Investigatory Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgment………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………..3
Overview......................................................................................................
....................... 4
Aim of the
Project.........................................................................................................
5
Apparatus and Materials
required..................................................................... 6
Theory
......................................................................................................................
........... 7
Procedure....................................................................................................
...................... 9
Observations and
Graph…........................................................................................ 11
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

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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,

µ0 2π𝐼𝑁
𝐹 = 4π 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),

µ0 2π𝐼𝑁
𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛θ = 4π 𝑅

−7 2π𝐼𝑁
𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛θ = 10 𝑅

−7
2π×10 𝐼𝑁
𝐻 = 𝑅𝑡𝑎𝑛θ
(3)

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

𝑡𝑎𝑛θ
𝐼
= ( )
µ0
4π
2π𝑁
𝑅𝐻
(4)

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 (30o-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.

11. Measure the inner and the outer diameter of the coil with a
half metre scale at least three times. ………….10
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 For reverse (A)
current 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 Outer diameter Mean diameter Mean radius

diameter d1 d2 (cm) d (cm)
(cm)
1. 16. 0 × 10
−2
16. 40 × 10
−2
16. 20 × 10
−2
8. 10 × 10
−2

2. −2 −2 −2 −2
16. 16 × 10 16. 08× 10 16. 12 × 10 8. 06× 10
3. −2 −2 −2 −2
16. 06 × 10 16. 10 × 10 16. 08 × 10 8. 04 × 10

−2
Mean radius of coil R = 8. 04 × 10
 ……….…11

GRAPH

𝐵𝐶
Slope of straight line = 𝐴𝐶

𝑡𝑎𝑛θ
m= 𝐼

Now substitute the m in Eq. (4),

μ0 2π𝑁
m= 4π 𝑅𝐻

−8
Then, H = 7. 6867 × 10 𝑇
 ……….…12

RESULT
The value of earth’s magnetic field by using a tangent
galvanometer is

−8
H = 7. 6867 × 10 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.

……….…13
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.

⮚ The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer

constants.

⮚ For calibration of secondary instruments.

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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_Measure
ments/Tangent_Galvanometer/Tangent_Galvanometer.html

⮚ Galvanometer: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer

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