how do i use a compass?
154822
Since you are teaching cub scouts, and not geology students, I will assume you are using some of those simple orienteering compasses with the rectangular plastic back. These are good for simple compass work. Rather than give you a long explanation take a look at this excellent website which explains how to turn the compass housing so you can walk in your chosen direction.\n\nHere it is:\nhttp://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/lesson1.html\n\nFor this level you don't have worry about declination, which is the difference between a compass reading and true north.
1069386
I take it you are speaking of a normal compass, just one that happens to be very old.\n\nStand still and hold it so it is relatively flat in your hand (I find it works best for me if I hold a compass in my palm).\n\nThe needle should automatically move to magnetic north.\n\nTurn so you are facing the same way the needle points, and you will be facing north, as well. Due west will be directly to your left, south will be directly behind you, and east will be directly to your right. \n\nYou need to have an idea of where the location you are trying to reach is if you want to get there by using a compass, and a map is really helpful. Say that your object lies to the NE of where you are standing. If you are facing north, and east is on your right, then NE is between the two. Find an object in the distance to orient yourself to NE, and begin to move in that direction. \n\nTake regular compass readings, so you know that you haven't strayed off course and begun moving to the north or the east again.\n\nIf you want to learn to use a compass effectively, I really suggest you take some time and go out in the woods. Stay close to where your car is, preferably on a marked trail, so you don't get lost, and practice finding your direction.\n\nCompasses are great, but if you plan on being out in the wild a lot, and need a really sure way of knowing where you are located, I strongly suggest you look into a small GPS (global positioning system) unit. GPS uses satellites to fix your location anywhere on the planet, and for around $100, you can get one that is accurate down to about 10 feet. Many GPS units also have all sorts of neat add-ons so you can mark spots where you saw interesting things, or find spots of interesting locations. \n\nHope this explains it a little for you.
81040
Pictures of a Lensatic Marching Compass\nhttp://www.brasscompass.com/lensaticmarching.htm\n\nA Lensatic Marching Compass is a type of 'sighting compass'\nhttp://www.thecompassstore.com/sighting-compasses.html\nhttp://www.thecompassstore.com/compassfaqs.html\nhttp://www.eyehike.com/pub/Basics%20of%20Wilderness%20Navigation.doc\n\nBasic Guides to Compass Use & Orienteering\nhttp://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/\nhttp://www.us.orienteering.org/\nhttp://www.thecompassstore.com/howtousemapa.html\nhttp://www.ussartf.org/compass_basics.htm\n\nThis site has a section titled "How to Use A Lensatic Sighting Compasses"\nhttp://www.spidercanyon.com/backiss/mapnav3b.html
1100581
First there are 3 north poles. There is magnetic north which your compass will point to, There is the North Pole the earth rotates on and then there is North which would be the top of the earth as compare to the sun and its orbital plane. We can also refer to north based on the position of the galaxy and assigning one end as North and the other as south. North and south poles are used in navigation after the discovery of the compass needle always pointing north.
156603
Draw a line.  Set the compass to the distance you want the point to be from the line so the circle passes through the point at the top of its arc.  Draw the circle.  Then draw the same size circle again at another point on the line and connect the tops of both circles.
686132
Not sure really, but if you go to www.islamicfinder.com there should be something there for you, just give them your country. They have two athan programs, one free and one paid. The paid version gives you the direction of the Qibla. If nothing else, take a compass with you to the mosque and get the direction there. Then you can use the compass whenever you need.
533087
The compass is 360 degrees all around the circle.  315 would be northwest.  A wind out of 315 would be a wind out of the northwest, and would make a vane point in that direction, northwest.
927344
I use one underground regularly.  The magnetic field pervades the whole planet.  Magnetic objects or rocks can distort the measurements, but they can at the surface too.\n\nEven if you were so deep underground that your compass was above the Curie Point and lost it's magnetism (in which case you would be dead as that is over 500 degrees), you could still use a fireproof electronic flux-gate compass, as the magnetic field is generated by the molten iron core (nobody is exactly sure how), so the field is present at all temperatures.
832862
G.P.S.  Before gps they used a compass.
106215
well. what do u need a map directions? Go to google maps.
874513
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere and it is clear out you can use the big dipper to find the North Star (off the outside of the "cup").  If you are in the southern Hemisphere I believe you can use the Southern Cross similarly (points north south).\n\nIf it is near sunrise or sunset and you know roughly what lattitude you are at and what season it is you can get a rought idea of East or West and therefore North and South (for instance if you face West, north is to your right).\n\nObviously if you have GPS or a compass that makes all this much easier (assuming your compass is lit ;) ).\n\nIf it is very clear out you can probably see the Milky Way, and the galactic plane runs roughly North South.\n\nIf you are familar with the night sky and know what time of year it is you could get a rough idea of your lattitude and maybe longitude, and, even if you can't find the North Star or Southern Cross you could find planets and the orbital plane or a familar constallation and figure out the directions.\n\nRealistically if I didn't know where I was I would either go towards light if there was a bright part of the sky (city) or find a creek and fallow it since even if it is dried up, it is likely that it will lead you to a settled area or road and hopefully would have more shade from bushes and more food and water.
176268
If you are constructing an angle that is equal to another angle, here are the steps.\n\n\n\nOn the original angle, label the vertex v1.\nPut the point of the compass on v1.\n\nSwing an arc that crosses both sides of the angle. Label the points where the arc crosses the sides of the angle a1 and b1.\n\nDraw a straight line where you want to construct your new angle.\n\nMark a point on the line to be the vertex of the angle you are constructing. Label it v2\n\nWithout changing the compass setting put the point of the compass on v2.\n\nSwing an arc that crosses the line and is wider than the angle you want to draw. Label the point where the arc crosses the line a2.\n\nPut the point of the compass at a1.\n\nAdjust the width of the compass so that the pencil is at b1.\n\nWithout changing the compass setting put the point of the compass at point a2.\n\nSwing an arc that crosses the first arc you drew. Label the intersection b2.\n\nDraw a straight line from the b2 to v2.\n\nDone.
196492
You need 8 markers to form a large circle, marked I,O,X,L,T,E,A,P then the center stake. Carefully position the markers so the bearings on the instruction cards are accurate.\n\nPlace the unlabelled stake in the center of the area which will be used for laying out the course. Attach a string (about 50 ft long) to the center of the stake. Working from the center stake each time, set the compass bearings as indicated on the instruction cards that you have made and walk the required distance. Place the labelled stake in the correct location. Repeat from center stake until all your labelled stakes are positioned correctly.
1113346
Get a compass (not the navigation kind...the adjustable point-and-pencil kind), and set it at some length greater than 1/2 the segment's length.  Draw an arc through the segment, above and below the segment, from both endpoints of the segment.  There are two points of intersection for these arcs that you just drew: one above and one below the original segment.  When you connect these intersection points, you have bisected the segment with your new line, which is perpendicular to the original.
569770
When you are exactly at  the north or south pole, the compass needle just dangles. It experiences equal force to point in any direction.
544028
You have to have a right triangle.\nThen you figure out which is side is opposite or adjacent from the angle you need.
305910
Need more info to be able to give you any sort of direction