Question

Distinguish between Magnetic North Pole and the True North pole.

Answer 1

Hint: Our Earth is spherical in shape. Our earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degree relative to our orbital plane and the earth hence rotates at a tilted axis.

Complete answer: Imaginary lines running east to west are drawn on our earth called longitudes. The point at which all the longitudes merge at the north of our planet is called our true north pole or geographic north pole. It is situated somewhere in the middle of the Arctic ocean. The point at which all longitudes join in the south is called the south pole which is situated in Antarctica .

On the other hand , earth’s magnetic poles designate the central location of the region where the magnetic fields lines start and finish. Earth’s magnetic and geographic north pole is different as Earth’s magnetic field is generated circulating currents of liquid iron in the outer core. A compass needle hence points to earth’s magnetic north. Also the magnetic pole near earth’s geographic pole is actually the magnetic south pole as in case of magnets, opposites attract.

True North Pole	Magnetic North Pole
The point at which all longitudes merge.	The point at which earth’s magnetic field points vertically downwards.
It is a fixed point and does not keep changing .	This is not a fixed point and keeps changing over time in response to earth’s
This is not the same point as the direction the compass needle directs to.	This is the point towards which the needle of the compass directs to.

The difference between earth’s magnetic and geographic earth is called magnetic inclination.

Note: According to Polar Shift theory, the earth’s magnetic pole keeps changing. Currently , earth’s magnetic north is situated in Ellesmere Island in northern Canada.