How to Make a Homemade Compass - DIY Compass

Did you know you can make a compass out of a needle? It’s a simple experiment and a great way to introduce the concept of magnetism, magnetic poles and the Earth’s magnetic poles.

Learn how to make your compass at home with just a needle and water.

Supplies Needed:

Sewing Needle
Magnet
Sturdy Paper (enough to cut out a circle two inches in diameter)
Scissors
Water
Shallow Dish
Compass (optional, but it’s good to have for comparison)

Instruction:

Step 1 – Use scissors to cut a circle out of the piece of paper. The circle should be approximately 2 inches in diameter
Step 2 – Fill a shallow dish with water.
Step 3 – Use a magnet, and rub it along the needle in the same direction about 20 times.
Step 4 – Slowly place the piece of paper into the water. It will float along the top.
Step 5 – Watch as the circle begins to spin around until the needle is pointing in the direction of north, just like a compass. Note: Validate the direction by comparing it to an actual compass

How Does the Experiment Work?

Rubbing the magnet on the needle caused it to become magnetized. Once magnetized, it had a north and a south pole (just like all magnets).

Once the paper was placed in the water, it floated on the surface of the water and was able to move freely. At that point, the magnetized needle caused the paper to spin around until the north and south pole of the needle were in line with the Earth’s north and south poles.