The Compass needle not points towards north when placed near iron objects or any magnetic substance(an object which is attracted by a magnet).
Edit; Apart from the above, the molten core of the Earth induces circulating currents that place the North Magnetic Pole in Canada and not at the Geographic North Pole; and for that matter the South Pole similarly.
It is both intriguing and fortunate that the Geographic and Magnetic Poles are so close together.
Edit: It also has a problem pointing north if you're directly above either Magnetic pole.
The iron deposits that attract the magnet in the compass are not located directly under the geographic north pole of the earth. Because they are located under the far North American landmass, that is where the needle will point, not to the actual "north pole" which is located in the arctic, over water.
Actually, depending on which type of compass you use, a compass points to one of the two North Poles.
Generally there is no such place. A compass always point to magnetical south. Which is located in the neighbourhood of the defined geographic north. Technically, I suppose if you were around geographical north, your compass would lead you in a wrong direction, to magnethical south. But anywhere on the planet next to the poles, a compass always points (more or less) in the right direction. (Ofcourse you can force a compass to turn in a wrong direction, by creating other magnetic fields, but this is not considered in the above.)
It will not point to the north if it is close to a locally stronger magnetic field, such as magnets, motors, dynamos, or magnetized iron ore.
It will also not point to the north if you are in the Canadian Arctic. The North Magnetic Pole is not the same as the North Geographic Pole. The North Magnetic Pole drifts with changes in the Earth's magnetic field, and in 2009 was north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada, at 87.1°N 114.4°W.
At the North Pole, the compass would actually be pointing to the south.
Nowhere, your compass would continue to point north. And not only can north mean up or down but in a certain direction. this is why you hold a compass flat when it is being used.
It would point towards the Magnetic North pole.
North
the pole of the compass is attracted to the earths geographic north pole
What features of the earth makes a compass needle point north
On a compass, the needle points toward the North Magnetic Pole (not precisely the same as the geographic North Pole). The "north pole" of a magnet is defined according to the Earth's magnetic field (or by application of the "right hand rule" of electromagnetic field generation).
The pole of the compass that is attracted to the earth's magnetic north pole must be a south magnetic pole. But here's the thing. In the compass, the south magnetic pole of the needle is marked "N" because that end of the compass needle points to earth's magnetic north. The only way the needle can point to earth's magnetic north is if that end of the needle, the one marked with an "N" on it, is a magnetic south pole. It almost seems counter intuitive, but think it through and it will become clear.
The needle on a compass points to the North Magnetic Pole. CommentA compass points to Magnetic North, not to the north magnetic pole. They are two different things -the first is location, the second is magnetic polarity.
the pole of the compass is attracted to the earths geographic north pole
Magnets, man...
No. The compass needle points toward the magnetic north pole.
Compass needles are permanent magnets. in response to the Earth's magnetic field, the compass needle will point toward the geographic North Pole.
maby the compass has lost its magnetism or you ar close to metal or a magnent
The north pole of a compass needle would still point point towards the north. More precisely, towards the Earth's magnetic south pole, which is close to the geographic north pole.
Compass needles are permanent magnets. in response to the Earth's magnetic field, the compass needle will point toward the geographic North Pole.
What features of the earth makes a compass needle point north
What features of the earth makes a compass needle point north
The needle, or "pointer", of a compass will always point North. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass
the north pole
To point to magnetic north.