North/South Pole....

Saruman

OK firstly im asking a question that i know the answer to, im wondering how many other people know this.. i assume a lot especially intelligent Mods like Occy or Bonkey.. here goes

If you stand bang on the North pole and have a compass, does the compass dial spin around because your right on the pole? Or at least as you move around in a circle around the pole does it keep pointing to the pole?

If you think yes please explain why.. if no the same applies, explain why..
Remember im talking about the North (or south) pole.. the one at both ends of the earths axis!

I know the answer and no doubt someone will post it soon enough.. if not i will myself.

EvilGeorge

Actually, you did very well and caught me out , I have no idea where the north pole is , I do believe it would spin around - must have seen it on the Xfiles or somthing - but I cannot explain to you why, please explain.

Rafter

well its north of the south pole

scipio_major

Suruman I hate to say this but I think it depends on the compass. The needle in the compass would want to point straight down, if the needle is allowed to do so it will. If not (i.e one of those compasses that only let the compass rotate and try to hold the magnetic dip up) then I'd say it would spin. With that in mind I voted yes. Though I'm guessing, will be very interested to find out the answer.

Fade to Credits
Scipio_major

Saruman

Excellent.. will leave the answere for a little bit more.. or until someone gets it.. ill give you this much though.. the compass part is not important.. im wondering how many people know the relationship between the North/South poles and a compass/earths magnetic field... or if there is one.. there is a hint.. something else may casue the field and therefore a compass is not how to find the north pole.. do some research and you will fine the answer.. its rather simple actually.. anyway there is my hint which almost gives it away.. im too easy here..

EvilGeorge

Dont tell me the reason why it points north is because its being deflected by the south pole and being right beside the north pole messes it up or somthing ?

seamus

Depends what you mean by 'North Pole'. If you mean geographical north, then no, it won't spin around, it'll point towards magnetic north. In fact if you followed your compass and walked straight north (according to the compass) you would miss the north pole by about 10 degrees, which means you would proably miss the ice cap altogether. I remember vaguely a science teacher explaining to me what happens if you were standing on magnetic north, but I can't remember it. I think it doesn't spin around tho I could be wrong

Saruman

Thats the one Seamus.. i explained in the first on that im talking about the Geographic north pole.. did not use that term i simplified it to the earths axis but your spot on.

Anyway the magnetic North pole is somewhere in Canada, still in the arctic.. it also moves and is never in the same place but it moves in a circular motion.. though its not a circle as such but it goes around.. there can be about 100 miles or so between the various points.. same in the south only its on the edge of Antarctica i think.. not sure exactly on that one.

AS for the compass spinning around.. not exactly though if it were a needle standing on its end it would stay standing if magnetised.

Anyway thats all this was about.. get people thinking.. I found out recently about the difference between the magnetic poles and the geographic north pole.. I think it was discovered by one of those lunatics who travleled to the North pole only to discover their compas was pointing a different direction.. so on...

thanks guys

horn dog 1

before i answer I have a question do eskimoo shave under there arm pits,

In answer to your question, A recent report states Though it is true that the recent sighting of open water at the North Pole is not, in itself, definitive proof, it is part of a growing body of evidence that global warming is indeed real, so are you under water with your compas?
taking it that your not
If you think of the world this way then you can see that the normal "opposites attract" rule of magnets would cause the North end of the compass needle to point toward the South end of the buried bar magnet. So the compass points toward the North Pole.

by the time I write this Ill be too late and proberly wrong ah well

EvilGeorge

Do you reckon if they shave it would throw the compass off ?

FireDragon

Of course because it been prove by explorer all over the world
if u don't believe go 2 the nth pole r sth pole urself plus
the reason why is because the nth pole repel the magnet

Let the firedragon RISE

SHAMAN

I am amazed to see how many polls you've put up...

Saruman

like i said in the T-Rex one.. its boredom!

DeVore

see what seamus says about magnetic versus geographical poles.


if you were standing on the geographical north pole it would spin to point at magnetic north pole.

if you were standing on the magnetic north pole then things get a little trickier.
the pedantic answer is "which part of the needle is magnetised and is it *directly* over the pole". The unpedantic answer is: no it would not spin as there is no circular force (all force is acting downwards). the realistic answer is "yes it would spin because there is no single exact pinpoint of magnetic north and you wouldnt be able to keep the compass in a perpendicualr plane to the earth anyway".

Dev.

Saruman

I think i said that or something of the sort in here somewhere.. i reckon this poll is done anyway.. someone can close it if they want!

Victor

Originally posted by DeVore
if you were standing on the geographical north pole it would spin to point at magnetic north pole.

This is nice in theory, however as you are still (relatively) close to the magnetic north pole, a magnetic compass isn't accurarate enough for direction finding. I understand they use the sun for guidance (together with calender, clock & tables). I suspect these days that they might also use GPS.

Originally posted by DeVore
no it would not spin as there is no circular force (all force is acting downwards). the realistic answer is "yes it would spin because there is no single exact pinpoint of magnetic north and you wouldnt be able to keep the compass in a perpendicualr plane to the earth anyway".

Well I suspect it is lateral force is needed (do true circular forces exist?) and while not 'spinning', it would 'float' aimlessly (assuming vehicle movement / vibration).

Saruman

As I said a few posts back in this thread a magnetised needle would stand on its end at the magnetic pole (for as long as it is the magnetic pole that is!). Don't know about a compass, I would imagine while it man not spin.. it would never point in the one direction and would not settle.. maybe it does spin.. but I doubt it.

As for how they find the north pole.. Before GPS the most obvious way I can think would be to stand find the point where Polaris is 89 degrees above them! Polaris being less than 1 degree off the celestial pole hence why we use it in astronomy for a starting point, making latitude (Ireland 53 degrees) and can start our right ascension and declination for star tracking using and equatorial telescope..

Anyway using Polaris as well as the sun etc and all the other things you monetioned.