The project is to study the Earth's

Magnetic field and find its value (BH)

using a tangent galvanometer.

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 INDEX

S.No TOPIC PAGE.NO

1. Introduction 1-7

2. Application 8

Apparatus and materials

3. 8-9
required

4. Theory 10-11

5. Procedure 12-13

Observation and
6. 14
calculations

7. Graph and result 15

8. Precautions 16

9. Facts 16

10. Bibliography 17

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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 microteslas (0.25 to 0.65 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 center of the Earth.
Unlike a bar magnet, however, Earth's magnetic field changes over time 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.

The magnetosphere is the region above the ionosphere and extends several tens of
thousands of kilometers into space, protecting the Earth from the charged particles of
the solar wind and cosmic rays that would otherwise strip away the upper atmosphere,
including the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

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

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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 nanotesla is also referred to as a gamma
(y).The tesla is the SI unit of the Magnetic field, B.

The field ranges between approximately 25,000 and 65,000 (0.25 - 0.65 G)

Near the surface of the Earth, its magnetic field can be closely approximated by the
field of a magnetic dipole positioned at the center of the Earth and tilted at an angle of
about 10° with respect to the rotational axis of the Earth. The dipole is roughly

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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 Pole

TANGENT GALVANOMETER:

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

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 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
 Definition :Tangent galvanometer is the device which was used to measure small
amounts of electric energy

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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, catch ranging from 0° to 90°.
 A pointer is attached to this needle at right angles, usually made up of thin
Aluminum as Aluminum 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.

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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:

1. T.G. can be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal component of the
geomagnetic field.
2. The principle can be used to compare the galvanometer constants.
3. for calibration of secondary instruments.

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED:

> Tangent Galvanometer (TG),
>Commutator (C),
> Rheostat (R),
> Battery (E),
> Ammeter (A),
> Key (K),

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9
THEORY:

Tangent galvanometer is a Carly 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 with the
direction H such that,

Eq 1: F = BH tanθ

When a bar magnet is suspended in two Magnetic fields B and Bh, it comes to rest
making an angle with the direction of Bh.

Let a current I be passed through the coil of radius R, having turns N. Then magnetic
ficld produced at the centre of coil is,

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 Eq 2: F = 𝜇02𝑟𝐼𝑁
4𝑇𝑅

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),

𝜇02𝜋𝐼𝑁
BHtan 𝜃 =
4𝜋𝑅

2𝜋𝐼𝑁

𝑅
BHtanθ=10-7

2𝜋×10 −7
Eq 3: B
𝑅𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃
H=

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

𝜇 2𝜋𝑁
=
Eq 4: tanθI
0 𝑅𝐻
1.

4
π

radius of coil of galvanometer R, deflection 0 and N, the value of H can be calculated.

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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 T.G 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
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4. These three lie in the same vertical plane.

5. In this setting, the ends of the aluminum 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 1°, 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 45°. The
deflection should not be outside the range (30°-60°).

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 of 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 meter scale at

least three times.

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OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION:

Table 1. for variation of θ with I

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 = 𝐵𝐶
𝐴𝐶
Slope of straight line

𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃
M= 𝐼

Now substitute the m in eq.(4)

𝜇02𝜋𝑁
M= 4𝜋𝑅𝐻

Then BH =7.6867 × 10-8

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RESULT:
The value of earths magnetic field by using a tangent galvanometer is

BH=7.6867×10-7T

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 in between the 30°and 60°

SOURCE OF ERRORS :

1. There may a magnetic material around apparatus.

2. The plane if 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 is 3.5x10-5T.
> For better result while doing tangent galvanometer experiment, the deflection should
be in between 30°-60".
> The value of 𝜇° is 4πx10-7 NA-2.

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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_Measurements/
Tangent Galvanometer/
Tangent_Galvanometer.html
>Galvanometer: Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer

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