TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Overview
 Aim of the Project
 Apparatus and Materials required
 Theory
 Procedure
 Observations and Graph
 To determine the horizontal component of
earth’s magnetic Field (H)
 From graph
 Result
 Precautions
 Sources of error
 Facts
 Applications
 Bibliography.
OVERVIEW
The tangent galvanometer was first described in an 1837 by
Claude-Servais- Mathias Pouillet, who later employed this
sensitive form of galvanometer to verify Ohm’s law. To use the
galvanometer, it is first set up on a level surface and the coil
aligned with the magnetic north-south direction. This means that
the compass needle at the middle of the coil is parallel with the
plane of the coil when it carries no current. The current to be
measured is now sent through the coil, and produces a magnetic
field, perpendicular to the plane of the coil and is directly
proportional to the current.
The magnitude of the magnetic field produced by the coil is B;
the magnitude of the horizontal component the Earth’s magnetic
field is B’.The compass needle aligns itself along the vector sum of
B and B’ after rotating through an angle Ø from its original
orientation. The vector diagram shows that tan Ø = B/B’. Since the
magnetic field of the Earth is constant, and B depends directly on
the current, the current is thus proportional to the tangent of the
angle through which the needle has turned.

AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of the project is to study the Earth’s magnetic field and
find its value (BH) using a tangent galvanometer.
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED
 Tangent Galvanometer (TG),
 Commutator (C),
 Rheostat (R),
 Battery (E),
 Ammeter (A),
 Key (K), etc
THEORY
Tangent galvanometer is an early measuring instrument for
small electric currents. It consists of a coil of insulated
copper wire wound on a circular non-magnetic frame. Its
working is based on the principle of the tangent law of
magnetism. When a current is passed through the circular
coil, a magnetic field (B) is produced at the center of the coil
in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coil.
The working of tangent galvanometer is based on the tangent
law. It is stated as when a magnet is suspended freely in
magnetic field F and H, the magnet comes to rest making an
angle θ with the direction H such that,
F = H tan θ
When a bar magnet is suspended in two Magnetic fields B and Bh,
it comes to rest making an angle θ with the direction of Bh.
Let a current I be passed through the coil of radius R, having turns
N. Then magnetic field produced at the centre of coil is,

Let H is the horizontal component of earth’s magnetic field and the

magnetic needle comes to rest at angle 𝜃 with the direction of H,
then according Eq. (1),
by substituting the value of current I , from eq. (3),

radius of coil of galvanometer R, deflection 𝜃 and N, the value of

H can be calculated.

PROCEDURE
Connections are made as shown in the figure given below,
where K is the key, E the battery, A the ammeter, R the rheostat, C
the commutator, and T.G the tangent galvanometer. The
commutator can reverse the current through the T.G coil without
changing the current in the rest of the circuit. Taking the average
of the resulting two readings for deflection averages out, any small
error in positioning the TG coil relative to the earth’s magnetic
field H .
PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMING THE EXPERIMENT

1. Make the circuit connections in accordance with the circuit diagram.

2. Using spirit level, level the base and the compass needle in compass
box of tangent galvanometer by adjusting the leveling screw.
3. Now rotate the coil of the galvanometer about its vertical axis, till the
magnetic needle, its image in the plane mirror fixed at the base of the
compass box and the coil, i.e. all these three lie in the same vertical
plane.
4. In this setting,the ends of the aluminium pointer should read zero-
zero. If this is not so, rotate the box without disturbing the position of
the coil till at least one of the ends of the pointer stands at the zero
marks.
5. By closing the key K, the current flow in the galvanometer. Read the
both ends of the pointer. Now reverse the direction of current by
using the reversing key. When the mean values of both deflections
shown by the pointer in the two cases (i.e. before and after reversing
the current) differ by more than 1o, then turn slightly the vertical coil
until the two values agree. This will set the plane of the coil exactly
in the magnetic meridian.
6. By adjusting the rheostat, bring the deflection in galvanometer
around 45o. The deflection should not be outside the range (30o-60o).
7. Record the reading of the ammeter and the deflection of the compass
needle in the box shown by two ends of pointer on the scale.
8. Reverse the current in the coil of galvanometer and again record the
current and deflection of needle.
9. By changing the value of current, take four or more set of readings
and plot the graph between I and tan. The graph will be a straight line.
10. Measure the inner and the outer diameter of the coil with a half metre
scale at least three times.
OBSERVATIONS
1. Range of the Ammeter – 0-3A
2. Least count of Ammeter – 0.1A
3. Zero error in Ammeter – NIL
4. Number of turns used (N) – 30

Table 1. For variation of with I

S.No. Value of deflection, (degree) Mean tan Ammeter reading

For direct For reverse (A)

current current

Obs Corrected

1. 35 35 35 35 35 0.70 0.15 0.15

2. 49 47 60 64 53.6 1.36 0.20 0.20

3. 36 36 55 58 46.25 1.04 0.25 0.25

4. 50 50 65 68 58.2 1.61 0.30 0.30

5. 45 45 64 65 53.8 1.37 0.27 0.27

GRAPH
RESULT
The value of earth’s magnetic field by using a tangent galvanometer is
PRECAUTIONS
1. The battery should be freshly charged.
2. The magnetic needle should swing freely in the horizontal
plane.
3. The plane of coil must be set in magnetic meridian.
4. There should be no parallax in noting down the readings of
ammeter and deflection.
5. All the readings should be adjusted between 30o and 60o.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. There may a magnetic material around apparatus.
2. The plane of coil will not be exactly in the magnetic meridian.

FACTS
The tangent galvanometer is an early measuring instrument for Current
 The magnetic field produced by a circular coil carrying current I is

Proportional to I .
 The S.I unit of magnetic field is Tesla .

 The magnitude of horizontal intensity of earth’s magnetic field

is3.5x10⁻⁵T .
 For better result while doing tangent galvanometer experiment, the
deflection should be in between 30o-60o.
 The value of μ₀ is4πx10⁻⁷NA⁻²
APPLICATIONS
 T.G. can be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal
component of the geomagnetic field.
 The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer
constants.
 For calibration of secondary instruments.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Tangent Galvanometer (Procedure) :Comprehensive Physics
ActivitiesVolume I : Laxmi Publications Pvt Ltd.
 Tangent Galvanometer (Theory) : Comprehensive Physics
ActivitiesVolume I : Laxmi Publications Pvt Ltd.
 Tangent Galvanometer (Precautions and Sources of
error):Comprehensive Physics ActivitiesVolume I : Laxmi
Publications Pvt Ltd.
 Galvanometer:http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/Electrical_
Measurements/Tangent_Galvanometer/Tangent_Galvanometer.htm
 Galvanometer: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer