How to Create a Magnetic Compass

Are you ready to find a new direction? This experiment uses household items to make a useful tool. Follow along with ABC11 Science Club with BASF and discover how to make a compass at home! Adult supervision and safety goggles required.

Objective: To learn how to make a compass that points to magnetic earth.

How It Works: Magnetic North is the direction in which the north end of a compass needle or other freely suspended magnet will point in response to the earth's magnetic field. It deviates from true north over time and from place to place because the earth's magnetic poles are not fixed in relation to its axis.

Click here to download a PDF of the instructions to print and recreate at home!

Find us at Facebook.com/abc11scienceclub to share photos and videos of your compass experiment! Also, be sure to tune in to ABC11 Science Club with BASF every Wednesday at 4:28 PM!