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Compass (drafting)

Using a compass to draw a circle

A compass (or pair of compasses) is a drawing tool that can be used to draw circles or arcs, parts of circles. They can also be used to measure distances, in particular on maps. Compasses can be used for mathematics, drafting, navigation, and more.

Compasses are usually made of metal, and have two parts called legs meeting at a hinge. The legs can be moved apart or together to change the size of the circle. One part has a spike, a sharp, pointy part at its end, and the other part has a pencil or a pen. There are two types of compasses: the mechanical compass and normal compass. The mechanical compass is a compass that has a mechanical pencil, and the normal compass is a compass that has a normal pen or pencil on it. To make the compass work, you need to change how far the pencil sticks out.

A divider is a compass that has two parts with a spike, and is used to show measurements of distances and lengths. It is called a divider because it is used to divide (make smaller things from a bigger thing) a distance in two, using geometry.


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Passer (instrument) AF فرجار Arabic برجل (اداه) ARZ Pərgar AZ Цыркуль BE Пергел Bulgarian Compàs (geometria) Catalan Gī-hò̤-chiă CDO پڕگاڵ CKB Kružítko Czech

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