Blog 2: Difference between the Poles

Overview

Over the course of this blog, I will list the key differences between the four types of ``Norths``.  There will be the True North, Geographical North, the Magnetic North, and the Physical North


Field Lines showing True and Magnetic North

 

True North

True North is also referred to as the Geographical North  because it is existing on the poles of the earth.  In other words, the True North is actually the direction in which it points on the Meridian towards the North Pole.  On a globe, all the longitude lines point to the True North.  It is also believed that the True North is the point where the earth is rotating.  Depending on where you are in the world, the Magnetic North and True North will be in different directions.  So if you want to get somewhere from the bottom of the globe to the top, you would want to follow the True North.


 

Magnetic North

The Magnetic North is referred to as the direction in which the compass needle is pointing.  The earth is considered as a giant magnet because the core of the earth is composed of metallic materials such as iron.  This acts like a magne tand creates a small magnetic field.  The Magnetic North is constantly changing because the magnetic fields are changing based on the rotation of the earth.  But the problem arises when a compass is used to determine the North.  Since opposite poles attract, then shouldn`t the North needle on the compass point to the South pole instead of the North?  This is why we have concluded that the modern ``North Pole`` is actually the south pole and vice versa.  When talking about difference between the True North and Magnetic North, we are talking in terms of their declination.  The magnetic declination is the angular difference between each field line of the True North and Magnetic North.

Showing Declination in Regions

Physical North

There is no actual explanation of a Physical North.  In terms of scientific studies, Physical North does not exist.

Conclusion

We have discovered through this blog that the True North is actually the same as the Geographical North.  We also know that they are not disturbed by any forces of magnetism.  However, the Magnetic North is based all upon magnetism.  We learned that it is always changing and that the term North and South poles are interchangable.

Bibliography

Howstuffworks. (2011). Retrieved February 24, 2013 from
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/true-north.htm

Farlex. (2009). Retrieved February 24, 2013 from
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/magnetic+north