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ADITYA BIRLA PUBLIC SCHOOL

SIDHI (M.P)

SESSION:2025-26
PROJECT ON PHYSICS

S
TUDY OF EARTH’S MAGNETIC
FIELD USING COMPASS
Tittle: - NEEDLE, BAR MAGNET AND
-:::jg:- TANGENT GALVANOMETER.
SUMBITTED BY SUMBITTED TO
Mohit Kumar Gupta Mr. Santosh Sharma

CLASS: - 12’A’

Roll no: -A1213 Teacher Sign

Date of Submission: -
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that MOHIT KUMAR GUPTA of
class XII’A' has completed his Physics
project on Topic To study the earth's
magnetic field using a compass needle -bar
magnet by plotting magnetic field lines and
tangent galvanometer. Under the guidance
of Mr. Santosh Sharma for the academic
year (2025-26) The certified student has
been dedicated throughout his research and
completed his work before the given
deadline without missing any important
details from the project. It is also certified
that this project is the individual work of
the student and can be submitted for
evaluation.

Principal Signature
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am grateful to my Physics teacher, Mr. Santosh
Sharma, for the invaluable guidance and
feedback provided throughout this project. Sir
vast knowledge and encouragement have been
instrumental.

I would also like to thank our principal. Mrs.

Kiran S. Patel, for enabling access to resources
that made this project possible.

Finally, I am deeply thankful to my parents for

their constant support and motivation. This
project would not have been achievable without
them.

NAME- Mohit Kumar Gupta

CLASS: - A1213
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✓ INDEX

[Link]. Topic Page No.

1 Certificate 2
2 Acknowledgement 3
3 Objective 5
4 Apparatus Required 5
5 Theory 6
6 Procedure 8
7 Observations 10
9 Result 11
10 Precautions 12
11 Sources of Error 13
13 Conclusion 13
14 References 14
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✓ OBJECTIVE

1. To plot magnetic field lines of a bar magnet using a compass

needle and study their properties.

2. To determine the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field

(BH) using a tangent galvanometer and verify the tangent law.

✓ APPARATUS REQUIRED

For Experiment A (Magnetic Field Lines):

o Bar magnet
o Drawing board
o White sheet of paper
o Soft pencil
o Drawing pins
o Compass needle
o Scale

For Experiment B (Tangent Galvanometer):

o Tangent galvanometer (TG)
o Regulated DC power source (battery eliminator)
o Rheostat (0–10 Ω)
o Ammeter (0–2 A)
o Commutator / Reversing key
o Connecting wires
o Levelling screws
o Spirit level
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✓ THEORY

• Earth's Magnetic Field

The Earth behaves like a giant bar magnet with its magnetic south pole
located near the geographic north pole and magnetic north pole near the
geographic south pole. The Earth's magnetic field at any location can be
resolved into two components:
1. Horizontal Component (BH): The component parallel to the Earth's
surface
2. Vertical Component (BV): The component perpendicular to the
Earth's surface

The total magnetic field intensity is given by:

B = √ (BH² + BV²)

• Magnetic Field of a Bar Magnet

A bar magnet produces a magnetic field around it. The magnetic field
lines have the following properties:
They emerge from the North pole and enter the South pole
They never intersect each other
They are denser near the poles where the magnetic field is stronger
They form closed loops (continue inside the magnet from S to N)
The tangent to a field line at any point gives the direction of the
magnetic field at that point
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• Tangent Galvanometer
A tangent galvanometer is an instrument used to measure electric
current and to determine the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic
field. It works on the principle of the tangent law.

Tangent Law
When a small magnetic needle (like a compass) is placed in two mutually
perpendicular uniform magnetic fields B and BH, it will align itself at an
angle θ such that:
tan θ = B / BH

where:
B = Magnetic field produced by the current-carrying coil
BH = Horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field
θ = Deflection angle of the compass needle

Magnetic Field at the Centre of a Circular Coil

For a circular coil of radius r with N turns carrying current I, the
magnetic field at the centre is given by:
B = (μ₀NI) / (2r)

where:
μ₀ = 4π × 10⁻⁷ H/m (permeability of free space)
N = Number of turns in the coil
I = Current through the coil (in Amperes)
r = Radius of the coil (in meters)
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Formula for Earth's Horizontal Component
From the tangent law:
BH = B / tan θ = (μ₀NI) / (2r tan θ)

This is the working formula for determining BH using a tangent

galvanometer.

✓ PROCEDURE

Part A: Plotting Magnetic Field Lines Using Compass Needle

Step 1: Place a white sheet of paper on a drawing board and fix it with
drawing pins at the corners.
Step 2: Place the bar magnet at the centre of the sheet and trace its
outline with a sharp pencil. Mark the positions of the North (N) and
South (S) poles clearly.
Step 3: Place a compass needle near the North pole of the magnet
(about 2 cm away).
Step 4: Mark two points on the paper with a pencil: one at the tip of the
North pole of the compass needle and another at the tip of the South
pole.
Step 5: Move the compass needle so that its South pole coincides with
the mark made for the North pole in the previous position.
Step 6: Mark the new position of the North pole of the compass needle.
Step 7: Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you reach the South pole of the bar
magnet or the edge of the paper.
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Step 8: Join all the marked points with a smooth curve using a pencil.
Draw an arrow on the curve to show the direction of the magnetic field
(from N to S).
Step 9: Repeat the entire process by starting from different positions
around the magnet to draw multiple field lines (at least 8–10 field lines).
Step 10: Observe and note the pattern, direction, and density of the
magnetic field lines.

