TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgment……………………………………………………………………………………..2
Overview................................................................................................... 3
Aim of the
Project........................................................................................................4
Apparatus and Materials required......................................... .....................5
Theory ...................................................................................................... 7
Procedure................................................................................................. 9
Observations and
Graph….................................................................................................... 10
To determine the horizontal component of earth’s magnet Field (H)
................................................................................................................11
From
graph....................................................................................................... 12
Result ...................................................................................................... 13
Precautions………………………………….………………………………………………………....13
Sources of
error……………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
Facts.........................................................................................................14
Applications…............................................................................................14
Bibliography..............................................................................................15
 ……….…..2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“I would like to express my sincere

gratitude to my Physics teacher, Mrs. Nitin
Jassal for giving us the wonderful opportunity to
do a case study and providing vital support,
guidance and encouragement throughout the
project. Without her motivation and help, the
successful completion of this project would not be
possible. Secondly i would also like to thank my
friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this
project within the limited time frame.”
 ……………3

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.
 ………….4

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.

Tangent galvanometer made by Topview of a tangent galvanometer

J.H. Bunnell Co. around 1890. made about 1950.
 ……………..5

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED

• Tangent Galvanometer (TG),
• Commutator (C),
• Rheostat (R),
• Battery (E),
• Ammeter (A),
• Key (K), etc
 ……………6

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 (1)

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.

…………..7
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,

μ 2πIN
𝐹 = 4π0 𝑅
(2)

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),

μ 2πIN
𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 4π0 𝑅
 −7
2πIN
𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 10
𝑅

2π×10−7 IN
𝐻= 𝑅𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃
(3)

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

𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 𝜇 2𝜋𝑁
= ቀ 0ቁ (4)
𝐼 4𝜋 𝑅𝐻

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

be calculated.

………….8

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
4. these three lie in the same vertical plane. In this setting,

…………..9
5. 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.

6. 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.

7. By adjusting the rheostat, bring the deflection in galvanometer

around 45o. The deflection should not be outside the range (30 o-
60o).

8. 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.

9. Reverse the current in the coil of galvanometer and again record the
current and deflection of needle.

10. By changing the value of current, take four or more set of

readings and plot the graph between I and tan𝜃. The graph will be
a straight line.

………….10
11. 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 –
2. Least count of Ammeter –
3. Zero error in Ammeter –
4. Number of turns used (N) –
 Table 1. For variation of 𝜽 with I

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

For direct current For reverse (A)
current
θ1 θ2 θ3 θ4 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

Table 2. For radius of tangent Galvanometer

S.No. Inner diameter Outer diameter Mean diameter Mean radius

d1 (cm) d2 (cm) d (cm)
1. 16.0 × 10−2 16.40 × 10−2 16.20 × 10−2 8.10 × 10−2

2. 16.16 × 10−2 16.08 × 10−2 16.12 × 10−2 8.06 × 10−2

3. 16.06 × 10−2 16.10 × 10−2 16.08 × 10−2

Mean radius of coil R = 8.04 × 10^(-2). ……….…11

GRAPH
 BC
Slope of straight line =
AC

tanθ
m=
I

Now substitute the m in Eq. (4),

……….…12

μ0 2πN
m=
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
…….…13
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
is3.5x10⁻⁵ T .
➢ For better result while doing tangent galvanometer experiment,
the deflection should be in between 30o-60o.
➢ The value of μ₀ is 4πx10⁻⁷ NA⁻²

APPLICATIONS
➢ T.G. can be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal
component of the geomagnetic field.

……….…14
➢ The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer
constants.

➢ For calibration of secondary instruments.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
➢ Tangent Galvanometer (Procedure) :Comprehensive Physics
Activities Volume I : Laxmi Publications Pvt Ltd.

➢ Tangent Galvanometer (Theory) : Comprehensive Physics

Activities Volume I : Laxmi Publications Pvt Ltd.

➢ Tangent Galvanometer (Precautions and Sources of error) :

Comprehensive Physics Activities Volume I : Laxmi Publications Pvt
Ltd.

➢ Galvanometer:
http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/Electrical_Measureme
nts/Tangent_Galvanometer/Tangent_Galvanometer.html

……….…15

➢ Galvanometer: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer