To find Earth’s magnetic

field using a tangent galvanometer

Physics Project

Group Members: Abhija Shaji, Abia Sijimole Ani, Abinaya

Arivazhagan, Adithiya Anil Kumar, Adwaidha Shaji
12 C
 Index

1.Acknowledgment
2.Introduction
3.Tangent galvanometer
· Principle
· Construction
· Working
· Application
4.Experiment
5.Conclusion
6.Bibliography
Acknowledgment

I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks

to the principal, my teachers and my family who deeply
supported and helped me to make this project happen.
To Mrs. Fathima Jinsi, physics teacher, who guided me
to the successful completion of this project. I take this
opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude for
her invaluable guidance, constant encouragement,
constructive comments, sympathetic attitude and
immense motivation, which has sustained my efforts at
all stages of this project work.
INTRODUCTION

Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is

the magnetic field that extends from the Earth's interior to
where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged particles
emanating from the Sun. Its magnitude at the Earth's surface
ranges from 25 to 65 micro tesla (0.25 to0.65 gauss). Roughly
speaking it is the field of a magnetic dipole currently tilted at
an angle of about 10 degrees with respect to Earth's rotational
axis, as if there were a bar magnet placed at that angle at the
centre of the Earth. Unlike a bar magnet, however, Earth's
magnetic field changes overtime because it is generated by a
geodynamic (in Earth's case, the motion of molten iron alloys
in its outer core).

The North and South magnetic poles wander widely, but

sufficiently slowly for ordinary compasses to remain useful
for navigation. However, at irregular intervals averaging
several hundred thousand years, the Earth's field reverses and
the North and South Magnetic Poles relatively abruptly switch
places. These reversals of the geomagnetic poles leave a
record in rocks that are of value to paleomagnetists in
calculating geomagnetic fields in the past. Such information
in turn is helpful in studying the motions of continents and
ocean floors in the process of plate tectonics.
Earth's magnetic field serves to deflect most of the solar wind,
whose charged particles would otherwise strip away the ozone
layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation
One stripping mechanism is for gas to be caught in bubbles of
magnetic field, which are ripped off by solar winds. The
intensity of the field is often measured in gauss (G), but is
generally reported in nanoteslas (nT), with 1 G = 100,000 nT.
A nano tesla is also referred to as a gamma ( γ). The tesla is
the SI unit of the Magnetic field, B. The field ranges between
approximately 25,000 and 65,000 nT (0.25,0.65G).

Near the surface of the Earth, its magnetic field can be closely
approximated by the field of a magnetic dipole positioned at
the centre of the Earth and tilted at an angle of about 10° with
respect to the rotational axis of the Earth. The dipole is
roughly equivalent to a powerful bar magnet, with its South
Pole pointing towards the geomagnetic North Pole. The north
pole of a magnet is so defined because, if allowed to rotate
freely, it points roughly northward (in the geographic sense).
Since the north pole of a magnet attracts the south poles of
other magnets and repels the north poles, it must be attracted
to the South Pol
TANGENT GALVANOMETER:
Tangent galvanometer is the device which was used to
measure small amounts of electric current.

Principle:
The tangent galvanometer works on the principle of tangent
law.

Tangent law of Magnetism:

• The tangent law of magnetism states that the tangent of
the angle of a compass needle which is due to the movement
under the influence of magnetic field is directly proportional
to the ratio of strengths of two perpendicular magnetic fields.
• In simpler words, the tangent of the angle made by the
moving needle under the magnetic field directly indicates the
strength of the perpendicular magnetic fields.
Construction:
• The working of tangent galvanometer is based on the
principle of tangent law of magnetism.
• It consists of a coil of insulated copper wire wound on a
circular non-magnetic frame.
• It is utmost necessary that the coil wound is done in
helical arrangement otherwise, the field due to the wire will
affect the compass needle, thus inducing an error in the
reading.
• This frame is mounted vertically on a horizontal base for
support.
• The coil of insulated copper wire is usually rotated on a
vertical axis passing through its centre.
• A small sized magnetic compass with a powerful
magnetic needle is made to pivot at the centre of this coil,
such that it is free to rotate in a horizontal plane.
• The circular scale is used to read the movement of this
magnetic needle which is divided into four quadrants, each
ranging from 0° to 90°.
• A pointer is attached to this needle at right angles,
usually made up of thin aluminium as it is lighter in mass.
• The usual way of discarding possibilities of parallax is
also used i.e. placing of a plane mirror below the compass
needle.
Working:
• The instrument needle starts moving firstly under the
influence of Earth's magnetic field.
• Movement continues until the magnetic field of earth is
parallel with the plane of coil.
• Then, on application of an unknown current, a second
magnetic field on the axis of the coil which is perpendicular to
the Earth's magnetic field is created.
• Hence the compass needle responds to the vector sum of
the two fields.
• This deflection angle is equal to the tangent of the ratio
of those two fields.

