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Ingenium Canada Science and Technology Museum

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Compass

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Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday
Address
1867 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON
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Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Science and Technology Museum
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Compass

Compass
Download activity PDF

Long before the age of GPS, navigators and explorers found their way using a compass. In this activity, make your own to bring on your next adventure!

What you need

  • A wine cork
  • A clear plastic container
  • Tap water
  • A magnet
  • A metal sewing needle
  • Scissors
  • A printed copy of the compass rose template (in the PDF)

Safety first!

Adult supervision may be needed when handling sharp sewing needles and scissors.

Make it

  1. Print out the compass rose template.
  2. Fill the plastic container with water and place it in the middle of the compass rose.
  3. To magnetize the needle, rub the magnet along the needle at least 50 times – always in the same direction, from the eye to the tip.
  4. Cut the cork in half lengthwise with the scissors. Ask an adult for help with this step; corks can be hard to cut.
  5. Using the scissors, carefully scrape out a notch lengthwise down the centre of the cork.
  6. Place the cork on the water, with the cut edge facing up.
  7. Carefully place the magnetized needle into the notch made in the cork.

Test it

Once your compass is built, the needle should point north. Ask an adult to verify this using a map, compass, or GPS. Then, rotate the container and the template so that the north on the template lines up with the needle. This is how you would use a compass if you were lost. You rotate it so that the north marking lines up with the needle, and that tells you which way to go to travel in any direction!

Explain it

All magnets have a north pole and a south pole, and when it comes to magnets, opposites attract. Two north poles or two south poles on different magnets will repel one another, but a north and a south pole will attract. When you rub the magnet on a needle (which contains iron), a process called magnetic induction occurs, meaning that it temporarily turns the needle into a magnet. The Earth acts as a big magnet, and has magnetic poles as well. Its magnetic north pole will attract the south pole of a magnetized needle in a compass.

Observe it

Today, we mostly use GPS to navigate. However, this technology was invented quite recently, and before that, the compass was the best invention for the job. Even today, if you’re hiking anywhere, it’s a good idea to bring a compass – you never know if you’ll lose cell service or run out of charge. That way, you can navigate back to safety – no matter what!

Go further

What do you think would happen if you stood on the geographic North Pole (the very top of the Earth, on the axis) and pointed your compass? It would still move and point! This is because the geographic North Pole and the magnetic North Pole (where your compass naturally points) are not in the same place. The same goes for the South Poles. In fact, the geographic and magnetic poles aren’t even all that close to one another!

Step 1
Materials
Magnets

Program Details

SCITECH
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Duration
10 minutes
Difficulty Level:
Easy
Program Location
Online
  • View all programs at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
  • View other programs related to Sciences, Exploration and Surveying

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About Canada Science and Technology Museum

Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum tells Canada's innovation story in an immersive, educational, and fun way.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Science and Technology Museum
1867 St Laurent Blvd
Ottawa ON K1G 5A3
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
    • Admission
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Birthday Parties
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At Your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Tell Me About
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • Curiosity on Stage
    • Women in STEM
    • Innovation Storybook
    • Species at Risk in Canada
    • Climate Science