What is magnetic declination?

• A. The angle between geographic north and the north to which a compass needle points.
• B. The angle between geographic north and magnetic north.
• C. The angle between true north and true east.
• D. The angle used to convert height to distance.

Answer: (A)

Magnetic declination is the angle between true (geographic) north and the direction the compass needle actually points (magnetic north). A compass doesn’t point to true north; it aligns with Earth’s magnetic field, so there’s a offset between true north and magnetic north. That offset is magnetic declination, and it varies by location and over time. This value is key for converting magnetic bearings to true bearings when surveying.

The described option captures this relationship by referring to geographic north and the direction the compass points, which is magnetic north. Other statements describe unrelated ideas, like the angle between true north and true east or a height-to-distance relation, so they don’t define magnetic declination.