Which statement describes Grid north and Magnetic north?

• A. They are the same reference.
• B. They are interchangeable with True North.
• C. They are two distinct north references used in navigation.
• D. They are not used by the Army.

Answer: (C)

Grid north and Magnetic north are two distinct north references used in navigation. Grid north follows the north–south lines on a map’s grid, so it is fixed to the map’s projection. Magnetic north is the direction toward the Earth’s magnetic north pole, which moves over time and varies by location. Because of these differences, they point in different directions and are not interchangeable. True north is the geographic north pole, a separate reference. In practice, map-reading uses grid north for plotting coordinates, while a compass uses magnetic north; navigators convert between them using the local magnetic declination (the angle between magnetic north and true north) or grid convergence as needed. This separation is why the statement describing them as two distinct north references is the best choice.