What is Compass

Compasses expanded our ability to navigate and therefore explore our world without losing our sense of direction.
Before the invention of these simple devices. voyagers had to use the stars and nearby land- marks to navigate their journeys.
The ancient Chinese were the first to employ water-based compasses magnetic needles floated in bowls of water,
The needles were magnetized by stroking them with a lodestone, a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite.
At first, the needles were used in fortune-telling boards before being put to a more practical (and reliable) use.
A compass works by sensing the magnetic field that is produced by Earth's core. which contains iron.
But consider this: Earth's magnetic field is weak on the surface, which makes sense, given that it's spread out across the entire surface of the planet.
In order for the magnetic field to have any effect on the compass at all, the compass must be light and have an almost frictionless bearing.