Creating Your Own Compass
If you don't have a compass, you can create your own in much the same way people did hundreds of years ago. To create your own compass, you will need the following materials:
- A needle or some other wire-like piece of steel (a straightened paper clip, for example)
- Something small that floats -- a piece of cork, the bottom of a Styrofoam coffee cup, a piece of plastic, the cap from a milk jug...
- A dish, preferably a pie plate, 9 to 12 inches (23 - 30 cm) in diameter, with about an inch (2.5 cm) of water in it
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If you are having trouble finding a magnet around the house, two possible sources include a can opener and an electromagnet that you make yourself.
Place your float in the middle of your dish of water as shown below.
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The "float on water" technique is an easy way to create a nearly frictionless bearing. Center your magnetic needle on the float. It very slowly will point toward north. You have created a compass!
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| Table of
Contents: › Introduction to How Compasses Work › The Basics › Creating Your Own Compass › Gyroscopic Compasses › How To Use |