Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt obligation towards all those who
have helped me in making this project. Without their active guidance, help,
cooperation and encouragement, I would not have been able to present the
project on time.

I am extremely thankful and pay my sincere gratitude to my teacher

Rajendirakumar for his valuable guidance and support for completion of this
project.

I extend my sincere gratitude to my Principal MR . Nadesan Kangueyan for the

moral support extended during tenure of this project.

I also acknowledgement with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards

my parents, other faculty members of the school and friends for their valuable
suggestions given to me in completing the project.

Date:
Place : Signature of the Student

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work on
_________________________________________________
based on the curriculum of CBSE has been completed
by ___________________________________ of class - XII of Aditya
Vidyashram Residential School, Puducherry.

The above-mentioned project work has been completed under my

guidance during the academic year 2024 – 25

Signature of the Guide Teacher

 PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

To Study The Earths Magnetic Field Using A Tangent Galvanometer

Name: S.ANISH BHARATHI

Class : XII
Section: A
SL.NO CONTENT PAGE NO
INTRODUCTION
1 6

APPLICATIONS
2 7-9
AIM APPARATUS
3 10-13
THEORY
4 14-15
PROCEDURE
5 16
OBSERVATIONS
6 17
RESULT CONCLUSION
7 17
SOURCES OF ERROR
8 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY
9
 AIM:
The aim of the project is to study the Earth's magnetic field and find its value (BH) using a
tangent galvanometer.
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
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 nT (0.25-0.65G).

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 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.

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 current.

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
pivote 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, each ranging from 0° to 90°.
 ● A pointer is attached to this needle at right angles, usually made up of thin alluminium
as alluminium 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.

Working

● The instrument needle starts moving firstly under the influence of Earth's magnetic
field.
● Movement continues untill the magnetic field of earth is parallel with the plane of coil.
● Then, on application of an uknown 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)
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 → with the direction H such that,

Eq 1: F = H tan θ

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 field
produced at the centre of coil is,
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),

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

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

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.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

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.

5. In this setting, 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°-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 or more set of readings and plot the graph
between I and tane. 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.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS:

Table 1. for varition of θ with 1

 Table 2. for radius of tangent Galvanometer

Mean

radious of

coil R= 8.04

X 10-2
Slope of straight line – BC/AC

m = tan θ

Now substitute the m in Eq. (4),

m = µ02πN / 4πRH

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 30° and 60°.
6.

SOURCES OF ERROR

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
Is 3.5 x 10-5 T
⮚ For better result while doing tangent galvanometer experiment, the deflection should be
in between 30°-60°.
⮚ The value of μo is 4лx10-7 NA-2.
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