Compasses are designed so they point to earths magnetic north. What are some things that would prevent a compass from pointing to earths magnetic pole? Select all the correct answers.

Question

A strong interfering magnetic field
High altitude
Being in a remote forest far from cities
Being in sealed wooden box
Dead compass batteries
A non-magnetic compass needle

Answer 1

The factors that could prevent a compass from pointing to Earth's magnetic pole are:

1. A strong interfering magnetic field - Correct. Strong magnetic fields from nearby objects (like metal structures or electronic devices) can interfere with the compass needle.

2. High altitude - Incorrect. Altitude itself does not affect a compass's ability to point to magnetic north.

3. Being in a remote forest far from cities - Incorrect. Being in a remote area does not inherently affect a compass unless there are local magnetic anomalies.

4. Being in a sealed wooden box - Incorrect. The material (wood) is not magnetic, so it would not affect the compass unless there are other magnetic materials present.

5. Dead compass batteries - Incorrect. Traditional magnetic compasses do not use batteries; they rely on a magnetic needle. However, a compass with electronic components might be affected if it relies on batteries.

6. A non-magnetic compass needle - Correct. If the compass needle is non-magnetic or damaged, it will not respond to Earth's magnetic field properly.

So the correct answers are:

• A strong interfering magnetic field
• A non-magnetic compass needle