Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. How does a magnetic compass work: compass. How does a magnetic compass work? Well, it’s all down to basic physics and human ...

A magnet (It can be a flat refrigerator magnet or a more powerful magnet, such as a rare earth magnet—the most common type is made of neodymium—which can be purchased at many hardware stores. A ...

The compass—oldest known navigating instrument—has been revolutionized. Last week Bendix Aviation Corp. announced a new automatic compass that makes the old magnetic needle* look as obsolete as a ...

When Santa is done delivering presents on Christmas Eve, he must get back home to the North Pole, even if it's snowing so hard that the reindeer can't see the way. A new study by the University of ...

Does it matter if you put a video camera near your magnetic compass that is used for navigation? The theoretical answer is "yes." But the practical answer? "Probably not." Now for a detailed ...

Not only migratory birds use a built-in magnetic compass to navigate correctly. A new study shows that non-migratory birds also are able to use a built-in compass to orient themselves using the ...