Which polarity describes the natural orientation of magnetized objects toward the geographic north?

• A. Normal Polarity
• B. Reversed Polarity
• C. Magnetic Inclination
• D. North-seeking Polarity

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Earth's magnetic field sets the direction a magnetized object tends to align with. In normal polarity, the Earth's magnetic field at the surface is oriented so that the north end of a magnet or compass needle points toward geographic north. That means natural magnetization records and aligns with the direction toward the north, which is why this state is described as normal polarity.

If the field were reversed, the north end would point toward geographic south, and rocks would record the opposite direction. Magnetic inclination, by contrast, describes how steeply the field lines tilt relative to the ground, not which way they point. The term "north-seeking polarity" isn’t the standard way to describe this state in geology, so the best, most precise label for this natural orientation toward geographic north is normal polarity.