The Compass/Earth's Magnetic Field

Question 1

What makes a compass work?

Answer 1

A small, free floating needle with a magnetic north pole at one end of the needle. This magnet gets aligned with the Earth’s magnetic field and points to the magnetic south pole.

Question 2

What poles are at the top of the Earth?

Answer 2

The Geographic North Pole and the Magnetic South Pole

Question 3

What poles are at the bottom of the Earth?

Answer 3

The Geographic South Pole and the Magnetic North Pole

Question 4

Are the geographic and the magnetic poles aligned?

Answer 4

No, if they both were a line straight through earth the poles would intersect at a 11.5* angle. The Geographic poles are on an angle, which is what the Earth rotates on.

Question 5

How does Earth’s magnetic field save life on Earth?

Answer 5

It shields us from being hit by the high energy charged particles emitted by the sun. This phenomenon is called solar wind.

Question 6

What is the magnetosphere?

Answer 6

The region around a planet dominated by the planet’s magnetic field

Question 7

What causes a geomagnetic storm?

Answer 7

When the sun ejects a bubble of energy that ends up at earth, the magnetic field of this bubble joins with Earth, releasing a huge amount of energy into Earth’s magnetosphere.

Question 8

What does a geomagnetic storm do?

Answer 8

It may affect electric and magnetic systems on Earth [such as power-grids, cellphone networks, GPS systems and more]