Plotting magnetic lines of force with plotting compass

In this post, let’s see how to plot magnetic lines of force with a plotting compass. A plotting compass is a small pivoted magnet in a glass case with non-magnetic metal walls.

Plotting Magnetic Lines of Force with Plotting Compass: step-by-step

• Lay a bar magnet on a sheet of paper.
• Trace around the magnet with a pencil.
• Place the plotting compass at a point near the magnet.
• Mark the direction that the compass needle points by drawing a dot. (figure 1.1)
• Move the compass so that the back of the needle of the plotting compass is exactly over B, and mark the new position of the needle by a dot. (Figure 2)
• Continue this process until the other pole of the bar magnet is reached. (Figure 3)
• Join the dots to give one line of force and show its direction by putting an arrow on it. (figure 4)
• Plot other lines by starting at different points around the magnet. (Figure 5)