You are in closed room somehwere on Earth. You have no compas, gyroscope or GPS. No TV, phone, FAX, emil, computer, internet, or cell. No cable no external connections with outside networks. However you have electricity the regular network and a lab with all sort of electric equipment, and chemical equipment. But no compas or magnetic needles, or magnetic powerd, or magnetic materials, tapes, etc. Just electricity, electronics, chemistry. You cannot see outside, you cannot talk to anybody, no windows or doors. Describe a way to find out what direction is North in this room.
Good question. You can get the latitude with a Foucault pendulum (and a clock to figure out how much the plane of oscillation rotates in 24 hours.) But it won't tell you where North is.
You could use an electromagetic method to MAKE a compass needle, or just flip a wire coil 180 degrees and measure the induced emf with electronics. When the axis of the flip is aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, there will be no emf pulse.
I am curious to hear what other ways people (including your teacher) can come up with.. particularly any that use chemistry.
Someone else looking for solution to Dr. Ludu's assignment for tomorrow! Ha!
Why does Ludu have to be so difficult! Grrr!
you can create a compass by using whats in the room. you can brake off a piece of wire about an inch or two long and magnetize it with the use of electricity and wires. you will need to mark one end as this is the end you will start your magnetizing from and it will be your N pole. you can use a bowl of some sorts to hold water that you can float something on like a piece of sponge or small wood block. take the magnetized wire (preferably a single strand about the size of a hair) and place it onto the material suspended in the water. that is your compass; the wire is the needle and is magnetized to have a north and south pole. the needle will point to a north/south direction.
In a closed room without any compass, gyroscope, or GPS, determining the direction of North can be challenging. However, we can explore a creative solution using the available resources - electricity and chemistry.
One way to find North is by utilizing the Earth's magnetic field. Although you mentioned that you don't have any magnetic materials, we can still create a makeshift compass using electrical equipment.
Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a basic compass using electricity and chemistry:
1. Gather the following materials:
- A thin, non-metallic wire (e.g., copper or aluminum)
- A small, flat container (e.g., a plastic dish)
- A small amount of water
- A power source (such as a battery)
- Two metallic electrodes (e.g., stainless steel or copper)
2. Fill the container with the water, ensuring it covers the base evenly.
3. Attach one electrode to the positive terminal of the power source and the other electrode to the negative terminal.
4. Submerge both electrodes into the water but make sure they don't touch each other or the container's sides.
5. Connect the wire to the floating electrodes, creating a closed circuit with the power source.
6. As the electric current passes through the wire, it will generate a magnetic field around the wire following the right-hand rule.
7. After some time (maybe a few minutes), the magnetic field around the wire will align with the Earth's magnetic field.
8. The floating wire will then start aligning itself with the Earth's magnetic field, pointing roughly towards North-South.
9. To determine which end of the wire points North, you can use a basic object with a known magnetic polarity. For example, if you place a small magnet near the wire, the wire's end that repels the magnet would point North.
Please note that this method of finding North using a makeshift compass is not as accurate as a commercial compass or electronic navigation systems. It might be affected by nearby electrical equipment or other magnetic fields present in the room. Additionally, this solution assumes that the Earth's magnetic field is relatively consistent in the room's location.
It's always advisable to use a proper compass or reliable navigation tools when precise directions are required.