The Earth's Magnetic Field
- On Earth, in the absence of any magnet or magnetic materials, a magnetic compass will always point north
- This is evidence that the core of the Earth is magnetic and creates its own magnetic field
- The Earth's magnetic field is similar to that of a bar magnet
Comparison between the Earth’s Magnetic Field and a Bar Magnet
- On Earth, the north arrow on a magnetic compass will point towards the geographic North Pole (in the Arctic Ocean)
- This is because the geographic North Pole is a magnetic south pole (the magnetic field lines point into the pole)
- The north pole of the magnetic compass is attracted to the Earth's magnetic south pole
- The geographic South Pole (in Antarctica) is a magnetic north pole (the magnetic field lines point out of the pole)
- The north pole of the magnetic compass is repelled from the Earth's magnetic north pole
Geographic and Magnetic Poles of the Earth
Examiner Tip
The Earth’s north pole actually acts like the south pole of a magnet: That’s why the north pole of a magnet is attracted to it.
