The compass finds north

Spin a magnetised needle on a pin. Magnetised means made into a magnet. Where does the needle stop?

The idea

The needle stops with its N end pointing north.

A magnet that swings freely stops in the same line. The line runs north to south. This holds only if no other magnet or iron is near.

This is how a compass works. Its needle is a small magnet. The end that points north is the N pole.