Applications:
• It helps in investigating the magnetic field at the central
portion of a loop of wire that carries current.
• Facilitates the verification of the right-hand rule for the
field inside the current loop.
• It makes possible the investigation of the vector nature of
magnetic fields and it helps in understanding how they add
vectorially.
• One can easily verify the relationship between the
magnetic field inside the current loop, the current itself, and
the number of turns with a tangent galvanometer. Here, the
Earth’s field is used as a reference.
• It helps in the determination of the accurate strength of
the magnetic field of the Earth.
Experiment:
To find Earth’s magnetic field using a tangent galvanometer

AIM:
The aim of the project is to study the Earth’s magnetic field
and find its value (BH) using a tangent galvanometer.

Tangent galvanometer

Top view of a Tangent galvanometer

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED:
• Vertical Circular Coil
• Horizontal Base
• Terminals
• An aluminium pointer
• A small compass needle

Plug key

Battery eliminator
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 centre 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,

E.q. 1:
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,
Eq 2 : F= µ02 πIN
4π R

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

and the magnetic needle comes to rest at angle with the
direction of H, then according Eq. (1),
Htan θ= µ02 πIN
4 πR
Htan θ= 10^-7 2 πIN
R

Eq 3: H=2 πx10^-7IN
Rtan θ

by substituting the value of current I, from eq. (3),

Eq 4: tan θ I = µ0 2 πN
4π RH

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

of H can be calculated.
Circuit diagram:

Procedure:
1. Make the circuit connections in accordance with circuit
diagram.
2. Level the base and compass needle in the compass box of
the tangent galvanometer using levelling screws and spirit
level.
3. Remove insulation from the ends of the connecting wires
and make neat and tight connections.
4. Now rotate the coil of the tangent 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 lies in the same vertical plane.
5. In this setting, the ends of the aluminium pointer should
read zero-zero. If the pointer does not read zero-zero, then
rotate the box without disturbing the position of the coil till at
least one of the ends of the pointer stands at zero marks.
6. Allow the current flow in the galvanometer. By closing
the key K, read both ends of the pointer.
7. Now reverse the direction of the current by using the
reversing key. When the mean values of deflection shown by
the pointer in the two cases differ by more than 1°, the turn
slightly the vertical coil until the two values agree. This will
set the plane of the coil exactly in the magnetic meridian.
8. Set the deflections in the galvanometer around 45° by
adjusting the rheostat. Record the reading of the ammeter and
the deflection of the compass needle using the pointer.
9. Reverse the current in the coil of the galvanometer and
again record the current and deflection of the needle. By
changing the value of current, four more sets of readings. And
plot a graph between I and tanθ. The graph will be a straight
line.
10. Measure the inner and outer diameter of the coil with the
help of a vernier calliper at least three times.

Observation:
Graph:

Slope of straight line = BC/AC m = tanθ/I

Now substitute the m in Eq. (4),
m = μ0 2πN/4π RH
Then, H = = 7.6867 × 10−8 𝑇
Result:
The value of earth’s magnetic field by using a tangent
galvanometer is H = 7.6867 × 10−8 𝑇
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.

Conclusion:
The purpose of this experiment is to measure the horizontal
and vertical components of the earth's magnetic field. We will
accomplish this by using a tangent galvanometer, an
instrument which preceded the modern ammeter. The tangent
galvanometer was originally designed to measure an unknown
current by comparing the magnetic field produced by that
current with the earth's magnetic field. Using an ammeter
together with a tangent galvanometer, we can compute the
earth's magnetic field
Bibliography

www.scribd.com
https://testbook.com
https://amritha.vlab
https://mcc.edu