L. G.

ACADEMY

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2023-2024

SUBJECT: PHYSICS
TOPIC: Moving Coil Galvanometer

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Mrs. Shweta kondla Palak Vishwakarma
Class: 12th
Section: A
 Certificate

This is to certify that Palak Vishwakarma student of

class 12th A has successfully completed the
Investigatory project on the topic "Moving coil
galvanometer" under the guidance of Mrs. Shweta
Kondla during year 2023-24.

Internal
Examiner:
External
examiner:

Principal:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of

gratitude to my Physics teacher "Mrs. Shweta
kondla" for their able guidance and support in
completing my project.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to the

Principal Mam "Mrs. Vinita Bhatia " for providing
me with all the facility that was required.

Palak Vishwakarma
12th-A
 Contents

Introduction
Aim of the project
Principle
Construction
Theory and working
Advantages and disadvantages
Applications of moving coil Galvanometer
References
 Introduction

 By Hans Christian Oersted in 1820, that a magnetic

compass needle deflected when it brought near a wire
having electric current. Galvanometers were the first
instruments used to detect and measure small
amounts of current.

 André-Marie Ampère, who gave mathematical

expression to Oersted's discovery, The concept of
galvanometer emerged from the observations made
named the instrument after the Italian electricity
researcher Luigi Galvani, who in 1791 discovered the
principle of the frog galvanoscope that an electric
current would make the legs of a dead frog jerk.

What is a Moving Coil Galvanometer?

 A moving coil galvanometer is an instrument which is used to
measure electric currents. It is a sensitive electromagnetic device
which can measure low currents even of the order of a few
microamperes.
 Moving-coil galvanometers are mainly divided into two types:
 Suspended coil galvanometer
 Pivoted-coil or Weston galvanometer

 Galvanometer is an electromechanical instrument device which is

used to detect very small current in a circuit. A galvanometer
works as an actuator, by producing a rotary deflection of a pointer,
in response to electric current flowing through a coil in a constant
magnetic field. Early galvanometers were not calibrated, but
improved devices were used as measuring instruments, called
ammeters to measure the current Blowing through an electric
circuit,

 The deflection of a magnetic compass needle by the current in a

wire was first described by Hans Christian Oersted in
1820.Galvanometers also had widespread use as the visualizing
part in other kinds of analog meters for example in light meter. V
meters etc., where they were used to measure and display the
output of other sensors

 A major early use for galvanometers was for find faults in

telecommunications cables. They were superseded in this
application late in the 20th century by time domain reflectometers.
Galvanometer mechanisms were also med to get readings from
photoresistors in the metering mechanisms of film cameras.
 Aim
 To Give Brief introduction about
“Moving Coil Galvanometer”

Principle

 As we know the current-carrying coil

when placed in an external magnetic field
experiences a torque. The angle through
which the coil is deflected due to the effect
of the magnetic torque is proportional to the
magnitude of current in the coil. Therefore,
a moving coil galvanometer works by
deflecting a pointer in response to an electric
current flowing through a coil in a constant
external magnetic field.
 Redial Magnetic field: A magnetic field,
in which the plane of the coil in all positions
remains parallel to the direction of magnetic
field is called radial magnetic field.
 Construct
ion
 The suspended type consists of a rectangular coil of thin insulated
copper wires having a large number of turns. The coil is suspended
between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet by a suspension
fiber of phosphor-bronze. A spring is attached to the other end of
the coil. The current enters the coil through the and leaves the coil
through the spring. The upper end of the suspension fiber is
connected to a rotating screw head so that the plane of the coil can
be adjusted in any desired position. The horseshoe magnet has
cylindrically concave pole-pieces. Due to this shape, the magnet
produces radial magnetic field so that when coil rotates in any
position its plane is always parallel to the direction of the magnetic
field. When current flows through the coil it gets deflected.

 A soft iron cylinder is fixed inside the coil such that the coil can
rotate freely between the poles and around the cylinder. Due to the
high permeability, the soft iron core increases the strength of the
radial magnetic field. A small plane mirror M is fixed to the
suspension fiber.
 Theory and Working

 Consider a rectangular coil PQRS of single turn having length and

breadth 'b' suspended in a uniform magnetic field of induction B
such that the plane of the coil is parallel to the magnetic field. Let
'I' be the current through the coil
 The sides PS and QR being parallel to the magnetic field do not
experience any force, but the sides PQ and RS being perpendicular
to the magnetic field experience force. The force experienced by
each side is given by

F=BI1
 By Fleming's left-hand rule these forces are opposite in direction.
As these two forces are equal and opposite they form what is called
as a couple and due to which a torque acts on the coil which tries
to deflect the coil. The deflection torque is given by

Torque = Force x Perpendicular distance between the forces.

Torque=F x b

Therefore, Torque=BI1 xb

Therefore, Torque=BIA

If the coil has ‘n’ turns, then the deflecting torque is given by,

Torque=nBIA

 Under the action of this torque, the plane of the coil rotates through
an angle ‘Theta’ before coming to rest. Due to the radial magnetic
field, the plane of the coil is always parallel to the direction of the
magnetic field. Thus at any position, the deflecting torque has
constant magnitude. The rotation of the coil produces a twist in the
fiber which produces a restoring torque which is directly
proportional to the angle of deflection ‘Theta’.
 Advantages and
Disadvantages

 Advantages of Moving Coil

Galvanometers:

They are not affected by a strong magnetic field.

They have a high torque to weight ratio.

 They are very accurate and reliable.

 Their scales are uniform.

 Disadvantages of Moving Coil
Galvanometers:

The change in temperature causes a change

in restoring torque.

Restoring torque cannot be easily changed.

There is a possibility of damage to the

phosphor bronze fiber or helical restoring
spring due to severe stresses

Such instruments can only be used for

measurement of direct current quantities and
cannot be used for measurement of
alternating current quantities.
 Applications of Moving coil
galvanometer
The moving coil galvanometer is a highly sensitive
instrument due to which it can be used to detect the
presence of current in any given circuit. If a
galvanometer is connected in a Wheatstone’s bridge
circuit, the pointer in the galvanometer shows null
deflection, i.e no current flows through the device.
The pointer deflects to the left or right depending on
the direction of the current.

 The Galvanometer can be used to measure:

 The value of current in the circuit by connecting it in

parallel to low resistance.
 The voltage by connecting it in series with high
resistance.
 Conclusions

This article explains the moving cell

galvanometer, its functioning, construction and
working. A galvanometer is an instrument used
to determine the presence, direction, and
strength of an electric current in a conductor.
Moving coil galvanometer is an electromagnetic
device that can measure even very small values
of current. A moving coil galvanometer toils on
the principle that a current-carrying coil placed
in a magnetic field experiences a torque. The
coil springs down through the radial field,
ensuring the deflection to be proportional to the
strength of the current. The sensitivity of a
galvanometer can be defined as the ratio of the
change in deflection of the galvanometer to the
change in current.
 References
1.NCERT Physics lab manual
2.NCERT Physics textbook Part-I
3.www.wikipedia.com
4.www.toppr.com
5.www.byjus.com