INDEX

1. Objective

2. Introduction

3. Tangent Galvanometer

4. Experiment-1

5. Experiment -2

6. Bibliography
Objective:

➢ Study the Earth's magnetic field using tangent Galvanometer

➢ Study the Earth's magnetic field using a compass needle bar magnet by plotting
magnetic field line.
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 Sl 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:

A tangent galvanometer is an early measuring instrument used for the measurement of

electric current. It works by using a compass needle to compare a magnetic field generated by
the unknown current to the magnetic field of the Earth. It gets its name from its operating
principle, the tangent law of magnetism, which states that the tangent of the angle a compass
needle makes is proportional to the ratio of the strengths of the two perpendicular magnetic
fields. It was first described by Claude Pouillet in 1837.

A tangent galvanometer consists of a coil of insulated copper wire wound on a circular non-
magnetic frame. The frame is mounted vertically on a horizontal base provided with leveling
screws. The coil can be rotated on a vertical axis passing through its centre. A compass box is
mounted horizontally at the centre of a circular scale. It consists of a tiny, powerful magnetic
needle pivoted at the centre of the coil. The magnetic needle is free to rotate in the horizontal
plane. The circular scale is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant is graduated from 0° to
90°. A long thin aluminum pointer is attached to the needle at its centre and at right angle to
it. To avoid errors due to parallax, a plane mirror is mounted below the compass needle.

In operation, the instrument is first rotated until the magnetic field of the Earth, indicated by
the compass needle, is parallel with the plane of the coil. Then the unknown current is applied
to the coil. This creates a second magnetic field on the axis of the coil, perpendicular to the
Earth's magnetic field. The compass needle responds to the vector sum of the two fields, and
deflects to an angle equal to the tangent of the ratio of the two fields. From the angle read
from the compass's scale, the current could be found from a table.

The current supply wires have to be wound in a small helix, like a pig's tail, otherwise the
field due to the wire will affect the compass needle and an incorrect reading will be obtained.

A tangent galvanometer can also be used to measure the magnitude of the horizontal
component of the geomagnetic field. When used in this way, a low-voltage power source,
such as a battery, is connected in series with a rheostat, the galvanometer, and ammeter. The
galvanometer is first aligned so that the coil is parallel to the geomagnetic field, whose
direction is indicated by the compass when there is no current through the coils. The battery
is then connected and the rheostat is adjusted until the compass needle deflects 45 degrees
from the geomagnetic field, indicating that the magnitude of the magnetic field at the center
of the coil is the same as that of the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. This field
strength can be calculated from the current as measured by the ammeter, the number of turns
of the coil, and the radius of the coils.

Circuit Diagram

When a bar magnet is suspended in two magnetic fields B and Bn, it comes to rest making an
angle with the direction of B
From fig.
B = B tanθ
This is known as tangent law of magnetism.
If is the deflection of the needle, then according to tangent law,
B = Bntanθ (1)
Let I be the current passing through the coil of radius a with n turns, then the magnetic field
generated by the current carrying coil is,
Β = μonl/2a (2) ( a is the radius of the coil) Equating (1) and (2), we get,
Βη tanθ= µonl/2a (3)
2aB/μo η = I/tanθ (4)
The left hand side of equation (4) is a constant and is called the reduction factor K of the
given Tangent Galvanometer.
K = I/tanθ (5)
Now from the equation (3) & (5), the horizontal intensity of Earth's magnetic field B, is,
Bn = μonK/2a (6)
Applications
1. Tangent Galvanometer 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.
EXPERIMENT-1:

Aim:
Study the Earth's magnetic field using Tangent Galvanometer (B).

Apparatus:
Accumulator, Rheostat, Ammeter, Commutator, Tangent Galvanometer

Principle & Formulae:

➤ The reduction factor of T.G is K=I/tane, where I is the current flowing through the T.G
which produces the deflection 0.

➤ The horizontal intensity of Earth's magnetic field at a place. Β = μonK/2r, where n is the
number of turns of the coil, μο = 4π×107 ΝΑ 2 is the permeability of free space, K is the
reduction factor of the T.G and r is the radius of the coil of the T.G.

Procedure:
The circuit is made as shown in the diagram. The plane of the coil is made vertical by
adjusting the leveling screws. The plane of the coil is made by adjusting the leveling screws.
The plane of the coil is made parallel to (90-90) in the compass box. The whole T.G is rotated
to read (0-0) at the ends of the aluminum pointer. Now the plane of the coil is in the magnetic
meridian.

The Commutator keys are put. The rheostat should be adjusted for deflection in T.G between
10 and 60. For a current I, the deflections of the pointer 01 & 0₂ are noted. The Commutator
is reversed.
The deflections of the pointer 03 & 04 are noted. The average of the four readings is the
deflection 9. From the theory of the T.G, I=K tanθ.

By varying the current the experiment is repeated. Using a string the circumference of the
coil is measured. Hence its radius r is found. Let n be the number of turns of the coil. The
horizontal intensity at the place is given by, Βη = μonK/2r
OBSERVATION TABLE:

Mean K = 0.19682
The reduction factor of TH = 0.19682
Number of turns of the coil= 50
Circumference of the coil (S) = 2nr= 50.49 cm
Radius of the coil r = 5/2π = 8.04 cm =8.04×10-2 cm
Horizontal Intensity at the place Bin = μοηΚ/2r = 2πηΚ×107/r = 7.6867×10-8 T
For different values of current I, deflections are noted and values are calculated. Knowing K,
n and r the value of horizontal intensity B, can be calculated.

Result
1. The reduction factor of T.G, K = 0.19682 A
2. Horizontal Intensity at the place, B = 7.6867×10-5 T

CONCLUSION
Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of galvanometer and
horizontal intensity of Earth's magnetic field.
EXPERIMENT-2:

Aim:
Study the Earth's magnetic field using a compass needle bar magnet by plotting magnetic
field line.

Apparatus:
White paper sheet, drawing board, adhesive, bar magnet, iron filings and magnetic compass.

Procedure:
• Fix a sheet of white paper on a drawing board using some adhesive material.
• Place a bar magnet in the centre of it.
• Sprinkle some iron filings uniformly around the bar magnet.
• Now tap the board gently. Observe the pattern in which the iron filings arrange
themselves.
•
• Use a magnetic compass to determine the direction of the field lines.

As performed in the simulator

• Drag the bar magnet or magnetic compass around and observe the deflection in needle
of compass and magnetic field (B) acting on the magnetic compass.
• To view the magnetic field lines, click on Show Field Lines checkbox.
• For more detailed insights of the activity click on Observation tab.

Observation
• Direction in which compass needle points is the direction of the magnetic field.
• The strength of the magnetic field is inversely proportional to the distance between
the field lines.
• Magnetic field lines never cross each other. It is unique at every point in space.
• Magnetic field lines begin at the north pole of a magnet and terminate on the south
pole.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• https://www.youtube.com/c/ ALLINVESTIGATORYPROJECTS
• Wikipedia Reference articles
• NCERT Practical Book
• Introduction to Physical Science
• https://www.google.co.in
• https://www.en.wikipedia.org
• NCERT Physics Textbook
• Class 12 Lab Manual Physics.