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A compass would not work without a magnet. Inside the compass is a magnet which moves to line up with the Earth's natural magnetism. The north pole of the magnet is attracted to the south pole of the Earth. As such, the magnet moves to always be lining up in this way. When you use a magnet, you can see this in action as the needle moves around to always point northward and from knowing this, you can tell which way you are facing.

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13y ago
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12y ago

The needle of a compass is a magnet. It is pivoted so that it can spin on its balance point to indicate the direction of the north and south magnetic poles. The north magnetic pole located in Canada and moves towards Russia at between 34 and 37 mi (55-60 km) per year.

Some compasses do not use magnets. In these the gyroscopic forces of a spinning mass are aligned towards the north celestial pole.

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Q: How does a compass use magnetism?
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