Tag: magnetic poles and magnetic compass

Atomic currents and intrinsic spins of electrons are responsible for origin of magnetism.

The marked end of compass needle always points to the south pole of a magnet.

At pole's horizontal component of earth's magnetic field is zero therefore, if needle is hold horizontally then it will stay in any position.

A freely suspended magnet rests in the geographic north-south direction.
Earth has two geographic poles, the North Pole and the South Pole. They are the places on Earth's surface that Earth's imaginary spin axis passes through. Our planet also has two magnetic poles, the North Magnetic Pole and the South Magnetic Pole just like a bar magnet. The magnetic poles are near, but not quite in the same places as, the geographic poles. The needle in a compass points towards a magnetic pole. Earth's North Magnetic Pole is actually the south pole of the Earth's geographic poles and vice-versa.
Hence, a freely suspended magnetic needle point in geographic north-south direction. The magnetic compass is the device that uses this principle. A magnetic compass contains a magnetic needle pivoted in a horizontal plane that indicates the direction of magnetic north at points on the earth's surface. It is an instrument that uses a magnetized steel bar to indicate direction relative to the earth's magnetic poles.

The best evidence is to test it by taking a direction compass and seeing it where the north position will point and you will see that it will always point to the north and south pole.

The north pole of the normal magnet points in the north direction of the earth. Thus by suspending a bar magnet freely, it aligns in the north-south direction.

The north end of compass needle points approximately towards north pole, which is geographic north of the earth , which is south pole of earth's magnet as per convection and attraction law.