The most practical use of a magnet is in a compass. Compasses can assist people hiking in the mountains, sailors navigating the sea or pilots flying in the air. In the 12th century, the compass was first invented. this invention helped Chinese sailors cross the oceans in ships. The magnetic current in the compass points a tiny iron needle to the north. But compasses do not actually point to the north Pole.They point to the magnetic North, which is a few hundred kilometers away from the actual North Pole. Today, magnets are critical in many electronic devices. Without magnets, tape recorders, telephones and generator motors would not work. Modern compasses, called gyro-compasses, are used by planes. Although magnets are a small discovery, they allow us to use many machines that make our lives more convenient