Part B: Determination of BH Using Tangent Galvanometer

Step 1: Place the tangent galvanometer on a horizontal wooden table.

Step 2: Level the instrument properly using the leveling screws and
check with a spirit level.
Step 3: Rotate the tangent galvanometer about its vertical axis so that the
plane of the coil is aligned along the magnetic meridian (North-South
direction). Use a compass needle to identify the magnetic meridian.
Step 4: Ensure that the compass needle at the centre of the coil is exactly
at the 0°–0° position (both ends at zero when no current flows). If not,
adjust the position by rotating the circular scale.
Step 5: Connect the circuit as follows: Battery → Rheostat → Ammeter
→ Tangent Galvanometer Coil → Commutator → Battery
Step 6: Insert the key to close the circuit.
Step 7: Adjust the rheostat to allow a small current to flow through the
coil (start with 0.2 A or less).
Step 8: Note the deflection θ₁ of the compass needle on the circular
scale.
Step 9: Reverse the direction of current using the commutator and note
the deflection θ₂ in the opposite direction.
Step 10: Calculate the mean deflection: θ = (θ₁ + θ₂) / 2
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Step 11: Record the current reading from the ammeter.
Step 12: Repeat the experiment for at least 5–6 different values of
current by adjusting the rheostat. Ensure deflections are between 30°
and 60° for better accuracy.
Step 13: Note down the values of N (number of turns) and r (radius of
coil) given on the tangent galvanometer.

✓ OBSERVATIONS

Part A: Magnetic Field Lines

1. Magnetic field lines emerge from the North pole and enter the South
pole of the bar magnet.
2. The field lines are denser (closer together) near the poles, indicating
stronger magnetic field.
3. The field lines are sparser (farther apart) at greater distances from the
magnet, indicating weaker field.
4. The field lines never intersect each other.
5. The field lines form closed loops (they continue inside the magnet
from S to N).
6. The pattern is symmetrical about the axis joining the two poles.
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✓ RESULT

1. Magnetic field lines of a bar magnet were successfully plotted using a

compass needle. The properties observed were:
Field lines originate from the North pole and terminate at the South
pole
Field lines are denser near the poles
Field lines never intersect each other
Field lines form continuous closed loops

2. The horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field at our location

was experimentally determined using a tangent galvanometer:

BH =3.5 × 10⁻⁵ T
or
BH = 0.35G (Gauss)

(where 1 Gauss = 10⁻⁴ Tesla)

Standard value of BH for India ≈ 3.0–4.0 × 10⁻⁵ T

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✓ PRECAUTIONS

For Magnetic Field Line Plotting:

1. Keep the compass needle away from current-carrying wires, mobile
phones, and metallic objects.
2. Use a sharp pencil to mark positions accurately.
3. Avoid parallax error while observing the compass needle direction.
4. Do not move the bar magnet once its position is marked on the
paper.
5. Draw smooth curves through the marked points without sharp
corners.

For Tangent Galvanometer:

1. The tangent galvanometer must be properly levelled before use.
2. The plane of the coil should be exactly aligned with the magnetic
meridian (North-South direction).
3. Avoid deflections less than 30° or greater than 70° as they lead to
large errors (tan θ becomes too small or too large).
4. Always reverse the current and take mean deflection to minimize
systematic errors.
5. Ensure the ammeter is zeroed before taking readings.
6. Keep all magnetic materials, iron objects, and mobile phones away
from the apparatus.
7. The current should be passed for minimum time to avoid heating of
the coil.
8. Take readings quickly to avoid drift due to heating effects.
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✓ SOURCES OF ERROR

1. Local magnetic disturbances from nearby magnets, iron tables, or

electronic devices can affect measurements.
2. Friction in the compass needle pivot can prevent free rotation.
3. Parallax error in reading the deflection angle on the circular scale.
4. Inaccurate measurement of the coil radius.
5. Non-uniform winding of the coil may cause variations in the magnetic
field.
6. Zero error in ammeter if not properly calibrated.
7. Heating of coil due to prolonged current flow can change resistance
and deflection.
8. Misalignment of coil with the magnetic meridian introduces errors.

✓ CONCLUSION

This experiment successfully demonstrated the properties of magnetic

field lines around a bar magnet and verified the tangent law using a
tangent galvanometer. The horizontal component of Earth's magnetic
field was experimentally determined, which closely matches the standard
value for our geographical location (typically 3–4 × 10⁻⁵ T in India).

The experiment highlights the principle of superposition of magnetic

fields and provides practical understanding of how Earth's magnetic
field can be measured using simple laboratory apparatus.
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This project provides valuable insight into geomagnetism and
electromagnetic principles, which have applications in navigation,
mineral exploration, and understanding Earth's internal structure.

✓ REFERENCES

1. NCERT Physics Textbook for Class XII (Part I) – Chapter 5:

Magnetism and Matter
2. CBSE Physics Laboratory Manual for Class XII
3. Comprehensive Practical Physics by Dr. J.N. Jaiswal
4. University Physics by H.D. Young and R.A. Freedman
5. The Physics Classroom ([Link])
6. Hyper Physics ([Link])
7. Khan Academy Physics

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