Question

How is magnetic field mapped with the help of a compass?

Answer 1

In the following ways we can map the magnetic field by using compass:

1. Fix a white sheet of paper on a drawing board.
2. Place a small bar magnet over it and draw its outline with a pencil.
3. Place a compass needle near a North pole(N) of the magnet.
4. The north pole of the compass stays away from the north pole of magnet because like poles repel each other.
5. mark the position of the north pole of the compass on the paper with a dot with a pencil.
6. Shift the compass needle so that its south pole( white end of the needle) coincides with the dot marked on the paper.
7. Again mark the position of the north pole of the compass needle.
8. Repeat the process until the compass needle reaches the south pole of the magnet.
9. Then join all these dots with a pencil and draw a smooth curve.
10. The curve so obtained is called magnetic line of force or magnetic field lines.