North?

Cereal_KillRCereal_KillR Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1837Members
edited May 2004 in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">hax!</div> Everyone knows that a compass, being a magnet, points to the Geographic North by some certain degrees of difference (the magnetic pole)

One question: Which pole is which?

1) The magnetic pole up there is the North pole (near the geographic north)
We conclude that the pole labelled North on a compass is its south pole for it to point North as only opposite poles attract themselves

2) Rather, the North label on the compass is the magnetic North, thus when we point to the North after being oriented, we actually point on the South magnetic pole.

edit: oh yeah, even google doesn't know for sure...
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Comments

  • BurrBurr Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9358Members
    thats why they label (or color) one label different than the other. Yes, you would say the north end of the magnetic piece of metal in a compass is labled south, and the south end is labled north.

    And if you can't tell, use the sunrise/set as a better indicator of north if the sun is out <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    and the degrees of difference is called declination

    <-- Geography major....I make maps
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  • ZaphodZaphod Join Date: 2003-12-30 Member: 24882Members
    The (near) geographic north is actually <i>Magnetic South</i>.
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  • BlackMageBlackMage [citation needed] Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17474Members, Constellation
    because of earth's shifting magnetic field, in some areas near antarctica a compass will now point south (these places will continue to grow over the next 1000 years until the earth's poles have changed places)
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  • Cereal_KillRCereal_KillR Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1837Members
    Well, to make myself clear, the pole that is currently in canada, is it North or South? I'm not trying to find my way to the North Pole <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    So far I'd go for the geodude because major looks like proof <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • SiliconSilicon Join Date: 2003-02-18 Member: 13683Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Cereal_KillR+May 18 2004, 02:12 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cereal_KillR @ May 18 2004, 02:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Well, to make myself clear, the pole that is currently in canada, is it North or South? I'm not trying to find my way to the North Pole <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    So far I'd go for the geodude because major looks like proof <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    north...
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  • ShockehShockeh If a packet drops on the web and nobody&#39;s near to see it... Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9336NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    OR

    If you want to get REALLY picky, neither truly exists, as it's relative to your place compared to every other planet.

    Seeing as we don't know what percentage are 'upsidedown' or not, there's no telling <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • Cereal_KillRCereal_KillR Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1837Members
    actually, there is a difference in the way charged particles travel (south->north within a magnet and North->south outside) which means that with a magnet, and a convention, we can find out.

    Unfortunately, I don't have either a compass or a magnet, much less a marked one...
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  • Cereal_KillRCereal_KillR Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1837Members
    <img src='http://www.nte.ups-tlse.fr/services/ressources/physique/induction/champ_terrestre/champ_terrestre.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

    I'll take that for a good answer <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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