Fluxgate compass
A fluxgate compass is a special tool that helps people figure out which way they are facing, like a map or a GPS, but it does this using a special kind of magnet.
Do you know what magnets are? Magnets are special because they can attract (or pull) certain metals towards them. The most common magnet you may have seen is a fridge magnet- it can hold pictures or notes on a fridge because one side is a magnet.
The way the fluxgate compass works is that it has a tiny, special metal with wire wrapped around it. This wire is like a special kind of string that can detect when there are changes in the magnet field around it. When the compass is being used, the metal with the wire wrapped around it starts to vibrate when it detects a magnetic field.
The compass is then attached to a device that helps to figure out which direction it is pointing in. That's how people know which way is north, south, east, and west!
Do you know what magnets are? Magnets are special because they can attract (or pull) certain metals towards them. The most common magnet you may have seen is a fridge magnet- it can hold pictures or notes on a fridge because one side is a magnet.
The way the fluxgate compass works is that it has a tiny, special metal with wire wrapped around it. This wire is like a special kind of string that can detect when there are changes in the magnet field around it. When the compass is being used, the metal with the wire wrapped around it starts to vibrate when it detects a magnetic field.
The compass is then attached to a device that helps to figure out which direction it is pointing in. That's how people know which way is north, south, east, and west!
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