Experiment | Make Your Own Compass

Set It Up

1. Fill the small bowl with water.
2. Cut 4 small pieces of paper and label them North, South, East, and West.
3. Use a compass to find North, South, East, and West and place the labels around the bowl.

4. Rub the magnet along the needle (base to tip) about 50 times to magnetize it.

5. Place your needle on top of the bottle cap or the paper circle.
   • If you’re using a paper circle, fold it in half to make a crease in the middle.

Make a Guess

1. Which direction do you think the needle will point when you put it into the bowl of water?

Test It!

1. Place the needle and bottle cap (or paper circle) into the bowl of water.
2. Wait to see which direction the needle points!