Question

A compass always points:
A. North – south direction
B. South – north direction
C. It may be north or south depending upon the material of the magnet
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: magnetic compass consists of magnetic needle and it is used to find out geographical directions. Generally it is widely used by sailors as they can’t find out the direction in that vast water body and this compass shows them the desired way. Compass needle is made up of a magnetic material and it's obvious that it has two poles i.e north and south. It is believed that magnetic field lines are created by the earth’s magnetic poles. By relating both i.e magnetic needle and earth’s magnetism property we can answer this question

Complete answer:
It is generally assumed that magnetic field lines are produced due to magnetic north and magnetic south poles of the earth. Earth’s magnetic north pole is located at the earth’s geographic south pole while earth’s magnetic south pole is located at the earth’s geographic north pole.

In the above diagram if we consider that circle as an earth
Green dot = geographic north pole
Blue dot = magnetic south pole
Red dot = geographic south pole
Pink dot = magnetic north pole
Now if we consider magnetic compass drawn below

Ray denotes the magnetic needle which rotates with respect to central pivot (cross marked one). pink dot represents magnetic north pole of needle while blue dot represents magnetic south pole of the needle
Magnetic field lines of earth always originate from the magnetic north pole and go to the magnetic south pole outside the earth.
Hence, if we place compass at any geographical location it’s north pole always points to the magnetic south pole of earth as opposite poles attract. But the magnetic south pole of earth is very close to the geographical north pole of earth. Hence arrow(tip) of the magnetic needle points in the geographical north direction while tail points in the geographical south direction

Hence answer would be option A i.e north-south direction .

Additional Information:
Magnetic compass shows us the directions whereas there is a dip circle which aligns itself along the direction of resultant earth’s magnetic field at that particular direction. I.e magnetic needle aligns along ${B_H}$ while dip needle aligns along resultant of ${B_V}$ and ${B_H}$ at a particular place

Note:
Actually the compass needle aligns along the direction of earth’s magnetic north and south poles. This should not be confused with geographic north and south poles. The angle between the planes passing through geographical poles(geographic meridian) and magnetic poles(magnetic meridian) at a certain place is called declination. Since magnetic poles are closer to geographical poles we consider both are the same but actually not.