Question

in olden times how was a magnet placed in a compass

Answer 1

We know that a compass consists of a tiny pivoted magnet usually in the form of a pointer or needle which can turn freely in the horizontal plane.But, in old times the needles were magnetized by stroking them with a lodestone( a special form of the mineral magnetite) that aligns itself with the earth's magnetic field. The needle did not keep its magnetism permanently, so a lodestone was carried on the ship so that the needle could be stroked whenever the magnetism wore off.