The Earth's Magnetic Field (Oxford AQA IGCSE Physics)

Revision Note

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

    • It is most concentrated at the magnetic north and south poles

Earth's magnetic field

Comparison of the Earth's magnetic field and that of a bar magnet, for IGCSE & GCSE Physics revision notes
The Earth's magnetic field and that of a bar magnet are the same
  • On Earth, the north arrow on a magnetic plotting 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 north pole of a magnetic compass is attracted to the Earth's magnetic south pole, a.k.a the Earth's geographic North 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 and thus points away from the geographic South Pole

Earth's geographic and magnetic poles

The Earth's geographic north pole is at the same point as the Earth's magnetic south pole and the geographic south pole is at the same point as the Earth's magnetic north pole
Geographic and Magnetic Poles of the Earth

Examiner Tips and Tricks

The Earth’s geographic North Pole acts like the south pole of a magnet. That’s why the north pole of a magnet is attracted to it.

A compass can therefore be used to navigate on Earth, as the arrow always points to the geographic North Pole.

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