The compass was believed to be invented by the Chinese somewhere around 2 AD, and ever since that people have used something to navigate. Norse explorers used some kind of navigation device in the nineth century, but it wasn't until the 1300's that a compass was actually commonly used.

Whatever the shape or style, all compasses use the same concept. It can be a match tied to some string, or a paperclip floating. All compasses show the magnetic north which is not the truth north you usually are looking for, but we will teach you how to find the truth north later.

The First step of using a compass is to learn the basic steps. Here's a diagram of all of the components of a compass.