What happens when you are on the equator with a compass?

Answer 1

Well, at the Amunsden-Scott Station at the geographic south pole, your magnetic compass will point north, as the south magnetic pole is several thousands of km north of the spin pole. It lies well off the coast of Antarctica, which may be (very) roughly considered to be at 67.5oS.

It is moving at a good clip in a northerly direction, as the molten rock masses in the interior of the Earth (which create the magnetic field) change shape and position.

Answer 2

On the equator, a compass may not behave as expected due to the magnetic field being nearly parallel to the surface of the Earth. This can cause the compass needle to be unreliable and may not point accurately to the magnetic north.

Answer 3

If you sailed near the south pole, what direction would your compass point? Even as far south as Antarctica-the continent that surrounds the south pole-compasses point to magnetic north. But at the magnetic south pole itself, a compass might spin freely. Or the needle might be so out of balance that it wouldn't even spin-it might get stuck up against the top of the case. The same thing would probably happen at the magnetic north pole, because, at the poles, a compass needle wants to point in a very specific direction-not north or south, but straight up and down-orienting itself along magnetic lines of force. The exact locations of the north and south magnetic pole move continually. The pole can move-hour-to-hour and day-to-day-by hundreds of meters. There are also larger, gradual changes in the Earth's magnetic field -Ð so you can't accurately correct compass headings or bearings using hundred-year-old navigation charts. Scientists have spent decades recording these variations-but as to why it happens. . . well, that question still hasn't been answered in detail. Written by NEW! Find related content with Sphere send-to-friend

Answer 4

No. The pull of the Magnetic South Pole will compromise your way-finding if you depend on a magnetic compass.

Best practices dictate that you set your watch to sun time, and navigate using the sun.

Answer 5

No. It points south toward the magnetic pole which is slowly wandering around Canada. In 2005 it was located at 82.7 N, 114.4 W.

Answer 6

It depends on how good the compass is. I'd say it doesn't work.

Answer 7

Yes, because the needle only pulls towards the North pole and not the south. I bet it would get confused if you were standing ON the south poe, though.

Answer 8

You turn into a flaming turkey, then your compass comes alive and eats you.

Answer 9

The 24 satellites that are used for global GPS navigation are positioned so, that the GPS system is equally effective from every spot on the planet. So yes - GPS will work at the poles.

Answer 10

It'll still point towards the magnetic North.