SRI CHAITANYA SR.
SECONDARY SCHOOL
2025-2026
NAME: S. Niten Varshan
CLASS: XII
REGISTER NUMBER:
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SRI CHAITANYA [Link] SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that S. NITEN VARSHAN a student of SRI
CHAINTANYA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL has successfully
completed the investigatory report on the title To Study the
Earth's Magnetic Field Using a Compass Needle and Bar
Magnet by Plotting Magnetic Field Lines and Tangent
Galvanometer during year 2025-2026 in partial fulfilment of
Physics practical examination conducted by CENTRAL
BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (AISSCE) PRACTICAL
EXAMINATION, New Delhi
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express a deep sense of thanks and gratitude to
my physics teacher sir Mr. Venkat for guiding me Immensely
through the course of the project. He always evinced keen
interest in my project. His constructive advice and constant
motivation have been responsible for the successful completion
of this project.
My sincere thank goes to our principal sir Mr. D. Chiranjeevi for
his co-ordination in extending every possible support for the
completion
of this project.
Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have
helped me with their valuable suggestions and guidance has
been helpful in various phases of the completion of the project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
[Link] 05
[Link](A) 06
[Link](B) 10
[Link] 13
[Link] OF ERROR 14
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ABSTARCT
This study determines the Earth's horizontal magnetic field
(BH) through two methods. First, a compass and bar magnet
qualitatively map superimposed fields, locating neutral points.
Second, a Tangent Galvanometer (TG) provides a quantitative
measurement. Operating on the Tangent Law the TG relates the
magnetic field generated by a known current I to BH allowing
for the calculation of the local value of BH
The objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the
Earth's local magnetic environment, demonstrating the vector
superposition of magnetic fields and experimentally
determining the magnitude of BH.
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EXPERIMENT(A)
Aim:
To plot the magnetic field lines formed by the superposition of
a bar magnet's field and the Earth's horizontal magnetic field
(BH), and to locate the neutral points. Apparatus Bar magnet,
small plotting compass, drawing board, white sheet of paper,
sharp pencil, drawing pins
Apparatus:
Bar magnet, small plotting compass, drawing board, white
sheet of paper, sharp pencil, drawing pins.
Theory:
A magnetic field is the region where a magnetic force can be
experienced. At any point, the magnetic field is a vector
quantity, possessing both magnitude and direction. Magnetic
field lines graphically represent this field; a tangent drawn to a
field line at any point gives the direction of the net magnetic
field at that point.
The experiment relies on the Principle of Superposition of
Magnetic Fields. When a bar magnet is placed on the Earth's
surface, the compass needle experiences two magnetic fields
simultaneously:
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A crucial observation is the presence of Neutral Points (X).
These are points where the field due to the bar magnet is equal
in magnitude and exactly opposite in direction to the Earth's
horizontal component, resulting in a net magnetic field of zero
(Bnet = 0). At a neutral point, the compass needle shows no
fixed direction.
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Procedure:
1. Secure a white sheet of paper on the drawing board using
drawing pins.
2. Use a free-swinging compass to draw a line representing the
Magnetic Meridian (local North-South direction) and mark
the poles.
3. Place the bar magnet on the paper in a specific position
(e.g., N-pole facing Magnetic North or N-pole facing
Magnetic South) and trace its outline.
4. Place the plotting compass near the magnet's pole. Mark
two dots on the paper corresponding to the ends of the
compass needle.
5. Move the compass so that its tail (S-pole end) aligns with
the dot previously marked by its head (N-pole end). Mark
the new head position.
6. Repeat this step-by-step process, creating a chain of dots
until the path leads off the paper or reaches the other pole.
7. Join the dots with a smooth curve and add an arrow
pointing from the magnet's N-pole to its S-pole to indicate
the field line direction.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 from various starting points to map the
entire field pattern.
9. Locate the Neutral Points: Identify the points where the
compass needle does not settle in a definite direction and
mark them with an (X)
10. Measure and record the distance of the neutral points from
the center of the magnet.
