Prepare for the Water Survival 929 Test. Use flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get water safe!

Multiple Choice

Deviation is caused by what?

Deviation arises from local magnetic influences around the compass. Nearby metal objects or equipment create their own magnetic fields, which push or pull the compass needle away from magnetic north and produce the reading error we call deviation. In contrast, declination is the difference between true north and magnetic north at a location—an external, location-based value, not a result of nearby objects. The Earth's field changing with latitude describes a global variation, not the local distortion caused by nearby metal. A malfunction would be a device fault rather than the usual cause of deviation.

Deviation arises from local magnetic influences around the compass. Nearby metal objects or equipment create their own magnetic fields, which push or pull the compass needle away from magnetic north and produce the reading error we call deviation. In contrast, declination is the difference between true north and magnetic north at a location—an external, location-based value, not a result of nearby objects. The Earth's field changing with latitude describes a global variation, not the local distortion caused by nearby metal. A malfunction would be a device fault rather than the usual cause of deviation.