St.

Josephs Residential School,

Sriperumbudur, Chennai- 602 105
PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
TANGENT GALVANOMETER
2017-18

Submitted by: Muskaan. M. Nair

XII-A
CBSE Roll No. :

1|Page
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

This is to certify that, Muskaan.M.Nair, of grade XII, St. Josephs

Residential School, Sriperumbudur has successfully completed the
research project on the topic STUDY OF THE EARTHS MAGNETIC FIELD
USING A TANGENT GALVANOMETER under the guidance of
Mr.Kaarthik (Physics Teacher).

This project is absolutely genuine and does not indulge in plagiarism of

any kind.

The references taken in making this project have been declared at the
end of this Report.

Signature of the Signature of the

Candidate Teacher In-Charge

Signature of the Signature of the

Principal External Examiner

2|Page
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sl. No. Contents Page no.

1. ACKNOWLEDMENT 04

2. OBJECTIVES 05

3. INTRODUCTION 06-08

4. ABOUT THE TOPIC 09-11

5. EXPERIMENT 12-13

6. OBSERVATION TABLE 14-15

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 16

3|Page
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep

sense of gratitude to all those people without whom this
project could have never been completed. First and
foremost, Id like to thank my father for his inexhaustible
source of inspiration.
I would like to thank my Principal Mr. James and school
for providing me with the facilities required to complete
this project.
I am highly indebted to my Physics teacher Mr. Kaartik,
for his invaluable guidance which has sustained my
efforts in all the stages of this project work.
My thanks and appreciation goes out to my fellow
classmates and to the people who have willingly helped
me out with this project to the best of their abilities.

Signature of the Candidate

4|Page
 OBJECTIVES:
To determine the reduction factor of the given
tangent galvanometer (K).

To find out the horizontal component of earths

magnetic field (Bh).

Tangent galvanometer diagram

5|Page
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 microtesla (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).

6|Page
Most geomagneticians concern themselves with
various dynamo theories, whereby a source of
energy in the core of the Earth causes a self-
sustaining magnetic field. The Earths steady
magnetic field is produced by many sources,
both above and below the planets surface.
From the core outward, these include the
geomagnetic dynamo, crustal magnetization,
the ionospheric dynamo, the ring current, the
magnetopause current, the tail current, field-aligned currents, and
auroral, or convective, electrojets. The geomagnetic dynamo is the most
important source because, without the field it creates, the other sources
would not exist. Not far above the Earths surface the effect of other
sources becomes as strong as or stronger than that of the geomagnetic
dynamo. The Earths magnetic field is subject to variation on all
timescales. Each of the major sources of the so-called steady field
undergoes changes that produce transient variations, or disturbances.
The main field has two major disturbances: quasiperiodic reversals
and secular variation. An entirely different type of magnetic variation is
caused by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves. These waves are
sinusoidal variations in the electric and magnetic fields that are coupled
to changes in particle density. They are the means by which information
about changes in electric currents is transmitted, both within the Earths
core and in its surrounding environment of charged particles.

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

7|Page
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 ().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).

8|Page
 ABOUT THE TOPIC
Tangent Galvanometer:
Electric current is often measured using an
instrument called a tangent galvanometer. Able
to measure the presence as well as the direction
and power of currents, the instrument was first
used in the early 1800s. It typically has a vertical
copper wire coil, wrapped around a circular
frame, and a compass in the middle. The
compass needle generally responds to the
magnetic field of the electrical current, which is
compared to the Earths magnetic field in the experiment. This scientific
instrument has been built in many forms and more modern ones often
use beams of light to determine measurements, while some versions are
used to measure the magnetic field of the Earth
The instrument works based on the tangent law of magnetism. This
principle defines the tangent of the angle, traveled through by the
compass needle, as being proportionate to a ratio of how strong two
magnetic fields are. These fields are usually perpendicular to one
another. Currents measured are typically proportional to the tangent of
the same angle the needle goes through.

Circuit Diagram:

9|Page
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.

From Figure, B = Bh tan. This is known as

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

B = Bh tan (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 = 0nI/2a (2) (a is the radius of the coil)
Equating (1) and (2), we get,

Bh tan = 0nI/2a (3)

2aBh/0n = I/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 = I/tan (5)

Now from the equation (3) & (5), the horizontal intensity of Earths
magnetic field Bh is,

Bh = 0nK/2a (6)

10 | P a g e
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.

11 | P a g e
 EXPERIMENT
Aim:
1. To determine the reduction factor of the given tangent
galvanometer (K).
2. To find out the horizontal component of earths magnetic field
(Bh).

Apparatus:
Tangent galvanometer (TG), commutator (C), rheostat (R), battery
(E), ammeter (A), key (k), connecting wires, meter scale etc.

Connections are made as shown in the figure given below, where K is

the key, E the battery, A the ammeter, R the rheostat, C the commutator,
and T.G the tangent galvanometer. The commutator can reverse the
current through the T.G coil without changing the current in the rest of
the circuit. Taking the average of the resulting two readings
for deflection averages out, any small error in positioning the TG coil
relative to the earths magnetic field Bh .

Principle & Formulae:

The reduction factor of T.G is K=I/tan, where I is the current flowing
through the T.G which produces the deflection .
The horizontal intensity of Earths magnetic field at a place. Bh = 0nK/2r,
where n is the number of turns of the coil, 0 = 410-7 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.

12 | P a g e
Procedure:
1. 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.
2. 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 1 & 2 are noted. The Commutator is
reversed. The deflections of the pointer 3 & 4 are noted. The
average of the four readings is the deflection . From the theory of
the T.G, I=K tan.
3. 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 = 0nK/2r

13 | P a g e
 OBSERVATION TABLES
Table 1: For variation of with I.

Deflection in T.G
Ammeter
SL.No Reading Mean K
(A) =I/tan
1 2 3 4

1 0.15 35 35 35 35 35 0.2142

2 0.20 49 47 60 64 53.6 0.1474

3 0.25 36 36 55 58 46.25 0.2389

4 0.30 50 50 65 68 58.2 0.1860

5 0.27 45 45 64 65 53.8 0.1976

Mean K = 0.19682

The reduction factor of TH = 0.19682

Number of turns of the coil = 50
Circumference of the coil (S) = 2= 50.49 cm

14 | P a g e
 TABLE 2: For radius of tangent galvanometer.
S.No. Inner Outer Mean Mean radius
diameter d1 diameter d2 diameter
(cm) (cm) d

1. 16.0 102 16.40 102 16.20 102 8.10 102

2. 16.16 102 16.08 102 16.12 102 8.06 102
3. 16.06 102 16.10 102 16.08 102 8.04 102
Mean radius of coil R= 8.04x102

Horizontal Intensity at the place Bh = 0nK/2r

= 2nK10-7/r = 7.686710-8 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.

Graph:
From the graph,

tan
A C

Current I (A)
15 | P a g e
Slope of the straight line = BC
G AC

m = tan ________(1)
s I

Now, substitute (1) in formula = 0 2N/4 RH

Then, H = 7.686710-5 T

Result:
1. The reduction factor of T.G, K = 0.19682 A
2. Horizontal Intensity at the place, Bh = 7.686710-5 T

Conclusion:
Experiment in tangent galvanometer gives the reduction factor of
galvanometer and horizontal intensity of Earths magnetic field.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Illustrative Oxford Book
http://en.wikipedia.org
Comprehensive Practical Physics
www.wisegeek.com
www.britannica.com
www.amrita.edu

16 | P a g e