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Conclusion:
The plotted lines show the resultant magnetic field pattern. The
experiment successfully demonstrated the principle of
superposition and located the neutral points where the bar
magnet's field perfectly neutralized BH
Result:
The magnetic field lines and the positions of the neutral points
for the specified magnet placements are obtained.
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EXPERIMENT(B)
Aim:
To determine the magnitude of the horizontal component of
the Earth's magnetic field (BH) at the location using a Tangent
Galvanometer (TG).
Apparatus:
Tangent Galvanometer (TG), DC power supply/battery,
ammeter, rheostat, commutator (or two-way key), connecting
wires, spirit level, meter scale (to measure coil radius).
Theory:
The quantitative measurement relies on the Tangent Law of
Magnetism. When the Tangent Galvanometer (TG) coil is set in
the Magnetic Meridian, the field it produces (B) is
perpendicular to the Earth's horizontal field (BH). A small
magnetic needle at the center experiences both fields
simultaneously.
The needle aligns with the resultant field (R), forming a right-
angled triangle with BH and B as its perpendicular sides. The
deflection angle theta is related by:
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The field created by the coil carrying current I is B =
By substituting this into the tangent law and rearranging, we
calculate the unknown BH:
Procedure:
1. Measure the average radius (R) of the TG coil using a metre
scale. Record the number of turns (N) used.
2. Connect the TG, battery, ammeter, rheostat, and
commutator in series.
3. Ensure the TG is perfectly level using the spirit level.
4. Rotate the entire TG until the plane of its coil is aligned in
the Magnetic Meridian (parallel to BH). This is achieved
when the aluminum pointer reads 0^ to 0^ or 90^ to 90^ on
the scale.
5. Pass a current (I) through the circuit. Adjust the rheostat
until the deflection theta is between 30^ and 60^ for
maximum sensitivity.
6. Note the current I from the ammeter. Read the deflection at
both ends of the pointer (theta_1, theta_2).
7. Use the commutator to reverse the current through the
coil. Note the new deflection readings (theta_3, theta_4).
8. Calculate the mean deflection: theta(mean) = (theta_1 +
theta_2 + theta_3 + theta_4).
9. Repeat steps 5-8 for at least two other current settings to
obtain a set of (I, theta_mean) pairs.
10. Substitute the values into the formula to calculate $B_H$
for each set of readings and find the final average.
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Conclusion and Result:
Conclusion:
The Tangent Galvanometer experiment successfully
applied the Tangent Law to measure the horizontal
component of the Earth's magnetic field by balancing the
coil's field against BH.
Result:
The final determined value for the horizontal component of
the Earth's magnetic field at the location is BH = Tesla
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Precautions (Applicable to both parts):
1. The plotting compass must be small so that it is always in a
nearly uniform field.
2. All magnetised, iron, or steel objects (including keys,
watches, and steel furniture) must be kept far away from
the apparatus.
3. The drawing board and table must be non-magnetic.
4. The TG coil must be accurately leveled and aligned in the
magnetic meridian (plane parallel to BH) before passing the
current.
5. Readings on the TG should be taken from both ends of the
pointer and by reversing the current to minimize
observational and coil alignment errors.
6. The pointer on the TG should be tapped gently before
taking readings to ensure the needle is free to move.
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Sources of Error (Applicable to both parts):
1. Non-Uniform Fields: The magnetic field of the TG coil is only
uniform exactly at the center; the small size of the compass
needle reduces this error, but the field slightly varies at the
ends of the needle.
2. Improper Alignment: Failure to precisely set the TG coil in
the magnetic meridian introduces an error in the
perpendicularity assumption of the Tangent Law.
3. Parallax Error: Error in reading the compass deflection angle
(theta) or the current (I) from the ammeter scale.
4. External Magnetic Disturbances: Unforeseen changes in
nearby electrical circuits or movement of ferromagnetic
objects.
5. Inaccurate Radius: Incorrect measurement of the mean
radius (R) of the TG coil, especially if the winding is not
perfectly uniform.
6. Bar Magnet: The poles of the bar magnet are not precisely
at its ends, leading to slight inaccuracies in the location of
the theoretical pole used for calculating neutral points.
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Thank You
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