How does a 'compass' work?

Answer 1

A compass is a helpful, easy-to-carry tool. Wherever you are on earth, one end of a compass needle will point to the North Pole. It follows a imaginary line that connects to the magnetic poles of earth. Once you direction is north, you can easily determine south, west, and east. For a compass to work properly, its needle must be light-weight and turn easily. The compass cannot be close to a magnet. Otherwise,the needle will respond to the pull of the magnet rather than to Earth's magnetic field.

Another Answer

A compass consists of a lightweight needle (a bar magnet), pivoted, so that it can freely rotate horizontally. The needle aligns itself with the earth's magnetic field, whose direction is from Magnetic South (located in the Antarctic) towards Magnetic North (located in the Arctic). This is because the earth behaves as though there was a large bar magnet, buried deep within the earth, whose north pole is below the Antarctic and whose south pole is below the Arctic (remember, Magnetic North and Magnetic South are locations, not magnetic polarities!).

The terms, 'Magnetic North' and 'Magnetic South', are used to distinguish these locations from 'True North' and 'True South'. Once 'Magnetic North' has been established, you can use then determine 'True North' for the purpose of navigation.

Answer 2

compasses work on the magnetic pull of the north and south poles to always point north and whatever direction you look at it points to that letter.