What is the difference between the magnetic North Pole and the North Pole?

Answer 1

Magnetic North is a location in the Arctic, so-called to distinguish that location from that of True North. True North is a fixed point which lies at the axis of rotation of the Earth. The location of Magnetic North is not fixed, but 'wanders' around the position of True North.

As the north pole of a compass needle is attracted towards Magnetic North, the magnetic polarity at that location must be south. So, the Earth behaves as though it had an enormous 'bar magnet', deep within the earth, whose south pole corresponds to True North, and whose north pole corresponds to True South.

Answer 2

The magnetic North Pole is the point on Earth where the planet's magnetic field points vertically downward, affecting compass needles. The geographic North Pole, or simply the North Pole, is the northernmost point on Earth, where all lines of longitude converge. The magnetic North Pole is constantly moving, while the North Pole stays fixed at the axis of Earth's rotation.

Answer 3

Magnetic North is a location in the Arctic, so-called to distinguish that location from that of True North. True North is a fixed point which lies at the axis of rotation of the Earth. The location of Magnetic North is not fixed, but 'wanders' around the position of True North.

As the north pole of a compass needle is attracted towards Magnetic North, the magnetic polarity at that location must be south. So, the Earth behaves as though it had an enormous 'bar magnet', deep within the earth, whose south pole corresponds to True North, and whose north pole corresponds to True South.

Answer 4

The magnetic north pole is the point to which a compass points. 'True north' is a point on the earth's rotational axis (the earth spins around this point).

These are two different points on the earth's surface, and in fact their positions both change over the years due to different factors.

When using a compass for navigation, the local magnetic declination should be considered, as this tells the traveller how far away their compass will be pointing from true north. Magnetic declination can be as much as 45 degrees - this would mean that a compass pointing NW would be pointing at true north.

Answer 5

The geografic north is exactly where the geometric axis of the earth passes on the north pole.

the magnetic pole is not a fixed point, and varies along the time, near the geographic pole. It means that the compass is not everytime showing the magnetic pole in the same direction. It happens because the huge amounts of melted iron on the earth core change position wich causes the changes in magnetic north. There are studies that shows in the past where were the magnetic pole along the times

Answer 6

True north is where the axis of the earth appears on the crust, magnetic north is where the magnetic field of the earth has it's pole. The magnetic field of all planets shifts on a regular basis(but it takes a long time), so magnetic north won't be near true north forever.

Answer 7

The Earth's axis of rotation goes thru the North (and South) pole. A compass needle points to the Earth's magnetic North pole. As I recall they are about 50 miles apart but this is not a fixed distance as the magnetic north pole wanders around a little. The Earth's magnetic field looks approximately like that of a bar magnet with the poles being near the Earth's geographical poles. Scientists do not know much about how the Earth's magnetic field is produced other then its probably caused by massive circulation of ionized (charged) matter inside the Earth. The fact that the two North poles are near each other helps support this theory because one would expect the ionized matter to circulate in a direction similar to the earth's rotation, which would produce the kind of magnetic field we have.

Answer 8

This might be compared with your left and right hands. They are the same in a way... yet they are different - you can't turn the right hand around so it looks like a left hand.

The main thing you notice with magnets is: A north pole will repel another north pole. A south pole will repel another south pole. A north pole and a south pole will attract each other. Just by looking at the magnet, you can't notice which part is north.

Answer 9

No. True North is the geographic location, while magnetic North is where your compass might point to.

Answer 10

A Compass points to the Magnetic North Pole