KIDDY’S CORNER HR.

SEC SCHOOL

Session- 2023-24

Physics Investigatory Project

Topic:-
Concept of Galvanometer and It’s
application

Submitted To:- Submitted By:-

Naman Samadhiya
Class:- XII (PCM)
Roll No.:
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr. Naman Samadhiya of

Class 12th of Kiddy’s Corner Hr. Sec. School has

successfully completed the Physics Investigatory

Project on the topic “Concept of Galvanometer and

It’s application” as prescribed by the CBSE Board

for the academic year 2023-24. It is further certified

that the project is individual work of the candidate.

Internal Signature External Signature

Signature of Director
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks to my physics

teacher as well as our Director who gave me this
wonderful physics investigatory project which also helped
me in doing a lot of research. I came to know about many
new things. This project couldn’t have been satisfactory
completed without the support and guidance of my
parents.

I would like to thank my parents who helped me in

gathering diverse information, collecting data and guiding
me from time to time in making this project despite of
their busy schedule. They gave me different ideas in
making this project unique.

Naman Samadhiya

Class 12th PCM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Introduction
A galvanometer is an electromechanical measuring instrument
for electric current. Early galvanometers were uncalibrated, but
improved versions, called ammeters, were calibrated and could
measure the flow of current more precisely.

A galvanometer works by deflecting a pointer in response to

an electric current flowing through a coil in a constant magnetic
field. Galvanometers can be thought of as a kind of actuator.

Galvanometers came from the observation, first noted

by Hans Christian Ørsted in 1820, that a magnetic compass's
needle deflects when near a wire having electric current. They
were the first instruments used to detect and measure small
amounts of current. André-Marie Ampère, who gave
mathematical expression to Ørsted's discovery, named the
instrument after the Italian electricity researcher Luigi Galvani.

Galvanometers have been essential for

the development of science and technology
in many fields. Galvanometers have also
been used as the display components of
other kinds of analog meters (e.g., light
meters and VU meters), capturing the
outputs of these meters' sensors.
Aim Of The Project:-
To study more about the Galvanometer and its applications.

Material Required:-
 Galvanometer
 Connecting Wires
 Meter Scale
 Battery
 Ammeter
 Voltmeter
 Switch
 Rheostat
 One way key
 Reversing Key
 Coil
Theory:-

A galvanometer is an electromechanical measuring instrument

for electric current. Early galvanometers were uncalibrated, but
improved versions, called ammeters, were calibrated and could
measure the flow of current more precisely.

Operation:-

Modern galvanometers, of the D'Arsonval/Weston type, are

constructed with a small pivoting coil of wire, called a spindle, in
the field of a permanent magnet. The coil is attached to a thin
pointer that traverses a calibrated scale. A tiny torsion spring
pulls the coil and pointer to the zero position.

When a direct current (DC) flows through the coil, the coil
generates a magnetic field. This field acts against the permanent
magnet. The coil twists, pushing against the spring, and moves the
pointer. The hand points at a scale indicating the electric current.
Careful design of the pole pieces ensures that the magnetic field is
uniform so that the angular deflection of the pointer is
proportional to the current. A useful meter generally contains a
provision for damping the mechanical resonance of the moving
coil and pointer, so that the pointer settles quickly to its position
without oscillation.
History:-

Hans Christian Ørsted

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

wire was first described by Hans Christian Ørsted in 1820. The
phenomenon was studied both for its own sake and as a means of
measuring electric current.

Schweigger and Ampère

The earliest galvanometer was reported by Johann Schweigger at

the University of Halle on 16 September 1820. André-Marie
Ampère also contributed to its development. Early designs
increased the effect of the magnetic field generated by the current
by using multiple turns of wire. The instruments were at first
called "multipliers" due to this common design feature.

Types:-

There is broadly two types of galvanometers. Some

galvanometers use a solid pointer on a scale to show
measurements; other very sensitive types use a miniature mirror
and a beam of light to provide mechanical amplification of low-
level signals.
 1. Tangent Galvanometer:-

A tangent galvanometer consists of a coil of insulated copper wire

wound on a circular non-magnetic frame. The frame is mounted
vertically on a horizontal base provided with levelling screws. The
coil can be rotated on a vertical axis passing through its centre. A
compass box is mounted horizontally at the centre of a circular
scale. It consists of a tiny, powerful magnetic needle pivoted at the
centre of the coil. The magnetic needle is free to rotate in the
horizontal plane. The circular scale is divided into four quadrants.
Each quadrant is graduated from 0° to 90°. A long thin aluminium
pointer is attached to the needle at its centre and at right angle to
it. To avoid errors due to parallax, a plane mirror is mounted
below the compass needle.
 2. Moving Coil Galvanometer:-

The moving coil galvanometer is made up of a rectangular coil

that has many turns, and it is usually made of thinly insulated or
fine copper wire that is wounded on a metallic frame. The coil is
free to rotate about a fixed axis. A phosphor-bronze strip that is
connected to a movable torsion head is used to suspend the coil in
a uniform radial magnetic field.

Essential properties of the material used for the suspension

of the coil are conductivity and a low value of the torsional
constant. A cylindrical soft iron core is symmetrically positioned
inside the coil to improve the strength of the magnetic field and to
make the field radial. The lower part of the coil is attached to a
phosphor-bronze spring having a small number of turns. The
other end of the spring is connected to binding screws.

The spring is used to produce a counter torque which

balances the magnetic torque and hence helps in producing a
steady angular deflection. A plane mirror which is attached to the
suspension wire, along with a lamp and scale arrangement, is
used to measure the deflection of the coil. The zero-point of the
scale is at the centre.
Uses:-

Probably the largest use of galvanometers was of the

D'Arsonval/Weston type used in analog meters in electronic
equipment. Since the 1980s, galvanometer
galvanometer-type
type analog meter
movements have been displaced by analog-to-digital
analog
converters (ADCs) for many uses. A digital panel meter (DPM)
contains an ADC and numeric display. The advan
advantages
tages of a digital
instrument are higher precision and accuracy, but factors such as
power consumption or cost may still favor the application of
analog meter movements
movements.
Circuit Diagram of
of:-

Moving C
Coil Galvanometer
 Precuations:-

 Keep away from magnets: Keep all magnets and magnetic

materials away from the instrument.

 Avoid direct sunlight: Don't expose the galvanometer to direct

sunlight, extreme temperatures, humidity, or dampness.

 Avoid shocks: Don't subject the galvanometer to shocks or strong

vibrations.

 Level the platform: Make sure the circular platform is level.

 Adjust the sight: Before taking a reading, adjust the sight so that
the pointer and its image in the mirror are collinear.

Source of Error:-
 Wrongly connecting the circuit

 Wrongly taking readings

 Tolerance values of resistors

 Equipment not being calibrated correctly

 Temperature fluctuations

 Human mistakes