You cna't really study physics on ur own spare time. A lot of thigns out there are junk. For example, a series on Discovery channel, an educational channel, called "ghost hunting". Which is rediculous, but for the ignornat person he things this show is real. They use realistic gadgets, plus its on the
discover channel.
On another website (
www.alexchiu.com) which is obviously full of BS, there is some explainations for physics. I mean if you go there, you know its fake cuz its alexchiu.com!! But if you copy his material, and paste it, you can't tell. He explains what causes north and south poles to show in the compas. I forgot his explanaiton, but it does sound realistic to the absent minded. His explnaton was sth like the sun and friction. The correct explanation (or actually...its a hypothesis; the currently most accepted one) is molten lava is constantly moving about the earth (which is a consequence fyi is the magnetic poles are moving, and different than the geographical poles). There is a lot of BS if you look up physics "on your spare time"
Which, in reference to a prev post on this thread, continues to explain why the poles and spears in throat have nothing to do with each others. magnetism is usually cuased by accelerating charges, or parrallel rotation of adjacent Fe atoms (usually Iron, cuz Iron can do that). i'm not sure about the latter...but that is supposed to explain iron magnets.