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A compass does not point to the North Pole, it aligns itself with the lines of magnetic force at your location.

In the Northern Hemisphere you are closer to the North Pole, so the strength from that direction is greater, and the compass "points north".

In the Southern Hemisphere, similarly, the magnetic South Pole is closer, and the other end of the compass points to the south Pole.

So far so good. But when you are close to either pole, the magnetic field dips into the earth - steeply at the Poles themselves.

[Ordinary compasses are counterbalanced a little so the compass needle or card is approximately horizontal. The compass manufacturers divide the earth into five 'balance' zones.]

So a dip compass is suspended between two pivots, and will indicate the steepness of the magnetic fields dip. It differs from an ordinary compass.

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Why does the north end of a compass needle dip downwards and does it always behave like this?

You have to realize that the Earth is a sphere and that the magnetic north pole isn't in a direction tangent to the Earth's surface, but rather through the Earth itself. Therefore, a compass needle will dip downwards if it is dense enough to break the surface tension of the fluid it is floating on.


How can one determine the strike and dip on a geologic map?

To determine the strike and dip on a geologic map, look for the orientation of rock layers. The strike is the compass direction of a horizontal line on the rock layer, while the dip is the angle of the rock layer's slope from the horizontal. These can be found by examining the symbols and markings on the map that indicate the orientation of the rock layers.


What is strike and dip in geology?

Dip and strike are a method of describing the orientation of a plane in three dimensional space. It is usually applied to the orientation of tilted layers of rock. Dip is the angle of tilt, measured from the horizontal. Think of the direction of dip as the direction that a ball would roll if placed on the surface. The angle of dip is measured in degrees. Strike is the direction of a level line on that tilted surface. It is more difficult to visualize, but easy to remember because it is always perpendicular to the direction of dip. To visualize use a book. Prop up one end on another book. Then examine the surface of the book. If you have a marble place it on the book and watch it roll down the dip. To see the strike kneel down and look at the book from the side so that you see either the binding or the pages. Now take a ruler and try to lay it on the book so that the marble will not roll along the edge of the ruler. When you have done that you will have found the strike, and it will be perpendicular to the dip. The strike is easy to find if you have a carpenter's level (of course, everyone has one of those lying around). Submitted by R. Brill, Professor of Natural Science, Honolulu Community College


In geology what are strikes and dips associated with?

Strikes and dips are associated with the orientation of rock layers. The strike is the compass direction of a horizontal line on the rock surface, while the dip is the angle of inclination of the rock layer from the horizontal plane. They are fundamental in understanding the structural geology of rock formations.


If there was a magnet beside a compass would the compass point to the north or south?

If there is a magnet beside a compass, the compass needle would be influenced by the magnetic field of the magnet rather than Earth's magnetic field. The needle would point towards the opposite pole of the magnet, so if the magnet's north pole is beside the compass, the compass needle would point towards the south.

Related Questions

How do you find dip and dip direction?

To find dip and dip direction, you first need to determine the angle at which a geological layer inclines relative to the horizontal plane, known as the dip. This is measured using a compass clinometer or an inclinometer. The dip direction indicates the compass bearing of the steepest descent of the inclined layer, typically measured perpendicular to the dip angle. You can visualize this by imagining a line drawn down the slope of the layer, which points in the direction of the dip.


Why does the north end of a compass needle dip downwards and does it always behave like this?

You have to realize that the Earth is a sphere and that the magnetic north pole isn't in a direction tangent to the Earth's surface, but rather through the Earth itself. Therefore, a compass needle will dip downwards if it is dense enough to break the surface tension of the fluid it is floating on.


How do you measure dip and strike using brundon compass?

The layers of rock (strata) we see on the Earth's surface are rarely found in their original flat orientation. Measuring dip and strike is pretty easy, all you need is a compass for the level direction, and a clinometer to measure the vertical angle. For basic dip measurements I use an angle finder from a hardware store costing a couple of pounds (about 3-4 dollars US). I expect your tutor will expect you to sing the praises of the expensive "Brunton" combined compass and clinometer. (I don't know why, I have never found the point of spending huge amounts of money on this - but they remain a venerated item min American geology) Why bother? Measuring dip and strike is a fundamental part of geological mapping as you can build up a picture of the tilting and folding of the rocks beneath the surface, and start to build up a three dimensional model of the geology from the two-dimensional information at the surface. This is useful in predicting such things as the location and depth of an underground coal seam, or of working out the geological history of an area. If you cannot measure dip and strike directly, by measuring it off the surface of an exposed outcrop, then you can calculate it by measuring the height and direction an outcrop of the same strata run on opposite sides of a hill or valley, and doing some trigonometry.


Is there any detailed explanation on angle of dip in physics?

Yes,angle of dip,or angle of inclination is the angle that a compass arrow direction or an axis of magnetic needle makes with plane of the horizon. Strike and dip are the terms of Geophysics and Geology applied them to determine the coordinates of the location of any geological object.


Explain in your own words the strike and dip of a rock unit?

The strike of a rock unit is the compass direction of a horizontal line on the rock surface, while the dip is the angle at which the rock unit is inclined from the horizontal plane. Together, strike and dip describe the orientation and slope of rock layers in relation to the Earth's surface.


How can one determine the strike and dip on a geologic map?

To determine the strike and dip on a geologic map, look for the orientation of rock layers. The strike is the compass direction of a horizontal line on the rock layer, while the dip is the angle of the rock layer's slope from the horizontal. These can be found by examining the symbols and markings on the map that indicate the orientation of the rock layers.


How much dip would a dipper dip if a dipper did dip dip?

A dipper would dip dip as much as it want if a dipper would do dip.


What are dip dabs?

Dip Dabs are: A lolly that you can dip in sugar.


How do you compass?

compass


Is gyrosyn compass a combination of magnetic compass and artificial horizon?

No,a Gyrosyn compass is a combination of a Magnetic compass and Direct reading compass.


How would a southern hemisphere compass differ from a northern hemisphere compass?

The Southern Hemisphere compass will naturally align it self with the South Poleanswer 2 A compass designed to work in the southern hemisphere will have the needle/card balanced differently, for in the S hemisphere the S pole will cause the compass to dip slightly - and opposite to the northern hemisphere.The compass manufacturers divide the Earth into five zones for balance. Some folk need a compass that is insensitive to this effect, (e.g. Army) and for this they choose to have the needle a smaller part of the weight balanced on the pivot, and have a liquid filled compass.Regarding the first sentence above, the compass needle actually aligns itself with the lines of magnetic force at your location - which will still result in a N - S alignment.


What is a DIP?

A DIPO IS A DIP