Many people do not realize that there are several different "north poles." The most familiar is the north geographic pole. The north magnetic pole is not the same as the north geographic pole. It is the point on Earth's surface that a compass needle points to. Other interesting north poles include the instantaneous north pole, the north pole of balance, and the geomagnetic north pole. The mathematics of measuring angles and degrees, as well as distances, are essential tools in locating these various poles.

Polar Exploration

The north geographic pole lies in the Arctic Ocean. It is the north pole important in map making, since it is the point where all of Earth's lines of longitude come together. The geographic south pole is in Antarctica. The expedition led by American explorer Robert E. Peary is generally considered to be the first to...