PHYSICS PROJECT:-

TO STUDY EARTH’S
MAGNETIC FIELD USING
COMPASS NEEDLE-BAR
MAGNET BY PLOTTING
MAGNETIC FIELD LINES
AND TANGENT
GALVANOMETER

By – Mihir Khabiya
Class – 12 B
AIM
The aim of the project is to study the Earth’s magnetic field and
find its value (BH) using a tangent galvanometer.

Tangent galvanometer

Top view of 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 (γ).The tesla is the SI unit
of the Magnetic field, B.

The field ranges between approximately 25,000 and 65,000 nT

(0.25–0.65 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 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.

APPLICATION

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)

Plug Key
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,

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 θ 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,

Eq 2 : 𝐹 = μ0 2πIN
4πR
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),

𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 =μ0 2πIN

4π R

𝐻𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 10−7 2πIN

𝑅

Eq 3 : 𝐻 = 2π×10−7IN
𝑅𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃

by substituting the value of current I, from

eq. (3),

Eq 4: 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 𝐼 = 𝜇0 2𝜋𝑁
4𝜋 RH

radius of coil of galvanometer R, deflection 𝜃 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 1 o,
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 o. 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.

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 variation of 𝜽 with I

S.N Value of deflection θ Mean tan θ

O (degree) Ammeter
Reading (A)
For For
direc reverse
t current
curre
nt

θ1 θ2 θ3 θ4 Ob Corr
s ected
1. 35 35 35 35 35 0.70 0.1 0.15
5
2. 49 47 60 64 53. 1.36 0.2 0.20
6 0
3. 36 36 55 58 46. 1.04 0.2 0.25
25 5
4. 50 50 65 68 58. 1.61 0.3 0.30
2 0
5. 45 45 64 65 53. 1.37 0.2 0.27
8 7
Table 2. For radius of tangent Galvanometer

S.N Inner Outer Mean Mean

o. diameter diameter d2 diameter radius
d1 (cm) (cm) d (cm)

1. 16.0 × 10 −2 16.40 × 16.20 × 8.10 × 10 -2

10−2 10−2
2. 16.16 × 16.08 × 16.12 × 8.06 ×
10−2 10−2 10−2 10−2
3. 16.06 × 16.10 × 16.08 × 8.04 ×
10−2 10−2 10−2 10−2

Mean radius of coil R = 8.04 × 10 −2

GRAPH
Slope of straight line = BC
AC
m = tanθ
I
Now substitute the m
in Eq. (4), m = μ02πN
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 30 o and 60 o.

SOURCES OF ERROR

1. There may a magnetic material around apparatus.

2. The plane of coil will not be exactly in the magnetic meridian.