Dipping Needle Compass Science Experiments

Result of the dipping needle compass science experiment

The north end of the needle slowly dips between the tumblers to about a 45 degree angle.

What do dipping needles compass science experiments show? What do we learn from dipping needle compass science experiments?

What happens in dipping needle compass science experiments? When you remove the needle from the face of a compass and tie it  to a piece of string, the compass needle would:

• point north, and
• dip along the lines of the Earth's magnetic field.

Another name for this dipping needle compass science experiment is 'inclinometer science experiment'. One way to trace the lines of the Earth's magnetic field is to build an inclinometer.

What does the dipping needle compass science experiment tell us?

The dipping needle compass science experiment shows that the inclinometer's angle of dip reflects the lines of magnetic force at your latitude. At the Earth's Equator, the needle would be completely horizontal; at the North Pole, the needle would stand upright. For most northern latitudes, the needle will point at about a 45 degree angle.

About magnet science fair projects

Since like poles of a magnet repel and opposite poles attract, how can a north seeking magnetized needle point to the Earth's North Pole? The magnetic south pole lies near the Earth's geographic North Pole, and the magnetic north pole lies near the Earth's geographic South Pole. This is confusing so nowadays scientists prefer to call the Earth's magnetic poles the north seeking or south seeking poles.