How a Compass Works

Lab Brief #14

🎯 Your mission

Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.

⚡ The twist

The slowest changes are the biggest ones.

What you'll learn

A compass always points north because Earth has a magnetic field.

Key words

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: which will erode faster?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Step 1 of 3 · Read

Look at the new words. Can you say each one?

Step 2 of 3 · Observe

Look for something that changed. What is it?

Step 3 of 3 · Record

Circle the correct answer on your worksheet.

Question 1 of 3

Which way does a compass needle point?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

A compass works because Earth has a:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

Who would find a compass useful?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🪨 Every grain of sand on every beach used to be a mountain.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

🎯

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline — all this.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Look at the sky for 5 minutes and try to predict tomorrow's weather.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the slowest change you can think of?”

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

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