VICHAKSHAN JAIN VIDYAPEETH

KUMHARI
SESSION:2024-25

Project on physics:
To study the earth's magnetic field
using a tangent galvanometer.

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Mr. MAHESH SAHU ADARSH AGRAWAL
(SUBJECT TEACHER)
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Adarsh Agrawal of class 12th Science, has

prepared the report on the project entitled ‘Physics’ project
Under my supervision.

He has taken proper care, shown sincerity in the completion of this

project.

The project is found worthy of acceptance as final project for physics.

SIGNATURE OF INTERNAL SIGNATURE OF EXTERNAL

SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Mr. Mahesh Sahu,
who gave me the wonderful opportunity to do this wonderful project of Physics and also
gave valuable suggestions and guidance for completing the project.

Secondly, I would like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this project within the limited time frame.

ADARSH AGRAWAL
12TH SCIENCE
 INDEX

[Link]. CONTENT PAGE No.

1 Certificate 2
2 Acknowledgement 3

3 Objective 6

4 Introduction 7

5 About The Topic - 10

Tangent galvanometer
6 Applications 14
7 Experiment 15
8 Procedure 16
9 Observation Table 17

10 Result 19

11 Conclusion 20

12 Bibliography 21

13 End of the project 22

 OBJECTIVE

 To study the earth's magnetic field

using a tangent galvanometer.

 To find out the horizontal component

of earth's magnetic field (BA).

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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. It’s magnitude at the Earth's surface ranges from 25 to
65 microtears (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.

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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.

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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 (0.25-0.65G).

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.

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 ABOUT THE TOPIC
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. lt 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 2] 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.

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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.

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 Circuit Diagram

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.

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B = Bh tan. This is known as tangent law of magnetism.

If e is the deflection of the needle, then according to tangent law.

B = B,tan (1)

Let I be the current passing through the coil of radius a with n turns, then themagnetic field
generated by the current carrying coil is,
B= Monl/2a (2) (a is the radius of the coil)
Equating (1) and (2), we get,
B, tan = uonl/2a (3)
2aB/uon = /tan (4)

The left hand side of equation (4) is a constant and is called the reduction
factor K of the given Tangent Galvanometer.
K= /tan (5)
Now from the equation (3) & (5), the horizontal intensity of Earth's
magnetic field B, is. Bh - AonK/2a (6)

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 APPLICATIONS

* 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.

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 EXPERIMENT

Aim

> To determine the reduction factor of a tangent galvanometer.

>To find the horizontal intensity of the Earth's magnetic field

Apparatus

Accumulator, Rheostat, Ammeter, Commutator, Tangent Galvanometer

Principle & Formulae

* The reduction factor of T.G is K=/tan0, 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. B = lonk/2r, where n is the
number of turns of the coil, uo = 4Tx10:7 NA² 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.

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 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. Theplane 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 current1, the deflections of the pointer , & , are noted. The
Commutator is reversed. The deflections of the pointer , & 04 are noted. The average of the
four readings is the deflection 0. From the theory of the T.G, I=K tan.

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, B,
MonK/2r

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 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) = 2Tr = 50.49 cm

• Radius of the coil r = S/2T = 8.04 cm = 8.04x102 cm

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Horizontal Intensity at the place Bh = uonk/2r

2TnKx107/r

= 7.6867x10-8T

For different values of current I, deflections are noted and values are
calculated. Knowing K, n and the value of horizontal intensity Bn
can be calculated.

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 Result

1. The reduction factor of T.G.K = 0.19682 A

2. Horizontal Intensity at the place, Bh = 7.6867x105T

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 CONCLUSION

Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of galvanometer and

horizontal intensity of Earth's magnetic field.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Illustrative Oxford Book
 Wikipedia
 NCERT Practicals
 Introduction to Physical Science

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