Topic:

Magnetic Fields

Purpose:

To study the behavior of a bar magnet in varying magnetic fields at the end of a
solenoid and hence estimates the horizontal component BH of the Earth’s magnetic
fields.

Introduction:

A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. Magnetic field

usually denoted as B is a region where a magnetic force exists. If any other magnet or
magnetic material coming into this region will experience a force. Magnetic field sources
are essentially dipolar in nature, having a north and south magnetic pole. It can be
create with moving charges, such as a current-carrying wire. A magnetic field can also
be created by the spin magnetic dipole moment, and by the orbital magnetic dipole
moment of an electron within an atom.

The magnetic field B at a point is a vector quantity having both magnitude

(strength) and direction(orientation of a compass needle) in which the N-pole of a
magnet points which is proportional to how strongly the compass needle orients along
that direction. The SI unit for magnetic field is the Tesla, which can be seen from the
magnetic part of the Lorentz force law F magnetic = qvB to be composed of (Newton x
second)/(Coulomb x meter). A smaller magnetic field unit is the Gauss (1 Tesla =
10,000 Gauss).

If a magnet is suspended form a thread, it always ends up pointing in the same

direction. One end points nearly to the North, the other to the South. The pole at the end
pointing North is called the north seeking pole or N pole. The pole at the end pointing
South is called the south seeking pole or S pole. The Earth is similar to a bar magnet
which it also possesses a magnetic field. The Earth's magnetic field, also called the
geomagnetic field, which effectively extends several tens of thousands of kilometres into
space, forms the Earth's magnetosphere.

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 The strength of Earth magnetic field ranges from 30 microteslas in an area
including most of South America and South Africa to over 60 microteslas around the
magnetic poles in northern Canada and south of Australia, and in part of Siberia.

The magnetic field strength of the Earth varies with time and also location at
which the strength is measured. A magnetized needle will come to rest in a definite
direction and the definite angle to the horizontal while it is freely suspended by a
torsionless thread through its centre of gravity. In figure above, the pattern of the Earth’s
field lines is shown and B H can be measured with a deflection magnetometer or with a
ballistic galvanometer. BH value also can be determined by using formula.

Apparatus:

1. A retort stand with two clamps.

2. A cork and an optical pin.
3. A set of small bar magnet fixed with a pair of optical pins
4. A plane mirror attached to a protractor
5. Thread of length about 40cm
6. A test-tube wound with copper wires
7. A 2V accumulator
8. A (0-1)A dc ammeter
9. An on-off switch and three connecting wires
10. A rheostat
11. A pair of vernier calipers
12. A micrometer screw gauge

Procedure:

1. The cork with a pin was clamped to the retort stand and the bar magnet was
hung from the pin by using the thread supplied about 5cm above the table.
2. All magnetic materials were kept away including the ammeter and the magnet
was allowed to stay stationary.

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3. The mirror with the protractor was placed below the magnet and the 0 - 180
axis parallel to the pins on the magnet.
4. The solenoid was hold in a horizontal position at the same level with the magnet
by using the other clamp.
5. The orientation of the solenoid was adjusted so that its axis is perpendicular to
the axis of the magnet and one end of the solenoid was at 3.0cm from the axis of
the magnet.
6. A rheostat, ammeter, power supply and switch were connected to the solenoid in
series as shown in diagram below. The ammeter was kept about 50cm from the
magnet.
7. The rheostat was adjusted to maximum resistance and the switch was closed.
8. The reading I of the ammeter was recorded and the average deflection θ of the
magnet from 0 - 180 axis was obtained.
9. The value of the resistance of the rheostat was decrease in stages so as to
change the value of I and then the corresponding value of θ was measured.
10. All measurement for I, θ and tan θ.
11. A graph of tan θ against I was plotted.
12. At the point where I = 0.20A, the gradient s of the graph of tan θ against I was
found.
13. The solenoid was removed.
14. The internal diameter D of the solenoid, average diameter d of the wire used in
the solenoid and length L of the solenoid were measured and recorded.
15. The number of turns N in the solenoid was estimated by using the values of d
and L.
16. The value of the horizontal component BH of the Earth’s magnetic field was
calculated by using the following estimation
μ。 N l
BH ≈ {1− }
2 Ls D2
√ 2
l +
4

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Result:

Current I (A) Deflection θ Tanθ

Analysis:

Horizontal component of Earth’s magnetic field

μ。 N l
BH ≈ {1− }
2 Ls D2
√ 2
l +
4
Where μ 。= 4 π × 10−7 Hm−1 and l = 0.030m
N = Number of turns of solenoid
L = Length of the solenoid
s = Gradient of tan θ against I
𝓁 = 0.030m

Discussion:

The horizontal component of Earth’s magnetic field is 3. 34 x 10 -5 T. Based on

the graph of tan θ against I that have been plotted, it shows a straight line. This shows
that the tan θ is proportional to the current, I. The greater the current, the greater the
value of tan θ is. The gradient of the graph is 0.32.

Conclusion:

The value is in the range of the real value of earth magnetic field. It is show that this
experiment can be used to measure the horizontal component BH of the Earth’s
magnetic fields.