MAR IVANIOS CBSE SCHOOL, KUZITHURAI
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2025-2026
PROJECT REPORT ON
“STUDY THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD USING A
COMPASS NEEDLE BAR MAGNET BY PLOTTING MAGNETIC
FIELD LINE AND TANGENT GALVANOMETER.”
NAME : HALTON JERSHO. X
GRADE : XII
SUBJECT : PHYSICS
ROLL NO :5
Submitted To: Submitted By:
Mrs. Ramila HALTON JERSHO. X
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Halton Jersho. X of grade XII of Mar Ivanios CBSE
School, Kuzhithurai has successfully completed this project report in Physics on the
topic of "STUDY THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD USING A COMPASS
NEEDLE BAR MAGNET BY PLOTTING MAGNETIC FIELD LINE AND
TANGENT GALVANOMETER" for partial fulfillment of AISSCE as prescribed by
the CBSE in the year 2025-2026.
Signature of the Principal Signature of the Teacher
DECLARATION
I, Halton Jersho. X, a student of grade XII of Mar Ivanios CBSE School,
Kuzhithurai, do hereby declare that the project is undertaken by me as part of the
CBSE Curriculum. To the best of my knowledge, it is an original piece of work done
by me and is worthy of consideration in partial fulfillment of the requirement of
CBSE for the academic session of 2025-2026.
Name of the Student: Halton Jersho. X
Roll No: 5
Signature of the student
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the outset, I express my deep sense of gratitude to my Lord the Almighty, for his
mercy and grace, which I have received in abundance, throughout this project.
I extend my gratitude to our Correspondent, Rev. Fr. Arnold Dias, for the
encouragement and support in completing my project work successfully.
I am grateful to our Vice Principal, Mr. Devaraj, for his encouragement to pursue the
project.
I feel pleasure in expressing my gratitude to our Project Co-ordinator, Mrs. Ramila for
her suggestions and guidance for the completion of my English project.
I would like to thank my parents, friends, and team members for their continued support
and coordination in this project.
Finally, I would like to thank the CBSE Board for giving me this great opportunity to do
this project.
HALTON JERSHO.X
INDEX
S.No. Content Page No.
1. Objective 2
2. Introduction 3
3. Tangent Galvanometer 5
4. Experiment-1 8
5. Experiment-2 12
6. Bibliography 13
7. End of project 14
1
2
Objective
Study the Earth’s magnetic field using a Tangent Galvanometer.
Study the Earth’s magnetic field using a compass needle bar magnet by
plotting magnetic field lines.
3
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 centre 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.
4
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.
5
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.
6
Circuit Diagram
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.
From fig.
B = Bh tanθ
This is known as tangent law of magnetism.
If θ is the deflection of the needle, then according to tangent law,
B = Bh tanθ (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,
B = µ0nI/2a (2) (a is the radius of the coil) Equating
(1) and (2), we get,
Bh tanθ = µ0nI/2a (3)
2aBh/µ0n = 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
Bh is,
Bh = µ0nK/2a (6)
7
Applications
A Tangent Galvanometer 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.
8
EXPERIMENT-1
Aim:
Study the Earth’s magnetic field using Tangent Galvanometer (Bh).
Apparatus:
Accumulator, Rheostat, Ammeter, Commutator, Tangent Galvanometer
Principle & Formulae:
The reduction factor of T.G is K=I/tanθ, where I is the current flowing through the
T.G which produces the deflection θ.
The horizontal intensity of Earth’s magnetic field at a place. B h = µ0nK/2r, where
n is the number of turns of the coil, µ0 = 4π×10-7 NA- 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 aluminium 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 θ1 & θ2 are
noted. The Commutator is reversed. The deflections of the pointer θ 3 & θ4 are noted.
The average of the four readings is the deflection θ. 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 Bh =
µ0nK/2r
9
10
OBSERVATION TABLE
Deflection in T.G
Amm
S eter M K
θ θ θ θ
r. Reading e =I/
1 2 3 4
N (A) a tan
o. n θ
1 0.15 3 3 3 3 3 0.2
5 5 5 5 5 142
2 0.20 4 4 6 6 5 0.1
9 7 0 4 3 474
.
6
3 0.25 3 3 5 5 4 0.2
6 6 5 8 6 389
.
2
5
4 0.30 5 5 6 6 5 0.1
0 0 5 8 8 860
.
2
5 0.27 4 4 6 6 5 0.1
5 5 4 5 3 976
.
8
Mean K = 0.19682
The reduction factor of TH = 0.19682
Number of turns of the coil = 50
Circumference of the coil (S) = 2πr = 50.49 cm
Radius of the coil r = S/2π = 8.04 cm = 8.04×10-2 cm
Horizontal Intensity at the place Bh = µ0nK/2r
11
= 2πnK×10-7/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 Bh can be calculated.
Result
1) The reduction factor of T.G., K = 0.19682 A
2) Horizontal Intensity at the place, Bh = 7.6867×10-5 T
Conclusion:
Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of galvanometer
and horizontal intensity of Earth’s magnetic field.
12
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
1) 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.
2) To view the magnetic field lines, click on Show Field Lines checkbox.
3) For more detailed insights of the activity click on Observation tab.
Observation
1) Direction in which compass needle points is the direction of the magnetic field.
2) The strength of the magnetic field is inversely proportional to the distance
between the field lines.
3) Magnetic field lines never cross each other. It is unique at every point in space.
4) Magnetic field lines begin at the north pole of a magnet and terminate on the
south pole.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. https://www.youtube.com/c/ALLINVESTIGATORYPROJECTS
2. Wikipedia Reference articles
3. NCERT Practical Book
4. Introduction to Physical Science
5. https://www.google.co.in
6. https://www.en.wikipedia.org
7. NCERT Physics Textbook
8. Class 12 Lab Manual – Physics.
14
End of Project
Thank you!
