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A compass needle which is allowed to move in a horizontal plane is taken to a geomagnetic pole. It:
A
will stay in east-west direction only
B
will become rigid showing no movement
C
will stay in any position
D
will stay in north-south direction only
Detailed Solution
At a geomagnetic pole the earth's magnetic field is vertical, so its horizontal component is zero.
A compass needle free to move in a horizontal plane responds only to the horizontal component.
With no horizontal field there is no torque on the needle, so it can stay in any position.
A compass needle free to move in a horizontal plane responds only to the horizontal component.
With no horizontal field there is no torque on the needle, so it can stay in any position.