The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #98110   Message #1939730
Posted By: JohnInKansas
17-Jan-07 - 02:57 PM
Thread Name: BS: Zogg's Compass
Subject: RE: BS: Zogg's Compass
Somewhere 'way back up there:

I dunno about Zogg, but the 'North' end of my compass (for some reason) insists on pointing away from the 'South' end

True, of course, but it suggests the clarification:

Since the "north" pole of a magnetic is usually defined as a pole having the same properties as the earth has at (or near) the geographical north pole, and since it is unlike poles that attract each other and like poles that repel, on a simple needle or bar type compass, the end of the bar that points north is the south magnetic pole of the bar.

Of course if one exercises the free choice of defining the north magnetic pole of the bar as the pole at the end that points to the north, then of course the magnetic pole of the earth near the geographic north pole should be properly called the south magnetic pole.

Got it now?

I'm sur Zogg understands it.

John