnetic field there is much more charged-particle radiation striking the surface. The auroras would occur everywhere instead of at the magnetic poles. Compass needles wouldn't work, and then they would flip direction. The magnetic field IS DECREASING and could go to zero and reverse sometime in the next few tens-of-thousands of years. It may be overdue for a flip. See: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/timeline.html