Why can't a compass case be made of steel?
With a compass you can pinpoint a specific direction and find your way in the wilderness. Under no circumstances can the compass housing consist of all materials, otherwise the instrument would not work. It is relatively easy to explain why steel or iron must not be used.
A compass case is made of special materials
The compass is a very useful tool for pinpointing the cardinal points. It consists of a special housing and a needle and is based on the earth's magnetic field. Only sun and gyro compasses can do without the earth's magnetic field and are based on the geographic north-south direction. The compass housing can only be made of a few special materials and steel or iron are definitely not an option. Why this is exactly the case can be explained unequivocally physically. The compass needle must never get stuck in the housing and must always be able to move freely. The compass is very easy to use and is also used, for example, to navigate ships.
Why can't the construction be made of steel?
- A compass housing is usually made of a special material and must never be made of steel. This material is completely unsuitable for the special construction, as the steel would magnetically shield the needle of the compass and the device would no longer work. Since the position of the compass needle changes according to the direction of the compass and aligns with the magnetic field of the earth, an exact direction can always be determined. To do this, however, the compass needle must be able to move completely freely and without friction.
- For this reason, the housing is never made of a material that could affect the needle, such as iron. Materials that provide magnetic shielding are therefore by no means used in this instrument. Why a compass is still used despite GPS and other modern methods is because the compass is completely independent of electricity and can be used anywhere.
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