compass's
Step by Step directions for using a compass.
First there are four sides of a compass they are North, South, east ,and West
- Hold your compass steadily in your hand so the base plate is level and the direction-of-travel arrow is pointing straight away from you.
- Look down at the compass and see where the needle points.
- Turn your body while keeping the compass right in front of you.
- Keep turning until the needle points the way that you are going
- then you keep doing that
compass parts
- base plate - hard, flat surface on which the rest of the compass is mounted.
- Index line - butt end of the direction-of-travel arrow. It ends right at the edge of the dial and is where you take degree readings
- Magnetic needle -magnetized piece of metal that has one end painted red to indicate North. It sits on a fine point that is nearly friction less so it rotates freely when the compass is held fairly level and steady
- Orienting arrow - marked on the floor of the housing. It rotates with the housing when the dial is turned .
- Orienting lines - series of parallel lines marked on the floor of the housing and on the base plate
Labeled Diagram of the Earth's Magnetic Field
the Earths magnetic field is like a force field.