How Does a Compass Know Which Way is North?

A compass is like a tiny magnet that wants to be friends with the biggest magnet in the world, the Earth. The needle on a compass points north because it follows the Earth's magnetic field, just like how a magnet attracts paper clips. ## How It Works A compass has a magnetic needle that can spin freely. When you hold it up, the needle moves until it lines up with the Earth’s north and south poles, that's why it always points north! It doesn’t know where north is, but it follows the invisible lines of magnetism around the world.